Bruce Power has announced the start of work on the latest phase of its major component replacement (MCR) project.

The Unit 4 outage represents the middle of the company’s MCR project that will see Units 3-8 renewed to provide clean, reliable energy, while also ensuring a dependable source of cancer-fighting medical isotopes.

The three-year Unit 4 outage is the company’s third MCR, building off the successes in Units 6 and 3 projects, with seasoned tradespeople leveraging lessons learned and new, innovative technology.

“Our life-extension program and major component replacement is more than a construction project,” said Bruce Power President and CEO Eric Chassard. “By completing each of the MCR outages safely, on plan, and to a high-quality standard, we are securing the future of the Bruce site, sustaining our communities, and powering Ontario through a time when electricity demand is growing rapidly.”

The Unit 3 MCR, which began in March 2023, continues to progress on plan and on schedule with a return-to-service date for the renewed unit on the horizon for 2026. Overlapping MCR outages will continue on the Bruce site until 2033, including a magnitude of work on that no other utility in the world has faced.

Bruce Power’s $13-billion refurbishment is Canada’s third-largest infrastructure project (behind British Columbia’s Peace River Site C hydroelectric project, and Ontario’s Go transit expansion), and is Ontario’s largest clean-energy infrastructure project. Bruce Power’s Life Extension is unique in that it’s being funded through private investment.

“To execute a project of this scale and complexity, it takes an ecosystem of nuclear professionals working together toward a common goal,” said Laurent Seigle, Bruce Power’s Executive Vice-President, Projects. “We’re committed to returning these units to service safely and successfully to meet Ontario’s clean energy needs well into the future.”

The company, its partners and skilled tradespeople are hitting full stride, building on the strength and innovation garnered through the successful completion of the Unit 6 MCR and the putting those lessons learned into each successive MCR outage to see performance improvements along the way.

For example, innovative new tooling implemented in the Unit 3 MCR outage, including the first robotic tooling used on a reactor face anywhere in the world, has ensured the tradespeople can return the units to service safely, successfully and on schedule.

With Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) predicting electricity demand could increase by 75% by 2050, Bruce Power says these renewed units will continue to power the province when it needs this clean energy the most.

“Under our contract with the IESO, subsequent MCRs are expected to improve on cost and schedule by building on lessons learned and experience,” said Rob Hoare, Vice-President, MCR Execution. “And we’re seeing that happen in real time on this project. Evolutions that were recently completed on Unit 3 have been assessed and improved on for execution in Unit 4. It’s a testament to the world-class team we have and their commitment to continuous learning, proficiency and excellence.”

Bruce Power currently produces 6,550 megawatts (MW) of peak clean energy and that output will increase to more than 7,000 MW in the 2030s, following the completion of the MCR program and other Life-Extension projects.

The life-extension program and MCR projects will extend the operational life of each reactor by 30 to 35 years and help mitigate the predicted increase in greenhouse gas emissions intensity of the electricity grid.

The program and ongoing site operations create and sustain 22,000 direct and indirect jobs annually and contribute approximately $4 billion in annual economic benefits.