Ontario Power Generation

Harnessing the atom
Nuclear power meets more than 40 per cent of Ontario's electricity needs. It has two major benefits - it doesn't cost a lot to run and doesn't make pollution that contributes to smog, acid rain or global warming. Ontario Power Generation owns and operates the Pickering and Darlington Nuclear Power Stations.

Darlington Nuclear Station

How it works

All of OPG's nuclear reactors were developed by Ontario Hydro and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited using the CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium) reactor technology. CANDU reactors use natural uranium fuel and something called heavy water, a special type of water that is actually heavier than normal water.
See how it works.

Hot fission
The reactors produce heat by splitting the atoms of the fuel, which is uranium. This is known as fission and it creates a lot of heat. The heat is piped out of the reactor, carried by the heavy water which surrounds the reaction, and used to boil ordinary water. This produces high pressure steam that is then used to drive the blades of the turbines at very high speed, generating electricity. The electricity is then sent to homes, businesses, schools and industries within Ontario. Learn more about how a nuclear station works by downloading this brochure.

Safety
The operation of our nuclear stations has never put the public at risk, nor has it ever resulted in an employee fatality. This safety record leads the way for the rest of the electricity industry.