Our Stories
August 19, 2020
2 min read

Pickering Nuclear’s Unit 4 marks two years of consecutive operation

Unit 4 at Pickering Nuclear Generating Station capped a remarkable run earlier this month at 730 consecutive days of operation – exactly two years of non-stop clean power output for Ontario.

A worker in coveralls and a hard hat near turbines in a nuclear station.
Pickering Nuclear's Unit 4 is now undergoing a planned outage after running for two years straight.

It marks the second-longest run for a Pickering unit, behind Unit 7’s 894 days, and the third-longest run across OPG’s entire nuclear fleet. The milestone comes on the heels of Darlington Nuclear’s Unit 1 setting a new North American nuclear record on July 9 with 895 straight days and counting of consecutive operation.

Unit 4 is now taking a well-deserved break, having been taken offline on Monday, Aug. 10, for a planned maintenance outage. The work performed during this outage will be critical to extending the life of this clean power workhorse and ensuring the unit can continue to operate safely and reliably.

“Unit 4 has played a key role in providing safe, reliable power to the province for over 47 years. Its strong performance reflects our team’s dedication and the investment we have made into the station,” said Sean Granville, OPG’s Chief Nuclear Officer. “We take pride in our continued commitment of providing clean and stable power to Ontario.”

“Unit 4 has played a key role in providing safe, reliable power to the province for over 47 years. Its strong performance reflects our team’s dedication and the investment we have made into the station.”
Sean Granville, OPG’s Chief Nuclear Officer.

Unit 4’s outage, which will last about three months, includes several major work programs, including inspections, replacement of the generator rotor, and other work on the low-pressure turbines.

“Strong teamwork and adherence to our safety protocols will ensure we complete our outage activities safely and with quality,” Granville said. “We will also continue to follow COVID-19 safety measures and protocols to ensure the health and safety of our employees.”

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