OPG continues to set milestones on path to North America’s first Small Modular Reactor fleet
At a glance
- OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project continues to make solid progress.
- This year, the project marked two milestones – completion of early site preparation work and an important regulatory decision.
- The project aims to deploy North America’s first fleet of Small Modular Reactors, capable of powering about 1.2 million homes.
It’s been a year full of important milestones achieved for OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP).
The major new nuclear initiative aims to deploy North America’s first fleet of commercial Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) at OPG’s Darlington Nuclear site to deliver 1,200 megawatts (MW) of clean, reliable electricity – enough to power about 1.2 million homes.
It is an important project that will help OPG fulfill its net-zero climate change goals, and provide even more reliable, clean power to support Ontario’s growth and electrification.
| A single 300 MW SMR produces enough electricity to power the equivalent of 160,000 greenhouse gas-emitting personal vehicles. |
In February, the project wrapped up the early phase of site preparation work, on time and on budget. This included completing site grading, constructing temporary roads and laydown areas, installing stormwater features, and establishing on-site utilities.
And in April, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) delivered a decision concluding the DNNP’s already completed environmental assessment is applicable and remains valid to OPG’s selected SMR technology – the GE Hitachi BWRX-300.
It has been a very busy year for the DNNP project team. We remain in full gear to continue to move forward on this important project for Ontario, which will help realize our vision of electrifying life in one generation.Dragan PopovicSenior Vice-President of SMR Execution
OPG is now preparing for a second regulatory hearing, expected in the fall, to review the company’s application for a Licence to Construct the first SMR unit.
“It has been a very busy year for the DNNP project team,” said Dragan Popovic, Senior Vice-President of SMR Execution at OPG. “We remain in full gear to continue to move forward on this important project for Ontario, which will help realize our vision of electrifying life in one generation.”
Looking at the rest of the year, the project team is focused on completing several important tasks that will set the foundation for the SMR units. This includes construction work for site establishment activities, excavation for the first SMR unit, and clearing activities for additional future units.
Pending CNSC regulatory approval, the project will be ready for nuclear construction work to begin in early 2025. The first unit is expected to be in commercial operation by 2029, with the rest of the units coming online by the mid-2030s.
Along with the ongoing refurbishment of the Darlington Nuclear station and OPG’s planned Pickering Nuclear refurbishment, nuclear power will continue to play a big role in OPG’s diverse generation mix and help Ontario meet the forecasted increased demand from electrification.
Once deployed, SMRs will help displace carbon emissions, as well as enable intermittent renewable sources of energy, decrease the use of fossil fuels, and help electrify carbon-heavy sectors like transportation.
Outside of Ontario, OPG is working with jurisdictions and utilities across Canada, in the U.S., and in Europe to help deploy SMR technologies to decarbonize electricity systems and provide energy security.
The work that is being done now in Ontario will set the stage for successful SMR deployments around the world.
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