OPG paving the way for world-leading SMR at Darlington
At a glance
- OPG set to begin non-nuclear site preparation activities for new Small Modular Reactor at Darlington site later this year.
- Offshore geotechnical study also underway to prepare for new SMR.
- OPG aims to deploy new 300 MW reactor by end of decade to help meet climate change goals.
Foundational work is continuing at OPG’s Darlington Nuclear site to help prepare for the deployment of a grid-scale, 300-megawatt Small Modular Reactor (SMR) by the end of the decade.
In March, OPG announced it will partner with E.S. Fox Ltd. to begin site preparation activities at the Darlington site later this year. This work will include non-nuclear infrastructure activities, such as clearing a portion of the new nuclear site to build roads and utilities. OPG received a renewal of its Site Preparation Licence from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) last October following a public hearing in June 2021.
Further regulatory approvals are required through the CNSC before any SMR construction work can begin. Before the end of this year, OPG will submit an application to the CNSC for the License to Construct.
Once built, the new BWRX-300 SMR, designed by GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy, could power about 300,000 homes, create about 2,500 jobs over its 60-year lifespan, increase GDP by $2.5 billion, and become instrumental in helping OPG and Ontario meet their climate change goals. The project could also pave the way for additional low-emission SMRs not only in Canada, but around the world.
Offshore geotechnical study underway
This summer has seen other important work happening at site in preparation for a future SMR.
Since May, OPG, E.S. Fox, and other contract partners have been conducting an offshore geotechnical study east of the Darlington station, with drilling barges gathering samples of the bedrock formation. The offshore geotechnical study – which includes drilling a series of 16 boreholes, varying in depth between 35 to 65 metres below bedrock – will help characterize the Darlington site for the future SMR. Drilling will be completed by September.
Geotechnical study underway at Darlington
Important work helping to prepare for future SMR at site
“The series of geotechnical studies, both onshore and offshore, that will be conducted by E.S. Fox will provide the necessary data for the design of the new reactor at Darlington,” said Pejman Asgaripour, Project Director of the Darlington New Nuclear Project. “This year, our focus is on offshore drilling, which will provide the additional data that is required for some of the auxiliary systems that need to be in place to run the unit.”
As Ontario’s first nuclear build in decades, OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project encapsulates the promising future of nuclear power in Canada and abroad.
The deployment of one 300 MW SMR in Ontario could displace 0.3 megatonnes (MT) to 2 MT of CO2 emissions per year, enable intermittent renewable sources of energy, decrease the use of fossil fuels, and help electrify carbon-heavy sectors like transportation.
“Our experience as a nuclear operator and project leader, paired with Ontario’s strong nuclear supply chain, is what allows us to take these first steps towards the next generation of nuclear technology in Canada and around the world,” said Ken Hartwick, OPG’s President and CEO.
Momentum growing for SMRs across Canada
In addition to the latest developments at Darlington, in July, OPG and X-Energy announced a new partnership to pursue opportunities to deploy Xe-100 SMRs for industrial applications in Canada.
This comes on the heels of a pioneering partnership earlier this year between OPG and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to collaborate on the deployment of SMRs in Canada and the U.S. The collaboration agreement will help OPG and TVA reduce the financial risk that comes from the development of SMR technology, as well as future deployment costs.
“Our experience as a nuclear operator and project leader, paired with Ontario’s strong nuclear supply chain, is what allows us to take these first steps towards the next generation of nuclear technology in Canada and around the world.”Ken Hartwick, President and CEO of OPG
Across the country, momentum for SMRs is growing fast as provinces look to nuclear technology to secure clean, emission-free energy for the future.
Recently, the governments of Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Alberta released a joint strategic plan, which confirms continued support for the advancement of SMRs.
And in June, SaskPower announced the selection of the GE Hitachi BWRX-300 for potential deployment of SMRs in Saskatchewan in the mid-2030s. SaskPower’s selection of the same technology as OPG will help enable a pan-Canadian, fleet-based approach to SMR deployment.
All told, in Canada, nuclear energy helps avoid 80 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year, or the equivalent of removing 15 million cars from the road.
Along with the ongoing refurbishment of the Darlington Nuclear station, nuclear power will continue to play a big role in OPG’s diverse generation mix and help the company and province meet their climate change goals.
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