Celebrating Pickering Nuclear, a climate change-fighting stalwart

OPG’s Pickering Nuclear Generating Station is proud to continue to support the Pickering community by powering its many homes and businesses, and by actively working to enhance its environment.

Recently, the City of Pickering recognized the station’s efforts with an Environmental Award. Over the course of its operating life, the station has saved more than one billion tonnes of climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions, and during its remaining years of operation, will support OPG’s electrification initiatives outlined in our Climate Change Plan.

“The operational and safety performance of Pickering Nuclear has never been better, thanks to the ongoing dedication of our employees,” said Jon Franke, Senior Vice President, Pickering Nuclear. “In the last few years, the station has achieved its best performance in its history, including a record consecutive run of 730 days on Unit 4 – a testament to the reliability of the station.”

The Province of Ontario is supporting a plan to end commercial operations at Pickering in 2025. Under the proposed plan, and pending regulatory approval by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, OPG would operate Pickering Units 1 and 4 to 2024 (as planned under the current licence), and Units 5 to 8 to 2025.

In addition to providing clean, reliable baseload power for the province, Pickering also produces around 20 per cent of a valuable medical isotope, Cobalt-60, which is used to irradiate and sterilize single-use medical devices as well as various foods and spices around the world.

To celebrate Pickering Nuclear’s past, present and future, you can join a small virtual celebration of the station on Thursday, July 29. Former OPG employees can visit mylink.opg.com for more information on how to join.