Key Unit 3 component successfully overhauled as part of refurb project

At OPG’s Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, a critical piece of equipment instrumental to supplying Ontarians with reliable, emission-free power has been successfully reconditioned as part of the refurbishment project.

The station’s Unit 3 turbine generator, which converts the steam generated from the Unit 3 reactor into clean electricity, was successfully overhauled in August.

Work crews took apart and reassembled the turbine generator, rewound the stator, and installed upgraded turbine control systems.

Along with the refurbishment of Unit 3’s reactor, which is currently undergoing disassembly, this effort will provide 24/7, emission-free power for the next three decades. This clean nuclear power is key to electrification efforts and a fundamental part of OPG’s climate change goals.

“Compared to the same work that took place on Unit 2, this project wrapped up in much shorter time, demonstrating continuous improvement,” said Jessica Polak, Senior Director of Projects at OPG. “The lessons learned from Unit 3 are now being rolled into planning for the same work on Unit 1, which is the next unit to undergo refurbishment.”

The refurbishment project team worked with one main contract partner, General Electric (GE), who shared new industry-leading tooling to make the work safer and more efficient.

A main highlight was the hoisting and rigging work done by GE, which benefited from lessons learned from Unit 2.

“Working with GE provided the opportunity for OPG, and other vendor partners, to learn from these industry experts,” Polak said.