Ontario is set to begin work on building its first small modular nuclear reactor, the Ford government has announced, with completion targeted for the end of the decade.
On Thursday morning, Energy Minister Stephen Lecce announced the government had approved Ontario Power Generation’s plan to begin work on building the first of four small nuclear modular reactors in the province.
Ontario Power Generation — which said it would pay for the reactors by relying on debt and funds raised from the utility rate instead of major government funding — is planning to build the first reactor at Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.
In total, OPG said it expects to spend $20.9 billion across the four small nuclear reactors.
The first reactor, which is set to begin work this year, is priced at around $6.1 billion, while a further $1 billion is being spent on studies and other groundwork to get all four underway.
Lecce said the announcement was a major milestone.
“This is a historic day for Canada as we start construction on the first small modular reactor in the G7, creating 18,000 jobs for Canadians,” he said in a statement.
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“This nation-building project being built right here in Ontario will be led by Canadian workers using Canadian steel, concrete and materials to help deliver the extraordinary amount of reliable and clean power we will need to deliver on our ambitious plan to protect Ontario and unleash our economy.”
The government estimated that the four nuclear reactors will add 18,000 jobs to the economy and $38.5 billion to the country’s GDP over the next 65 years. The province also pledged that the reactors — which involve technology from the United States — will see 80 per cent of all spending remain in Ontario.
Overall, Ontario Power Generation is building four small modular reactors at its Darlington site in Clarington, Ont.
The reactors will produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than one million homes.
A small modular nuclear reactor uses commercially available uranium to generate power and, proponents hope, will be simpler and less expensive to construct than the full-scale reactors used at traditional nuclear power plants.
OPG selected GE Hitachi’s small modular reactor technology. The American-Japanese company has its headquarters in the United States.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said it’s a real gamble during an ongoing trade war with the United States.
“I think it’s irresponsible for the government to be bringing in an SMR with U.S. technology that’s going to lock us into needing enriched U.S. uranium to have it work,” Schreiner said.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission approved Ontario Power Generation’s plan last month to build the first of four reactors at the site in Bowmanville, Ont.
It is part of a larger push from Lecce to rely even more heavily on nuclear generation to power the province’s growing electricity demands.
The plan also includes exploring a new, large-scale plant at Bruce Power in Tiverton, considering a new nuclear plant near Port Hope, and refurbishing units at the Pickering nuclear plant to extend its lifespan.
Ontario’s grid operator expects demand for electricity to soar by at least 75 per cent by the year 2050.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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