Removal of the reactor components, including end fittings, pressure tubes and calandria tubes is beginning at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington 2 nuclear plant.
The $3.4 refurbishment project kicked off in October 2016, and is now 40% complete and remains on schedule, according to OPG.
Work to date has included defueling, separating the unit from the rest of the station, and preparing the reactor for disassembly. The second phase of the project – component removal – is due to run until June 2018. It will be followed by a 14-month period for installation of new reactor components and then a six-month fuel loading, testing and startup phase. Darlington 2 is scheduled to be back in service in February 2020.
The work at Darlington 2 will be followed by refurbishment of Darlington 3 (February 2020 - June 2023), Darlington 1 (July 2021 – September 2024) and Darlington 4 (January 2023 to February 2026).
The Darlington Refurbishment project, which will extend the life of the station for an additional 30 years, is expected to have a positive $90 billion impact on Ontario's economy, and create 14,000 jobs per year to 2055.
