Bruce Power has returned unit 3 to service more than seven months ahead of schedule following its Major Component Replacement (MCR). The unit 3 MCR project was delivered safely and successfully, continuing Ontario’s track record of delivering nuclear refurbishments on time, on budget and with quality by a skilled workforce, industry partners and a robust Made-in-Canada supply chain.
As a result, the company is expecting to return approximately CAD150m ($107m) to Ontario ratepayers through the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). Provisions built into the Bruce Power refurbishment agreement with the IESO ensure that the people of Ontario benefit from savings realised during the Life-Extension Programme and operation of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station.
“Ontario is cementing our position as a tier-one nuclear jurisdiction with a plan to put 150,000 Canadians to work, with ‘Made in Canada’ stamped on over 90% of our spend,” said Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines. “Backed by the best workers, engineers and tradespeople anywhere in the world, we’re delivering the reliable, affordable and clean power needed to keep our economy strong and more self reliant.”
Unit 3’s successful return to service builds a series of strong performance milestones achieved throughout the Project, including completion of key phases ahead of schedule driven by lessons learned from earlier refurbishments, including Unit 6, which was also completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
Most notably among several innovations, the unit 3 MCR marked the first time robotic tools were used on a reactor face to rebuild a Candu reactor. Bruce Power and its partners also set a Candu refurbishment record for calandria tube removal by completing it 11 days ahead of schedule.
The eight pressurised heavy-water Candu reactor units at the Bruce site in Ontario (Bruce A – units 1-4, and Bruce B – units 4-8) began commercial operation between 1977 and 1987. Bruce Power’s CAD13bn ($10bn) Life Extension Programme, which includes Asset Management and MCR, began in 2016. MCR, which began with unit 6 and also includes units 3-8, will extend the life of the site until 2064. With the unit 4 MCR already underway, it represents the midway point for Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program to refurbish units 3-8.
