CANADA | COUNTRY REPORT The utilities, in collaboration with their Tier-1 suppliers


and contractors, invested in innovations in planning, project management, training equipment and techniques as well as procurement and construction. This included integration of artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, robotics and virtual reality training techniques, not just in the projects but for more effective operations and outages. To date, the OPG refurbishments and Bruce Power major component replacement project executions have been cause for celebration. Pickering Nuclear, Canada’s oldest operating plant


directly adjacent to Toronto, with six operating units (3100 MW) has received extensions to continue operation beyond the original planned 2020 closure thanks to strong performance in the last decade. In 2022, reflecting the exponential increase in demand for low-carbon electricity, the four newest Pickering Nuclear units (vintage mid-1980s) are now being reviewed for refurbishment feasibility, as well.


The refurbishments aren’t just good news for the carbon-


free energy they’ll deliver for the next 30+ years. They have served as the training ground for a cohesive Canadian supply chain that is evolving its expertise to support continued CANDU operation and new SMR technologies, in Canada and globally. On the strength of the refurbishment performance and


the accelerated speed in increased demand for low- carbon energy, in late 2021, OPG leveraged its existing site preparation license (from the new build that never materialized) and selected GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 for Canada’s first on-grid SMR reactor on the Darlington site. In March 2023, the BWRX-300 hit a major licensing milestone when it completed both phases of the Canadian regulatory Vendor Design Review (VDR). OPG, GE-Hitachi and the related supply chain have already begun to export experience here for opportunities in the global market.


A new era for nuclear science in Canada Meanwhile, at AECL, 14 years on, stability has long been restored. The government-maintained ownership of the nuclear science and technology agenda by creating a Go-Co (government owned-contractor operated) arrangement, currently between AECL and Canadian National Energy Alliance (CNEA), to revitalise and operate Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) at Chalk River and to manage remediation and waste management at several legacy sites. Amongst its priorities, CNL, the architect of the CANDU programme, has pursued an ambitious small modular reactor programme with several global design vendors to support Canada’s SMR goals. Recently, CNL signed several memoranda with Canadian universities to strengthen the talent and research pipeline. Canada has two pre-eminent nuclear engineering and science universities in Ontario: Ontario Tech University and McMaster University, as well as several others that also bring some nuclear-specific education and research. With the nuclear expansion ahead, work is underway to expand the reach of nuclear education across Canada. AECL also sold its nuclear reactor sales and servicing division to SNC-Lavalin, a Canadian EPC company of more than 50,000 employees, globally, though AECL maintains intellectual property rights. SNC-Lavalin has spent the past decade putting its Canadian nuclear team through its paces as the co-lead on the engineering, construction and procurement activities for the Darlington refurbishment alongside partner Aecon. It is also a preferred supplier on the Bruce Power MCR. In a move it called “transformative” SNC-Lavalin acquired London-based Atkins in 2017, strengthening its global reach and expanding its capabilities. In January 2023, SNC-Lavalin and Aecon entered another


agreement with OPG, this time to deploy the BWRX-300 at Darlington before the end of the decade. But should U


Above: Thanks to strong performance in the last decade, the six unit Pickering plant has received life extension approvals and the Ontario government is looking at refurbishment


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