Ontario greenlights plan to build small modular reactor at Darlington nuclear site

The Ontario government has approved Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plan to begin construction on the first of four small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Darlington nuclear site. Once complete, this SMR will be the first of its kind in the G7, reportedly producing enough clean electricity to power the equivalent of 300,000 homes.

The provincial government says construction of the four units will create up to 18,000 Canadian jobs and add an average of $500 million annually to Ontario’s economy. The government also reports that the construction, operation and maintenance of the four units will add $38.5 billion to Canada’s GDP over the next 65 years. The government says it has worked with OPG to ensure that 80 per cent of project spending goes to Ontario companies and that construction and operations will sustain an estimated 3,700 jobs for the next 65 years.

“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,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “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 BWRX-300 is a small-scale nuclear reactor that uses commercially available uranium to generate power. The Ontario government says the four SMRs will produce 1,200 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power the equivalent of 1.2 million homes, once complete.

More than eighty Ontario companies have already signed agreements with OPG to deliver this project. The government says it has also negotiated additional commitments from GE Hitachi that will create jobs in Ontario, which will be announced at a later date.

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