Ontario is starting preliminary work to expand a nuclear power generating plant, teaming up with Bruce Power to potentially build the world’s largest such facility in order to address electricity demand over the coming decade.
Bruce Power will begin community consultations and conduct environmental assessments in seeking federal approval of siting up to 4,800 megawatts (MW) of new nuclear power generation on its current site, said a press release issued by the provincial government on July 5.
The expansion of the plant’s eight reactors, which currently have about 6.2 gigawatts of capacity, will potentially make it the world’s largest nuclear generation site, surpassing Japan’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the biggest in the world with seven reactors at more than 8 gigawatts of capacity.
“With our plan already in place to meet demand this decade, we are starting the pre-development work to identify future generation options, including reliable, affordable and clean nuclear energy, that will power our province into the future," Energy Minister Todd Smith said in the release.
The release cited a report, titled Pathways to Decarbonization, from the Independent Electricity System Operator, the province’s power system planner, saying that nuclear expansion is needed to meet increasing electricity demand while pursuing green energy transition.
The report looked at the potential impacts of a 2027 moratorium on natural gas generation in Ontario’s electricity sector, and forecasts that in less than 30 years, Ontario could need to more than double its electricity generation from the current 42,000 to 88,000 MW in 2050. The report forecasts an additional 17,800 MW of nuclear power could be required to meet that increased demand.
Process
Pre-development work will involve evaluating the suitability of the nuclear generation site by examining the impact of a bigger facility on the environment, the public, and indigenous communities, according to the release. This process, which will take several years to complete, is a pre-requisite for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s multi-stage licensing for new large-scale nuclear stations.Ontario has previously encountered obstacles to building nuclear-related facilities.
In 2015, the province’s publicly owned power generator, Ontario Power Generation, killed plans to build Canada’s first permanent nuclear waste facility near the shores of Lake Huron, following opposition from the U.S. Congress and civil organizations. The local Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation—together known as the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON)—also complained about the lack of consultation with local indigenous communities at the time.
With respect to the nuclear expansion plan, Ontario and Bruce Power said they are committed to engaging the SON communities.
