OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
As most of you know, I'm a bit passionate about Nuclear power and a big fan of our uniquely Canadian CANDU reactors. CANDU's generally have a time between refurbishments of ~30 years, however that is extendable to a point, provided there are no issues. CANDU facilities are, in Ontario, of high density with a large number of units per site. This makes them more economically viable, as it ensures greater output per site and lower staffing levels per kWh.
Ontario has three operating nuclear power plants that range in size and age:
1. Pickering Nuclear - This was a "proof of concept" facility, it was the first full-scale commercial nuclear facility in Canada, a follow-up to the single tiny unit at Douglas Point, which would later host Bruce. Pickering is an 8-unit site, built in two phases with an "A" and "B" section. The older "A" section commencing construction in 1966 and started producing power in 1971. "B" came on-line starting in 1983. Pickering, due to its age, consists of 4x515MWe units (2x active) and 4x516MWe units (all four active). It produces ~20TWh a year. Pickering was deemed non-viable for refurbishment and will begin its shutdown in 2024 after producing power for 53 years.
2. Bruce Nuclear - This is the crown jewel of the Canadian nuclear fleet and the follow-up to Pickering, commencing construction in 1970 and brought on-line in 1977. Bruce is the largest operating nuclear facility in the world, producing a staggering 48TWh a year, enough to run the entire country of Denmark with significant excess. Bruce, like Pickering, consists of an "A" and "B" site. Bruce "A" has 4x779MWe CANDU reactors, Bruce "B" has 4x817MWe units. When Bruce Power (a private corporation) took over the site from Ontario Power Generation, the A site had two units down in need of refurbishment and the entire "A" site was offline. They immediately fired up the two dormant units 3&4 without issue and then went through a first of its kind refurbishment of units 1&2 at a cost of $4.8 billion. Both units were back on-line as of 2012, which allowed for the government to shutter our remaining coal capacity. Bruce will begin its refurbishment of the remaining 6x units once Darlington is done going through its refurbishment. This will maintain Bruce as a source for 30% of Ontario's power for decades to come, with its impending shutdown occurring in the 2060's, though, like Pickering, that may be extended.
3. Darlington Nuclear - This is the newest, and possibly the most controversial of the Ontario facilities. Constructing commenced in 1981, as a follow-up to the highly successful Bruce site. She came on-line between 1990 and 1993, making her significantly newer than the other three. Darlington is most well known for going massively over-budget, like basically every Ontario infrastructure project that has come since. Originally pegged at less than $4 billion, final costs were $14.4 billion, double the 2nd estimate tabled just before construction and massively more than Bruce and Pickering together, despite having half the number of units. Due to the cost overruns, no "B" site at Darlington was ever built (though OPG; Ontario Power Generation still has designs on doing so. Their plan is to add 2-4 ACR1000 reactors to the site, which are 1,200MWe units, banking on the electrification of transportation as a driver). If the expansion of Darlington eventually proceeds, it will replace Bruce as the most powerful facility in the world. Current installed capacity at Darlington consists of 4x878MWe units. Darlington has begun its refurbishment, at a cost of $12.8 billion which will, given our track record, likely go over-budget, probably significantly. This ensures operation to at least 2055, probably longer, based on the track record with Pickering and all 4 units should be done by 2026, shortly after Pickering's shutdown begins.
A refurbishment of a CANDU involves replacement of all critical parts inside in the reactor building including a new calandria, new tubes....etc. Essentially they gut the reactor. The turbines are also rebuilt. When Bruce was done, they upgraded the capacity, though I don't see that happening this time around, though it is possible.
The fuel channel tubes "grow" over time in a CANDU and are, during maintenance breaks, un-welded, shortened, and re-welded. So while they are never taken off-line for refuelling like a US PWR/BWR, they are taken off-line briefly for maintenance windows.
This refurbishment programme is, as I see it, an intermediary to allow OPG to figure out what the heck they are doing to replace existing capacity and to observe market trends. We've invested significant money in the development of SMR reactors (molten salt mostly) which will likely end up replacing Pickering, despite our development of alternative fuel variants of existing CANDU's. We expect to have functional and deployable SMR's in the next 7 years, which coincides well with Pickering's shutdown process.
Ontario has three operating nuclear power plants that range in size and age:
1. Pickering Nuclear - This was a "proof of concept" facility, it was the first full-scale commercial nuclear facility in Canada, a follow-up to the single tiny unit at Douglas Point, which would later host Bruce. Pickering is an 8-unit site, built in two phases with an "A" and "B" section. The older "A" section commencing construction in 1966 and started producing power in 1971. "B" came on-line starting in 1983. Pickering, due to its age, consists of 4x515MWe units (2x active) and 4x516MWe units (all four active). It produces ~20TWh a year. Pickering was deemed non-viable for refurbishment and will begin its shutdown in 2024 after producing power for 53 years.
2. Bruce Nuclear - This is the crown jewel of the Canadian nuclear fleet and the follow-up to Pickering, commencing construction in 1970 and brought on-line in 1977. Bruce is the largest operating nuclear facility in the world, producing a staggering 48TWh a year, enough to run the entire country of Denmark with significant excess. Bruce, like Pickering, consists of an "A" and "B" site. Bruce "A" has 4x779MWe CANDU reactors, Bruce "B" has 4x817MWe units. When Bruce Power (a private corporation) took over the site from Ontario Power Generation, the A site had two units down in need of refurbishment and the entire "A" site was offline. They immediately fired up the two dormant units 3&4 without issue and then went through a first of its kind refurbishment of units 1&2 at a cost of $4.8 billion. Both units were back on-line as of 2012, which allowed for the government to shutter our remaining coal capacity. Bruce will begin its refurbishment of the remaining 6x units once Darlington is done going through its refurbishment. This will maintain Bruce as a source for 30% of Ontario's power for decades to come, with its impending shutdown occurring in the 2060's, though, like Pickering, that may be extended.
3. Darlington Nuclear - This is the newest, and possibly the most controversial of the Ontario facilities. Constructing commenced in 1981, as a follow-up to the highly successful Bruce site. She came on-line between 1990 and 1993, making her significantly newer than the other three. Darlington is most well known for going massively over-budget, like basically every Ontario infrastructure project that has come since. Originally pegged at less than $4 billion, final costs were $14.4 billion, double the 2nd estimate tabled just before construction and massively more than Bruce and Pickering together, despite having half the number of units. Due to the cost overruns, no "B" site at Darlington was ever built (though OPG; Ontario Power Generation still has designs on doing so. Their plan is to add 2-4 ACR1000 reactors to the site, which are 1,200MWe units, banking on the electrification of transportation as a driver). If the expansion of Darlington eventually proceeds, it will replace Bruce as the most powerful facility in the world. Current installed capacity at Darlington consists of 4x878MWe units. Darlington has begun its refurbishment, at a cost of $12.8 billion which will, given our track record, likely go over-budget, probably significantly. This ensures operation to at least 2055, probably longer, based on the track record with Pickering and all 4 units should be done by 2026, shortly after Pickering's shutdown begins.
A refurbishment of a CANDU involves replacement of all critical parts inside in the reactor building including a new calandria, new tubes....etc. Essentially they gut the reactor. The turbines are also rebuilt. When Bruce was done, they upgraded the capacity, though I don't see that happening this time around, though it is possible.
The fuel channel tubes "grow" over time in a CANDU and are, during maintenance breaks, un-welded, shortened, and re-welded. So while they are never taken off-line for refuelling like a US PWR/BWR, they are taken off-line briefly for maintenance windows.
This refurbishment programme is, as I see it, an intermediary to allow OPG to figure out what the heck they are doing to replace existing capacity and to observe market trends. We've invested significant money in the development of SMR reactors (molten salt mostly) which will likely end up replacing Pickering, despite our development of alternative fuel variants of existing CANDU's. We expect to have functional and deployable SMR's in the next 7 years, which coincides well with Pickering's shutdown process.