Ontario officially greenlights $26.8B Pickering nuclear power station refurbishment

The Ford government has confirmed it will move forward with the almost $27 billion refurbishment of four reactors at Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, a centrepiece of its energy policy.

Energy Minister Stephen Lecce announced on Wednesday that the province had approved a plan from Ontario Power Generation to refurbish the plant’s CANDU reactors, a move which could provide power for another four decades.

“To deliver on our major jobs plan to get Canadians working, extending the life of the facility will create jobs for tens of thousands of skilled workers while we build up the Ontario supply chain and keep 90 per cent of our project spend in this country,” he said in a statement.

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The government had already signalled its intent to refurbish Picklering at the beginning of the year. Its announcement on Wednesday confirmed it had given its final approval for the plan to move forward.

The project has an estimated budget of $26.8 billion and is expected to create roughly 30,500 jobs. The cost will be handled by Ontario Power Generation, and the government hinted it could use “financial instruments” to reduce the cost to the ratepayer.

“(The) OPG continues to explore other optimal financing arrangements,” the government said.

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The project still needs final licensing approvals from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. If it receives them, work will begin on Pickering’s B units five to eight in early 2027.

Once the overhaul at Pickering has been completed, it will generate an increased capacity of up to 2,200 megawatts of electricity, the government said, equivalent to powering 2.2 million homes.

The Progressive Conservatives have put nuclear power at the centre of their energy vision, with plans to potentially build a new station in Port Hope, as well as small modular reactors and refurbishments.

Ontario has relied on increased natural gas while it takes nuclear power stations offline for refurbishment, leading to criticism from some.

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