Pickering nuclear reactors start coming off-line for massive refurbishment

An Ontario nuclear plant is beginning a massive refurbishment project Monday, as Premier Doug Ford’s government looks to lean heavily on nuclear energy to serve the province’s growing electricity needs.

Four reactors at Pickering Nuclear Generating Station are starting to come off-line so they can be refurbished at an estimated cost of $26.8 billion, with the actual refurbishment work set to start in January.

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The project is expected to take the units out of service for about a decade and would extend the nuclear plant’s life by up to 38 years, producing enough electricity to power 2.2 million homes.

The work includes replacing 1,520 fuel channels, 48 boilers and building a 1.5-kilometre deep-water intake.

Energy Minister Stephen Lecce is touting that the project will support 30,500 jobs, with the vast majority of the costs staying in Ontario.

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Environmental Defence has expressed concerns that taking Pickering’s reactors off-line for most of the next decade will increase the province’s already-growing reliance on natural gas to generate electricity, driving up greenhouse gas emissions.