Bruce Power restarts refurbished nuclear reactor

Work is underway on Bruce Power’s 13-year, $13 billion project to refurbish six of their eight nuclear reactors, (Source: Bruce Power)

It took over three years, and millions of dollars, but the first of six nuclear reactors to be rebuilt at the Bruce Power plant near Kincardine, Ont. is back producing electricity.

Unit 6 at the Bruce nuclear plant was reconnected to Ontario’s power grid early Friday morning.

It was taken out of service in January 2020 in order replace most of the reactor’s components and extend its operational life until 2064.

Unit 3 at the sprawling nuclear compound was taken out of service earlier this year, and is undergoing an identical refurbishment.

Bruce Power plans to refurbish six of their eight nuclear reactors over the next 10 years in order to extend the life of the world’s largest nuclear facility for another 40 years.

Bruce Power says the refurbishment of Unit 6 was completed ahead of schedule and on budget. During each of the reactors’ refurbishments, 480 fuel channels, 960 feeders, and eight steam generators, are replaced.

Bruce Power is currently planning on building as many as five more reactors along the shores of Lake Huron to meet Ontario’s growing demand for electricity.

Thirty per cent of Ontario’s electricity needs are filled by Bruce Power’s nuclear fleet.