By rosebell
The 6.97m-diameter TBM Harriet Brooks that is due to help construction of Canada’s first small modular reactor, has arrived in Ontario and will dig a 3.4km-long condenser cooling water tunnel for Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington New Nuclear Project.
The partners of Ontario Power Generation in this project are GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, SNC-Lavalin, and Aecon.
Being named after Canada’s first nuclear physicist, TBM Harriet Brooks arrived at the Port of Oshawa and was transported to the Darlington nuclear site in 15 lorry loads, whereas early next year is the date of assembling this machine.
Working on the C$20.9bn project which is going to deliver four small modular grid-scale reactors (SMR), is up to the Ontario government and Ontario Power Generation (OPG).
The first facility, which will also be North America’s first commercial, grid-scale SMR, will be operational by 2030.
Following installation of utilities, including fire lines, water lines, sanitary sewer lines, and network cabling, work on the project commenced in autumn 2022. Construction on a few important buildings, including the on-site fabrication building, is also under way.
In order to meeting Ontario’s electricity demands, four SMRs are designed and they are rising for the first time since 2005.
While almost 50% of Ontario’s electricity supply is currently providing by nuclear power, the Independent Electricity System Operator has forecast that the province could need to more than double its electricity generation in less than 30 years.
According to Ken Hartwick, OPG president and CEO: “A fleet of SMRs at the Darlington New Nuclear Site is key to meeting growing electricity demands and net zero goals. OPG has proven its large nuclear project expertise through the on-time, on budget Darlington Refurbishment project. By taking a similar approach to building a fleet of SMRs, we will deliver cost and schedule savings, and power 1.2 million homes from this site by the mid-2030s.”
