News

Bruce Power may build two reactors in southern Ontario

Canada’s only private nuclear generating company, Bruce Power, said Friday that it is considering building two new nuclear reactors in Nanticoke, Ontario, the site of North America’s largest coal-fired plant that is slated to shut down by 2014. The plans have met strong opposition from the provincial government.

The company said it would launch an environmental assessment (EA) in the Haldimand-Norfolk region of southern Ontario, which could take nearly three years to complete. The assessment will examine the environmental and social impacts of building the two reactors to generate between 2,000 MW and 3,000 MW of nuclear power.

Bruce said it would also consider how other clean energy sources such as hydrogen, solar, and wind could complement nuclear in the area. The “clean energy hub” would be built on about 800 hectares (1,977 acres) of land Bruce optioned from U.S. Steel Canada Inc.

Bruce Power operates six Candu reactors at its electricity generating stations northwest of Toronto. The company is also considering building new reactors at its current Ontario site as well as in the Peace Country region of Alberta. Earlier this year, the company launched a feasibility study to help Saskatchewan decide whether it will add nuclear to its energy mix as well.

The EA will officially begin when a project description and site preparation license, filed Friday, are accepted by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Ontario’s government is pushing to eliminate the use of coal power in that province by 2014. Both Haldimand and Norfolk councils have officially supported nuclear energy, saying it would provide necessary baseload power to the grid following the closure of Nanticoke Generating Station in that year.

The provincial government expressed strong opposition to the construction of a new nuclear generating station in the region, however. In a statement responding to Bruce’s announcement, Ontario’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said that the McGuinty government’s long-term energy plan includes renewing its nuclear fleet—but only to the same level (14,000 MW) at which it has been for about 20 years.

“As we get out of using coal-fired generation for electricity, we’re looking for opportunities to replace that as much as possible with conservation and take full advantage of more renewable energy,” said George Smitherman, deputy premier and minister of Energy and Infrastructure. “Adding more nuclear beyond the existing supply of 50 per cent is not in Ontario’s plans or in Ontario’s interest.”

Last week, in a corresponding story (PDF), Ontario’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure officially opened the second phase of Canadian Hydro’s Melancthon EcoPower Centre—what is being billed as Canada’s largest wind farm—near Shelburne.

Canadian Hydro recently wrapped up construction of the 132 MW Phase II, which had begun in the fall of 2007. When Phase-II enters commercial operation later this month, the 199.5-MW Melancthon EcoPower I & II will bring Ontario’s total wind capacity to 673 MW—making Ontario the wind power leader in Canada.

The province will top second-place Alberta, which has about 545 MW of wind capacity. Quebec is in third place with 422 MW of capacity.

Sources: Bruce Power, Ontario Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure

SHARE this article