Bruce A Restart and Refurbishment project expanded

Bruce Power and the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) have amended their existing Bruce A agreement to allow for the complete refurbishment of Unit 4.

Bruce Power will now replace all 480 fuel channels in Unit 4, extending its operational life until 2036. Under the original 2005 agreement, Bruce Power intended to install new steam generators in all four Bruce A units and fuel channels in Units 1, 2 and 3. Without new fuel channels, Unit 4 was only expected to run until 2017.

Under the revised plan, Bruce Power expects to invest an additional $1 billion, resulting in a total investment in the restart and refurbishment program of approximately $5.25 billion.

"Expanding our project will allow us to conduct the complete refurbishment of Units 3 and 4 in a similar manner to how we are conducting the restart of Units 1 and 2," said Duncan Hawthorne, Bruce Power's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are well into one of North America's most complex engineering projects and we remain on time and on budget. Our team of contractors is well established at Bruce A and their processes are working well."

Bruce Power expects to complete the work on Units 3 and 4 by 2013. Under the revised agreement, the OPA can elect for a three unit restart program if it expects there will be insufficient transmission to accommodate all eight Bruce Power units by mid 2013. This election expires on April 1, 2008. In April, Hydro One announced plans to upgrade the transmission line between Bruce Power and Milton, Ont. and expects the new line to be in service by 2012.

Meanwhile, work to restart Units 1 and 2 continues and is expected to deliver an additional 1,500 megawatts to the Ontario power grid by late 2009 or early 2010.

Related News

Washington County planning officials develop proposed recommendations for solar farms

WASHINGTON - Incentives for establishing solar farms at industrial spaces instead of on prime farmland are among the ideas the Washington County Planning Commission is recommending for the county to update its policies regarding solar farms.

Potential incentives would include tax breaks on solar equipment and requiring developers to put power-grid connections and line extensions underground, Planning Commission members said during a Monday meeting.

The tax break could make it more attractive for a developer to put a solar farm on a roof or over a parking lot, which could cost more than putting it on farmland, said Commission member Dave Kline,…

READ MORE
yukon nuclear

Modular nuclear reactors a 'long shot' worth studying, says Yukon gov't

READ MORE

Electric cars will challenge state power grids

READ MORE

US Grid Gets an Overhaul for Renewables

US Grid Gets an Overhaul for Renewables

READ MORE

ontario nuclear

Ontario confronts reality of being short of electricity in the coming years

READ MORE