Bruce A Restart and Refurbishment project expanded

subscribe

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

suspected russians hacking usa power system

Russia suspected as hackers breach systems at power plants across US

WASHINGTON - Hackers working for a foreign government recently breached at least a dozen US power plants, including the Wolf Creek nuclear facility in Kansas, according to current and former US officials, sparking concerns the attackers were searching for vulnerabilities in the electrical grid.

The rivals could be positioning themselves to eventually disrupt the nation’s power supply, warned the officials, who noted that a general alert was distributed to utilities a week ago. Adding to those concerns, hackers recently infiltrated an unidentified company that makes control systems for equipment used in the power industry, an attack that officials believe may be…

READ MORE
power lines

Buyer's Remorse: Questions about grid modernization affordability

READ MORE

electric car

Gas-electric hybrid vehicles get a boost in the US from Ford, others

READ MORE

The West Moberly First Nation protest

Ottawa won't oppose halt to Site C work pending treaty rights challenge

READ MORE

ontario hydro lines

Opinion: Cleaning Up Ontario's Hydro Mess - Ford government needs to scrap the Fair Hydro Plan and review all options

READ MORE