DBRS Confirms Ontario Power Generation Inc. at A (low)/R-1 (low), Stable Trends

OPG Pickering Nuclear Refurbishment extends four CANDU reactors to bolster Ontario clean energy, grid reliability, and decarbonization goals, leveraging Darlington lessons, mature supply chains, and AtkinsRealis OEM expertise for cost effective life extension.

Key Points

Modernizing four Pickering CANDU units to extend life, add clean power, and enhance Ontario grid reliability.

✅ Extends four 515 MW CANDU reactors by 30 years

✅ Supports clean, reliable baseload and decarbonization

✅ Leverages Darlington playbook and AtkinsRealis OEM supply chain

In a pivotal shift last month, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) revised its strategy for the Pickering Nuclear Power Station, scrapping plans to decommission its six remaining reactors. Instead, OPG has opted to modernize four reactors (Pickering B Units 5-8) starting in 2027, while Units 1 and 4 are slated for closure by the end of the current year.

This revision ensures the continued operation of the four 515 MW Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactors—originally constructed in the 1970s and 1980s—extending their service life by at least 30 more years amid an extension request deadline for Pickering.

Todd Smith, Ontario's Energy Minister, underscored the significance of nuclear power in maintaining Ontario's status as a region with one of the cleanest and most reliable electricity grids globally. He emphasized the integral role of nuclear facilities, particularly the Pickering station, in the provincial energy strategy during the announcement supporting continued operations, which was made in the presence of union workers at the plant.

The Pickering station has demonstrated remarkable efficiency and reliability, notably achieving its second-highest output in 2023 and setting a record in 2022 for continuous operation. Extending the lifespan of nuclear plants like Pickering is deemed the most cost-effective method for sustaining low-carbon electricity, according to research conducted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) across 243 plants in 24 countries.

The refurbishment project is poised to significantly boost Ontario's economy, projected to add CAN$19.4 billion to the GDP over 11 years and generate approximately 11,000 jobs annually. The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has indicated that to meet the province's future electrification and decarbonization goals, as it faces a growing electricity supply gap, Ontario will need to double its nuclear capacity by 2050, requiring an addition of 17.8 GW of nuclear power.

Subo Sinnathamby, OPG's Senior Vice President of Nuclear Refurbishment, emphasized the necessity of nuclear energy in reducing reliance on natural gas. Sinnathamby, who is leading the refurbishment efforts at OPG's Darlington nuclear power station, where SMR plans are also underway, highlighted the positive impact of the Darlington and Bruce Power projects on the nuclear power supply chain and workforce.

The procurement strategy employed for Darlington, which involved placing orders early to ensure readiness among suppliers, is set to be replicated for the Pickering refurbishment. This approach aims to facilitate a seamless transition of skilled workers and resources from Darlington to Pickering refurbishment, leveraging a matured supply chain and experienced vendors.

AtkinsRealis, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for CANDU reactors, has a track record of successfully refurbishing CANDU plants worldwide. The CANDU reactor design, known for its refurbishment capabilities, allows for individual replacement of pressure tubes and access to fuel channels without decommissioning the reactor. Gary Rose, Executive Vice-President of Nuclear at AtkinsRealis, highlighted the economic benefits and environmental benefits of refurbishing reactors, stating it as a viable and swift solution to maximize fossil-free energy.

Looking forward, AtkinsRealis is exploring the potential for multiple refurbishments of CANDU reactors, which could extend their operational life beyond 100 years, addressing local energy needs and economic factors in the decision-making process. This innovative approach underscores the role of nuclear refurbishment in meeting global energy demands sustainably and economically.

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Hydro-Québec Northeast Clean Energy Transmission delivers surplus hydropower via HVDC interconnections to New York and New England, leveraging long-term contracts and projects like CHPE and NECEC to support carbon-free goals, GHG cuts, and grid reliability.

Key Points

An initiative to expand HVDC links for Quebec hydropower exports, aiding New York and New England decarbonization.

✅ 37,000 MW hydro capacity enables firm, low-carbon exports

✅ Targets NY and NE via CHPE, NECEC, and upgraded interfaces

✅ Backed by long-term PPAs to reduce merchant transmission risk

With roughly 37,000 MW of installed hydro power capacity, Quebec has ample spare capacity that it would like to deliver into Northeastern US markets where ambitious clean energy goals have been announced, but expanding transmission infrastructure is challenging.

Register Now New York recently announced a goal of receiving 100% carbon-free energy by 2040 and the New England states all have ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals, including a Massachusetts law requiring GHG emissions be 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

The province-owned company, Hydro Quebec, supplies power to the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick in particular, as well as sending electricity directly into New York and New England. The power transmission interconnections between New York and New England have reached capacity and in order to increase export volumes into the US, "we need to build more transmission infrastructure," Gary Sutherland, relationship manager in business development, recently said during a presentation to reporters in Montreal.

TRANSMISSION OPTIONS

Hydro Quebec is working with US transmission developers, electric distribution companies, independent system operators and state government agencies to expand that transmission capacity in order to delivery more power from its hydro system to the US, as the province has closed the door on nuclear power and continues to prioritize hydropower, Sutherland said.

The company is looking to sign long-term power supply contracts that could help alleviate some of the investment risk associated with these large infrastructure projects.

"It`s interesting to recall that in the 1980s, two decade-long contracts paved the way for construction of Phase II of the multi-terminal direct-current system (MTDCS), a cross-border line that delivers up to 2,000 MW from northern Quebec to New England," Hydro Quebec spokeswoman Lynn St-Laurent said in an email.

Long-term prices have been persistently low since 2012, following the shale gas boom and the economic decline in 2008-2009, St-Laurent said. "As such, investment risks are too high for merchant transmission projects," she said.

Northeast power market fundamentals "remain strong for long-term contracts," on transmission projects or equipment upgrades that can deliver clean power from Quebec and "help our neighbors reach their ambitious clean energy goals," St-Laurent said.

NEW ENGLAND

In March 2017 an HQ proposal was selected by Massachusetts regulators to supply 9.45 TWh of firm energy to be delivered for 20 years. HQ`s proposal consisted of hydro power supply and possible transmission scenarios developed in conjunction with US partners.

The two leading options include a route through New Hampshire called Northern Pass and New England Clean Energy Connect through Maine.

The New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee in March 2018 voted unanimously to deny approval of the $1.6 billion Northern Pass Transmission project, which is a joint venture between HQ and Eversource Energy`s transmission business. Eversource has been fighting the decision, with the New Hampshire Supreme Court accepting the company`s appeal of the NHSEC decision in October.

Briefs are being filed and oral arguments are likely to begin late spring or early summer, spokesman William Hinkle said in an email Tuesday.

After the Northern Pass permitting delay, Massachusetts chose the New England Clean Energy Connect project, which is a projected 1,200 MW transmission line, with 1,090 MW contracted to Massachusetts, leaving 110 MW for use on a merchant basis, according to St-Laurent.

NECEC is a joint venture between HQ and Central Maine Power, which is a subsidiary of Avangrid, a company affiliated with Spain`s Iberdrola. The NECEC project has received opposition from some environmental groups and still needs several state and federal permits.

NEW YORK

"The 5% of New York`s load that we furnish year in and year out ... is mostly going into the north of the state, it`s not coming down here," Sutherland said during a discussion at Pace University in New York City in 2017.

One potential project moving through the permitting phase, is the $2.2 billion, 1,000-MW Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line being pursued by Transmission Developers -- a Blackstone portfolio company -- that would transport power from Quebec to Queens, New York.

Under New York`s proposed Climate Leadership Act which calls for the 100% carbon-free energy goal, renewable generation eligibility would be determined by the Public Service Commission. The PSC did not respond to a question about whether hydro power from Quebec is being considered as a potential option for meeting the state`s clean energy goal.

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Renewable Energy Breakthroughs drive quantum dots solar efficiency, Air-gen protein nanowires harvesting humidity, and cellulose membranes for flow batteries, enabling printable photovoltaics, 24/7 clean power, and low-cost grid storage at commercial scale.

Key Points

Advances like quantum dot solar, Air-gen, and cellulose flow battery membranes that improve clean power and storage.

✅ Quantum dots raise solar conversion efficiency, are printable

✅ Air-gen harvests electricity from humidity with protein nanowires

✅ Cellulose membranes cut flow battery costs, aid grid storage

Science never sleeps. The quest to find new and better ways to do things continues in thousands of laboratories around the world. Today, the global economy is based on the use of electricity, and one analysis shows wind and solar potential could meet 80% of US demand, underscoring what is possible. If there was a way to harness all the energy from the sun that falls on the Earth every day, there would be enough of electricity available to meet the needs of every man, woman, and child on the planet with plenty left over. That day is getting closer all the time. Here are three reasons why.

Quantum Dots Make Better Solar Panels
According to Science Daily, researchers at the University of Queensland have set a new world record for the conversion of solar energy to electricity using quantum dots — which pass electrons between one another and generate electrical current when exposed to solar energy in a solar cell device. The solar devices they developed have beaten the existing solar conversion record by 25%.

“Conventional solar technologies use rigid, expensive materials. The new class of quantum dots the university has developed are flexible and printable,” says professor Lianzhou Wang, who leads the research team. “This opens up a huge range of potential applications, including the possibility to use it as a transparent skin to power cars, planes, homes and wearable technology. Eventually it could play a major part in meeting the United Nations’ goal to increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.”

“This new generation of quantum dots is compatible with more affordable and large-scale printable technologies,” he adds. “The near 25% improvement in efficiency we have achieved over the previous world record is important. It is effectively the difference between quantum dot solar cell technology being an exciting prospect and being commercially viable.” The research was published on January 20 in the journal Nature Energy.

Electricity From Thin Air
Science Daily also reports that researchers at UMass Amherst also have interesting news. They claim they created a device called an Air-gen, short for air powered generator. (Note: recently we reported on other research that makes electricity from rainwater.) The device uses protein nanowires created by a microbe called Geobacter. Those nanowires can generate electricity from thin air by tapping the water vapor present naturally in the atmosphere. “We are literally making electricity out of thin air. The Air-gen generates clean energy 24/7. It’s the most amazing and exciting application of protein nanowires yet,” researchers Jun Yao and Derek Lovely say. There work was published February 17 in the journal Nature.

The new technology developed in Yao’s lab is non-polluting, renewable, and low-cost. It can generate power even in areas with extremely low humidity such as the Sahara Desert. It has significant advantages over other forms of renewable energy including solar and wind, Lovley says, because unlike these other renewable energy sources, the Air-gen does not require sunlight or wind, and “it even works indoors,” a point underscored by ongoing grid challenges that slow full renewable adoption.

Yao says, “The ultimate goal is to make large-scale systems. For example, the technology might be incorporated into wall paint that could help power your home. Or, we may develop stand-alone air-powered generators that supply electricity off the grid, and in parallel others are advancing bio-inspired fuel cells that could complement such devices. Once we get to an industrial scale for wire production, I fully expect that we can make large systems that will make a major contribution to sustainable energy production. This is just the beginning of a new era of protein based electronic devices.”

Improved Membranes For Flow Batteries From Cellulose
Storing energy is almost as important to decarbonizing the environment as making it in the first place, with the rise of affordable solar batteries improving integration.  There are dozens if not hundreds of ways to store electricity and they all work to one degree or another. The difference between which ones are commercially viable and ones that are not often comes down to money.

Flow batteries — one approach among many, including fuel cells for renewable storage — use two liquid electrolytes — one positively charged and one negatively charged — separated by a membrane that allows electrons to pass back and forth between them. The problem is, the liquids are highly corrosive. The membranes used today are expensive — more than $1,300 per square meter.

Phys.org reports that Hongli Zhu, an assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern University, has successfully created a membrane for use in flow batteries that is made from cellulose and costs just $147.68 per square meter. Reducing the cost of something by 90% is the kind of news that gets people knocking on your door.

The membrane uses nanocrystals derived from cellulose in combination with a polymer known as polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene.  The naturally derived membrane is especially efficient because its cellular structure contains thousands of hydroxyl groups, which involve bonds of hydrogen and oxygen that make it easy for water to be transported in plants and trees.

In flow batteries, that molecular makeup speeds the transport of protons as they flow through the membrane. “For these materials, one of the challenges is that it is difficult to find a polymer that is proton conductive and that is also a material that is very stable in the flowing acid,” Zhu says.

Cellulose can be extracted from natural sources including algae, solid waste, and bacteria. “A lot of material in nature is a composite, and if we disintegrate its components, we can use it to extract cellulose,” Zhu says. “Like waste from our yard, and a lot of solid waste that we don’t always know what to do with.”

Flow batteries can store large amounts of electricity over long periods of time — provided the membrane between the storage tanks doesn’t break down. To store more electricity, simply make the tanks larger, which makes them ideal for grid storage applications where there is often plenty of room to install them. Slashing the cost of the membrane will make them much more attractive to renewable energy developers and help move the clean energy revolution forward.

The Takeaway
The fossil fuel crazies won’t give up easily. They have too much to lose and couldn’t care less if life on Earth ceases to exist for a few million years, just so long as they get to profit from their investments. But they are experiencing a death of a thousand cuts. None of the breakthroughs discussed above will end thermal power generation all by itself, but all of them, together with hundreds more just like them happening every day, every week, and every month, even as we confront clean energy's hidden costs across supply chains, are slowly writing the epitaph for fossil fuels.

And here’s a further note. A person of Chinese ancestry is the leader of all three research efforts reported on above. These are precisely the people being targeted by the United States government at the moment as it ratchets up its war on immigrants and anybody who cannot trace their ancestry to northern Europe. Imagine for a moment what will happen to America when researchers like them depart for countries where they are welcome instead of despised. 

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Port of Vancouver Wind Turbine Blades arrive from China for a Saskatchewan wind farm, showcasing record oversized cargo logistics, tandem crane handling, renewable energy capacity, and North America's longest blades from Goldwind.

Key Points

Record-length blades for a Canadian wind farm, boosting renewable energy and requiring heavy-lift logistics at the port.

✅ 27 blades unloaded via tandem cranes with cage supports

✅ 50 turbines headed to Assiniboia over 21 weeks

✅ Largest 250 ft blades to arrive; reduced CO2 vs coal

A set of 220-foot-long wind turbine blades arrived at the Port of Vancouver from China over the weekend as part a shipment bound for a wind farm in Canada, alongside BC generating stations coming online in the region.

They’re the largest blades ever handled by the port, and this summer, even larger blades will arrive as companies expand production such as GE’s blade factory in France to meet demand — the largest North America has ever seen.

Alex Strogen described the scene as crews used two tandem cranes to unload 27 giant white blades from the MV Star Kilimanjaro, which picked up the wind turbine assemblies in China. They were manufactured by Goldwind Co.

“When you see these things come off and put onto these trailers, it’s exceptional in the sheer length of them,” Strogen said. “It looks as long as an airplane.”

In fact, each blade is about as long as the wingspan of a Boeing 747.

Groups of longshoremen attached the cranes to each blade and hoisted it into the air and onto a waiting truck. Metal cage-like devices on both ends kept the blades from touching the ground. Once loaded onto the trucks, the blades and shaft parts head to a terminal to be unloaded by another group of workers.

Another fleet of trucks will drive the wind turbines, towers and blades to Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada, over the course of 21 weeks. Potentia Renewables of Toronto is erecting the turbines on 34,000 acres of leased agriculture land, amid wind farm expansion in PEI elsewhere in the country, according to a news release from the Port of Vancouver.

Potentia’s project, called the Golden South Wind Project, will generate approximately 900,000 megawatt-hours of electricity. It also has greatly reduced CO2 emissions compared with a coal-fired plant, and complements tidal power in Nova Scotia in Canada’s clean energy mix, according to the news release.

The project is expected to be operating in 2021, similar to major UK offshore wind additions coming online.

The Port of Vancouver will receive 50 full turbines of two models for the project, as Manitoba invests in new turbines across Canada. In August, the larger of the models, with blades measuring 250 feet, will arrive. They’ll be the longest blades ever imported into any port in North America.

“It’s an exciting year for the port,” said Ryan Hart, chief external affairs officer.

The Port of Vancouver is following all the recommended safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including social distancing and face masks, Strogen said, with support from initiatives like Bruce Power’s PPE donation across Canada.
As for crews onboard the ships, the U.S. Coast Guard is the agency in charge, and it is monitoring the last port-of-call for all vessels seeking to enter the Columbia River, Hart wrote in an email.

Vessel masters on each ship are responsible for monitoring the health of the crew and are required to report sick or ill crew members to the USCG prior to arrival or face fines and potential arrest.

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Iran Bushehr Earthquake rattles southern province near the Bushehr nuclear power plant, USGS reports M5.1 at 38 km depth; seismic activity along major fault lines raises safety, damage, and monitoring concerns.

Key Points

A magnitude 5.1 quake near Bushehr nuclear plant at 38 km depth, with no damage reported, per USGS.

✅ USGS lists magnitude 5.1 at 38 km depth

✅ Near Bushehr nuclear power plant; built for stronger quakes

✅ Iran lies on major fault lines; quake risk is frequent

A magnitude 5 earthquake struck southern Iran early Friday near the Islamic Republic's only nuclear power plant. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries as Iran continues combined-cycle conversions across its power sector.

The quake hit Iran's Bushehr province at 5:23 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It put the magnitude at 5.1 and the depth of the earthquake at 38 kilometres (24 miles), in a province tied to efforts to transmit electricity to Europe in coming years.

Iranian state media did not immediately report on the quake. However, the Bushehr nuclear power plant was designed to withstand much stronger earthquakes, a notable consideration as Iraq plans nuclear power plants to address shortages.

A magnitude 5 earthquake can cause considerable damage, including power disruptions that have seen blackouts spark protests in some Iranian cities.

Iran sits on major fault lines and is prone to near-daily earthquakes, yet it remains a key player in regional power, with Iran-Iraq energy cooperation ongoing. In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude quake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people, and today Iran supplies 40% of Iraq's electricity through cross-border power deals. Bam is near the Bushehr nuclear plant, which wasn’t damaged at that time, while more recently Iran finalized deals to rehabilitate Iraq's power grid to improve resilience.

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Cerro Dominador CSP Plant delivers 110MW concentrated solar power in Chile's Atacama Desert, with 10,600 heliostats, 17.5-hour molten salt storage, and 24/7 dispatchable energy; built by Acciona and Abengoa within a 210MW complex.

Key Points

A 110MW CSP solar-thermal plant in Chile with heliostats and 17.5h molten salt storage, delivering 24/7 dispatchable clean power.

✅ 110MW CSP with 17.5h molten salt for 24/7 dispatch

✅ 10,600 heliostats; part of a 210MW hybrid CSP+PV complex

✅ Built by Acciona and Abengoa; first of its kind in LatAm

A consortium formed by Spanish groups Abengoa and Acciona, as Spain's renewable sector expands with Enel's 90MW wind build activity, has signed a contract to complete the construction of the 110MW Cerro Dominador concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Chile.

The consortium received notice to proceed to build the solar-thermal plant, which is part of the 210MW Cerro Dominador solar complex.

Under the contract, Acciona, which has 51% stake in the consortium and recently launched a 280 MW Alberta wind farm, will be responsible for building the plant while Abengoa will act as the technological partner.

Expected to be the first of its kind in Latin America upon completion, the plant is owned by Cerro Dominador, which in turn is owned by funds managed by EIG Global Energy Partners.

The project will add to a Abengoa-built 100MW PV plant, comparable to California solar projects in scope, which was commissioned in February 2018, to form a 210MW combined CSP and PV complex.

Spread across an area of 146 hectares, the project will feature 10,600 heliostats and will have capacity to generate clean and dispatachable energy for 24 hours a day using its 17.5 hours of molten salt storage technology, a field complemented by battery storage advances.

Expected to prevent 640,000 tons of CO2 emission, the plant is located in the commune of María Elena, in the Atacama Desert, in the Antofagasta Region.

“In total, the complex will avoid 870,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere every year and, in parallel with Enel's 450 MW U.S. wind operations, will deliver clean energy through 15-year energy purchase agreements with distribution companies, signed in 2014.

“The construction of the solarthermal plant of Cerro Dominador will have an important impact on local development, with the creation of more than 1,000 jobs in the area during its construction peak, and that will be priority for the neighbors of the communes of the region,” Acciona said in a statement.

The Cerro Dominador plant represents Acciona’s fifth solar thermal plant being built outside of Spain. The firm has constructed 10 solarthermal plants with total installed capacity of 624MW.

Acciona has been operating in Chile since 1993. The company, through its Infrastructure division, executed various construction projects for highways, hospitals, hydroelectric plants and infrastructures for the mining sector.

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