Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is expanding its nuclear energy fleet with four new small modular reactors (SMRs) that will be installed at the Darlington site. These SMRs will be the first in the world to provide power to a grid, according to Clarington mayor Adrian Foster.
In addition to being smaller than traditional reactors, the modular design of SMRs allows them to be fabricated off-site at a factory and then transported for assembly, according to Kirk Atkinson. Atkinson is a radiation physicist and an associate professor at Ontario Tech University in the Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering. He said that each SMR can produce approximately 300 megawatts of energy.
Jesara Holla, a senior manager at OPG, said that with the four SMRs, the plant will produce enough energy to power 1.2 million homes annually. She explained that this will be especially important in the coming years, since the province is expecting a 75 per cent increase in electricity needs by 2050.
Nuclear energy is not the only form of energy generated by OPG, but Holla said it provides a steady base load power because nuclear plants operate continuously, unlike wind or solar which are weather-dependent.
“We can use other peaking powers like hydroelectric to support. It’s sort of an ‘all the tools in the tool box’ approach,” she said. “But nuclear will certainly be the backbone of our electricity grid, just like it is today.”
Holla said the new plant will also have a significant impact on the local job economy. She said it will provide about 2,000 jobs annually over its 16-year lifespan.
Mayor Foster said that the impact will reach beyond the local community.
“It’s going to impact the job market globally because of the interest in the SMR,” he said.
According to Foster, the increased focus on nuclear energy could lead to further refurbishment of the existing nuclear plants at Darlington and Pickering, and could also inspire other communities to invest in SMRs. He added that the world will be watching Ontario as this technology is implemented, since these will be the first on-grid SMRs in the world.
Being first means OPG has to weigh the costs and take into consideration the lessons learned from previous reactors, Holla said. A significant reason for choosing SMRs, she explained, is their potential to be deployed elsewhere in Canada and worldwide.
“OPG can assist other people, can export our materials, our expertise, export the technology into other jurisdictions,” Holla said. “So as a business decision, that is a positive way for us to grow our business outside of Ontario.”
According to Atkinson, whose research sometimes focuses on small reactors like this one, another benefit of investing in nuclear energy is the small environmental footprint.
“Here in Canada, we see the opportunity by being first,” he said. “And we see that it could make a really big impact on our future electrical demand supply possibility, which would mean that we can offset damaging energy, non-green energy, gas, coal, that kind of thing.”
Despite nuclear energy’s low carbon-emissions, the radioactive waste it generates sometimes raises public concern. This has been one of the main environmental arguments against nuclear energy. Atkinson said that while the waste products can be harmful, the risks are known and accounted for, unlike in other forms of energy, such as the air pollution caused by coal plants and the use of heavy metals in solar batteries.
“Nuclear is one of the few industries that is, by law, required to manage its waste,” he said, adding that nuclear plants are more strictly-regulated and held to a higher standard from the start.
At OPG, Holla said there are strict waste control measures in place, including storing all waste on-site in safe containers. She added that the company has earned a reputation with the community for maintaining transparency.
“There is really very little concern from the public. They are a very informed public,” she said. “However, we know that we don’t just get to operate, we have to earn our social license and that’s something that’s really important to me and to our team that we continue to share information with the public and answer their questions.”
Mayor Foster said the public’s response to the planned reactor has been very positive.
“I think we’re excited to be part of the solution to climate change. We of course are looking forward to the economic growth. We’re looking forward to the jobs as well with this being the first of a kind,” he said.
OPG plans to get the reactors running and supplying energy by 2029, according to Holla. Currently, site preparation is underway and they will be applying for a license to construct in January, with the hopes that construction can begin in spring 2025.