Ontario Power Generation issues license to build an SMR at Darlington

The license, approved on April 4, is in effect until March 31, 2035, but the companies involved hope to start construction later this year. The BWRX-300 is a 300-MW unit with built-in natural circulation, passive cooling technology, and an expected lifespan of 60 years.

“The Commission concluded that OPG is qualified to construct the reactor and will do so in a way that protects the health and safety of people and the environment,” the government safety agency shared in its press release, further concluding that “it had fulfilled its constitutional responsibility to consultant and, where appropriate, accommodate Indigenous rights in respect of its decision on this matter.”

While this is a significant milestone in the project, OPG will still need to secure an operating license for the unit.

Quotable: Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines, called the construction license approval “a historic milestone for Ontario and Canada,” NEI Magazine reported.

“The Darlington New Nuclear Project could create up to 17,000 Canadian jobs during construction, contribute over 15 billion CAD ($10.5 billion USD) to Canada’s GDP, and drive 500 million Canadian dollars annually into our supply chain because our government has insisted and successfully negotiated that local Ontario and Canadian businesses must be overwhelmingly used to build SMRs for the world. Ontario is realizing its potential as a stable democratic energy superpower, and I look forward to sharing next steps for this exciting project in the coming weeks,” Lecce was quoted as saying.

A closer look: GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, the nuclear arm of GE Vernova, chose BWX Technologies to manufacture the reactor pressure vessel—the largest component in the SMR—for this first BWRX-300. According to BWXT, it is the first manufacturer in North America to begin this type of work for an SMR technology.

GE Hitachi touts the BWXT-300 as being “designed to reduce construction and operating costs by leveraging a unique combination of existing, certified nuclear fuel; plant simplifications; proven components; and a design based on an NRC-certified reactor.”

“The BWRX-300 builds on decades of real-world boiling water reactor operating experience and innovation, using a standard design, a proven delivery model and GEH’s experience with cross-border regulatory collaboration,” GE Vernova said in a January news release.

Early site work at Darlington is already complete, and commercial operation of the SMR is expected by the end of 2029. In total, four units are planned for the site. OPG also shared its proposed financial guarantee for the project in a C$167 million line of credit.

Background: OPG is an Ontario government business enterprise that operates at the Darlington Nuclear site, co-located with Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, the Darlington Waste Management Facility, support facilities, and offices.

The CNSC approval includes four site-specific license conditions that will be required of OPG:

• Implement the mitigation measures proposed and commitments made during the Darlington Joint Review Panel process, including the applicable recommendations in the panel’s environmental assessment report, in accordance with the response from the government of Canada.
• Implement and maintain an environmental assessment follow-up program.
• Obtain the approval of the CNSC or consent of a person authorized by the CNSC prior to the removal of established regulatory hold points.
• Conduct Indigenous engagement activities specific to the Darlington New Nuclear Project throughout the license period.