July 18, 2023 – Ontario Power Generation reports it has achieved a major milestone by successfully connecting Darlington Nuclear Generating Station’s Unit 3 to Ontario’s electricity grid… 169 days ahead of schedule, to boot.

“Through this project, OPG is demonstrating that with detailed planning and preparation, large nuclear projects can be completed not only on time, but ahead of time and with great quality,” said Ken Hartwick, president & CEO.

“This would not be possible without the performance, expertise, and commitment from our refurbishment project team, project partners, industry experts, energy professionals, and skilled tradespeople,” he added.

Unit 3 is the second Darlington unit to undergo complete refurbishment. It is operating at 100% capacity, and its early return to service translates into an extra 3 TWh of electricity.

Unit 1 refurbishment is about 60% complete, and is expected to be completed mid-2025. The last of Darlington’s four reactors, Unit 4, will come offline shortly to begin its refurbishment.

The $12.8-billion Darlington refurbishment project began in 2016 after nearly a decade of planning and preparation.

An assessment for refurbishing the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station will be complete later this year.