SNC-Lavalin JV to refurbish Bruce Power’s remaining CANDU reactors
May 15, 2023
By CCE
The project is scheduled for completion in 2023.
Bruce Power has contracted Shoreline Power Group—a joint venture (JV) between SNC-Lavalin, Aecon and United Engineers & Constructors—to extend the life of four of its Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) nuclear reactors in Tiverton, Ont., to 2064.
Under the 10-year, $1.3-billion agreement, SNC-Lavalin’s Canadian nuclear division—whose portion of the contract is valued at approximately $173 million—will provide project management services for refurbishing Units 4, 5, 7 and 8. These are the only remaining reactors that have yet to undergo the life-extension process at Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, the world’s largest operating nuclear facility, which produces 30% of Ontario’s power and provides medical isotopes for hospitals around the world.
“Large reactors will play a key role in providing the vast amount of electricity required in the future,” says SNC-Lavalin president and CEO Ian L. Edwards. “As the steward of CANDU reactor technology around the world and a provider of the full life cycle of nuclear services, we are well-positioned to capitalize on the rising demand for energy.”
After Units 1 and 2 were refurbished in 2012, the Shoreline JV began work on Unit 3 in 2022 and will help return Unit 6 to service this year. Collectively, the reactors’ life extensions represent Ontario’s largest clean-energy infrastructure project.
“This new contract win is a demonstration of the confidence Bruce Power has in our technical knowledge and track record in delivering work on time and on budget,” says Joe St. Julian, president of SNC-Lavalin’s nuclear business.
Preparatory work is expected to commence this year and completion is anticipated for 2032.