300 MW SMR Darlington Ontario. Same size as Collie in WA-Operation starts 2029.

300 MW SMR Darlington Ontario. Same size as Collie in WA

At a glance

• OPG has commenced site preparation activities and submitted a Licence to Construct application for its world-leading SMR project at the Darlington site.
• The project’s preliminary schedule is to complete construction of the reactor by 2028 with commercial operation starting in 2029.
• A 300 MW SMR could power about 300,000 homes with low-carbon, reliable power.
• In 2022, the project team has been busy engaging with the community to provide information on SMRs and project milestones.

The momentum continues to build for OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project with two significant milestones reached on the road to building Canada’s first grid-scale Small Modular Reactor (SMR).

In early December, OPG and the Province of Ontario highlighted the start of site preparation activities for the SMR project at OPG’s Darlington Nuclear site in Clarington. The proposed 300-megawatt (MW) BWRX-300 SMR set to be built at Darlington would mark Ontario’s first new nuclear reactor build in a generation.

OPG partner E.S. Fox is now executing early site preparation activities, including building the necessary water supply, electrical power, supporting infrastructure, and road services. This work will continue into 2025 and support more than 100 new jobs in Durham Region.

“With global businesses looking to expand in jurisdictions with clean and cost-effective electricity, Small Modular Reactors will help compete for and attract more game-changing investments in Ontario’s economy,” said Premier Doug Ford at an event at the site on Dec. 2. “Our government is getting it done and building the future of nuclear energy right here in Ontario to support the needs of our growing province.”

At a glance

OPG has commenced site preparation activities and submitted a Licence to Construct application for its world-leading SMR project at the Darlington site.

The project’s preliminary schedule is to complete construction of the reactor by 2028 with commercial operation starting in 2029.

A 300 MW SMR could power about 300,000 homes with low-carbon, reliable power.

In 2022, the project team has been busy engaging with the community to provide information on SMRs and project milestones.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at the site of OPG's future Small Modular Reactor at Darlington Nuclear on Dec. 2, 2022.

The momentum continues to build for OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project with two significant milestones reached on the road to building Canada’s first grid-scale Small Modular Reactor (SMR).

In early December, OPG and the Province of Ontario highlighted the start of site preparation activities for the SMR project at OPG’s Darlington Nuclear site in Clarington. The proposed 300-megawatt (MW) BWRX-300 SMR set to be built at Darlington would mark Ontario’s first new nuclear reactor build in a generation.

OPG partner E.S. Fox is now executing early site preparation activities, including building the necessary water supply, electrical power, supporting infrastructure, and road services. This work will continue into 2025 and support more than 100 new jobs in Durham Region.

“With global businesses looking to expand in jurisdictions with clean and cost-effective electricity, Small Modular Reactors will help compete for and attract more game-changing investments in Ontario’s economy,” said Premier Doug Ford at an event at the site on Dec. 2. “Our government is getting it done and building the future of nuclear energy right here in Ontario to support the needs of our growing province.”

“The electricity produced by the SMR at Darlington will help ensure we meet Ontario’s growing energy needs, as electrification drives demand.”

Ken Hartwick, OPG President and CEO

Approval Process Background

In another major milestone, OPG submitted a Licence to Construct application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) on October 31. The Licence to Construct is the next step in the regulatory process to build a new nuclear reactor and is required before any nuclear construction can begin. The licence application was developed collaboratively between OPG and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, designer of the BWRX-300 SMR.

A conceptual rendering of the BWRX-300 SMR plant by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.

This application process will include opportunities for Indigenous Nations and Communities, and the public to participate through public engagement activities such as information sessions, workshops, and public hearings. To learn more about the CNSC licensing process, public hearings, and participant funding program, visit the?

CNSC’s webpage.

Other developments have added momentum, including a landmark, low-interest loan of $970 million from the Canada Infrastructure Bank in October, which will help fund the site preparation underway, and newly announced federal clean energy initiatives that will help spur investment in SMRs.

“This project leverages OPG’s decades of experience in providing reliable, safe and affordable electricity as well as Ontario’s strong nuclear supply chain to develop the next generation of nuclear power,” said Ken Hartwick, OPG’s President and CEO. “The electricity produced by the SMR at Darlington will help ensure we meet Ontario’s growing energy needs, as electrification drives demand.”

A participant takes a virtual reality tour of an SMR at OPG's Community Open House at Darlington.

Once completed, this project could pave the way for additional SMRs at the Darlington site, in Ontario, and around the world. Recently, OPG and Czech Republic-based ?EZ signed a?Memorandum of Understanding?to collaborate in the advancement and deployment of nuclear technology, including SMRs, to safely produce clean, reliable electricity.

The start of site preparation comes on the heels of a busy summer for the project that saw an important offshore, geotechnical study completed safely, on time and on budget. The study included drilling a series of boreholes east of the Darlington station to characterize the site for the future SMR.

To inform the local community about SMRs and the latest project milestones, OPG’s team has also been busy this year engaging with members of the public at various local events. These included the Bowmanville Ribfest, Oshawa Kars on King, and OPG’s Community Open House, where more than 2,400 people attended to learn more about the project and OPG’s operations.

OPG's Darlington New Nuclear Project team at Oshawa’s Kars on King event this summer.

To stay up to date on OPG’s upcoming community programming, visit?opg.com/durham.

In the coming years, SMRs and nuclear power will continue to play a big role in OPG’s diverse generation mix and help the company and province meet net-zero targets and the demands of electrification.

All told, in Canada, nuclear energy helps avoid 80 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year, or the equivalent of removing 15 million cars from the road.

Once built, the 300 MW BWRX-300 SMR could power about 300,000 homes, create about 2,500 jobs over its 60-year lifespan, and increase GDP by $2.5 billion.