Alstom to refurbish generators at Darlington nuclear plant
by Rebecca Reid
Will allow facility to operate until 2055
MONTREAL—The Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has selected power plant infrastructure provider, Alstom, to refurbish four steam turbine generator units at the Darlington nuclear power plant, located in Clarington, about 70 kilometres east of Toronto.
Darlington produces about 20 per cent of power consumed in the province each year, according to the OPG. The plant generates 3,512 megawatts per year; each generator unit has a capacity of about 900 MW.
Generator refurbishment is expected to extend Darlington’s operating life until about 2055.
The deal with Alstom is worth about $345 million (€265 million). The project will be managed by Alston Thermal Services in Ottawa and Burlington, Ont., though the equipment will be manufactured in the U.S. and Europe.
“We have been supporting OPG at Darlington since it was built and know the equipment and projects very well,” said Hans-Peter Meer, senior vice-president of Alstom Thermal Service.
The OPG was given the go-ahead to refurbish the plant in March by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), which said the findings of an assessment indicated there would be no adverse effects on the environment.
