Bruce Power reached a number of significant milestones in 2018, as it prepares for its first Major Component Replacement (MCR) Project in January 2020.
Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program, which began on Jan. 1, 2016, remains on time and on budget. These planned maintenance outages will allow Units 3-8 to operate safely and reliably until their scheduled refurbishment, with Unit 6 being the first to begin its MCR.
A noteworthy achievement for 2018, from an operational standpoint, was Bruce Power receiving a 10-year operating licence extension from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). About 140 organizations and individuals participated in the process, and Bruce Power continues to maintain an open dialogue with the public on its operations and plans for the future. The licence renewal allows Bruce Power to operate to 2028, while providing the regulatory approval needed to extend the life of the units throughout the coming decade.
“We have great people on the Bruce site and together we accomplished some great things in 2018,” said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s President and CEO. “Every employee, contractor, and supplier partner played a key role in helping us operate our units, and prepare for our first Major Component Replacement in 2020. This program will allow our site to provide clean, reliable, low-cost power and tens of thousands of jobs for Ontarians through 2064.”
Other highlights of 2018 include:
* Bruce Power’s Unit 8 set a site record by operating for 623 consecutive days, before it was removed from service this past fall for a planned maintenance outage.
* Bruce Power’s Unit 6 MCR will proceed in January 2020 after the Independent Electricity System Operator verified the company’s final cost estimate for the project. The Unit 6 MCR is the next step in Bruce Power providing low-cost, clean, reliable nuclear power, good jobs, and medical isotopes through 2064. Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program will also create and sustain 22,000 direct and indirect jobs annually, and inject $4 billion into Ontario’s economy every year, while still providing 30 per cent of Ontario’s electricity.
* The company signed over $2 billion in MCR contracts with its supplier partners in 2018, including $914 million in manufacturing contracts with four businesses across Ontario, on April 23. Over 95 per cent of Bruce Power’s spend remains in Ontario.
* Over 40 nuclear supplier partners have opened offices and facilities, or launched new businesses in Bruce, Grey, and Huron counties since the joint Economic Development and Innovation Initiative was unveiled by Bruce Power and the County of Bruce in 2016. These companies have, in turn, created hundreds of jobs, brought new families to the region, and increased the working relationship between Bruce Power and the supplier partners.
* Bruce Power and its supplier partners created an Indigenous Relations Supplier Network (IRSN) as they seek to further strengthen their relationships with local Indigenous communities. The IRSN ensures that Indigenous communities have the opportunity to actively participate in the company’s ongoing investment program in the area of employment, business partnerships, and procurement. It is located in the new office of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI) at 625 Goderich St., Port Elgin.
* Bruce Power and the County of Bruce announced the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII), which will be an applied research facility that will advance collaboration and research. It will be a space that enables researchers and industry to come together to identify new and innovative solutions. It will serve as physical space to support and enhance innovation, craft trades and skilled workforce development, education, and business incubation and acceleration. The NII will also hire a Skilled Trades Secretariat in 2019 to bring together industry leaders and local organizations to establish a collaborative mechanism for maximizing training programs and capitalizing on local assets, with a goal of increasing the supply of high-demand skilled trades locally. The NII also announced a $500,000 Local Education Development Fund, which will run through 2024 for approved projects.
* The Hon. Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Mines, Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs, touted the benefits of nuclear electricity at Queen’s Park in July, while expressing his support for Bruce Power. “Our government will always support the work of private organizations here in Ontario that are working to create good jobs – high-tech jobs, good union jobs – while providing safe and secure access to energy. We are especially supportive of companies that achieve these goals without the need for public funding.” Watch the clip on YouTube.
* A coalition of over 30 Canadian science, health care and nuclear sector organizations launched the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC) to ensure Canada remains a world leader in the production of life-saving isotopes by raising awareness and supporting long-term policies at the domestic and international level. Medical isotopes are an important part of Canada’s innovation agenda, and, beyond medicine, the nuclear sector contributes to a wide range of other scientific and economic activities, including energy, human health and safety, material testing, food safety, and even space exploration.
* Bruce Power’s Community Investment and Sponsorship Program provided about $2 million to groups, organizations and events that make a difference to the lives of millions. Some of the recipients included the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, Wounded Warriors Canada, environmental and Indigenous initiatives, and food banks and hamper programs in Bruce, Grey, and Huron counties. The program also provides about $100,000 to assist local students with their primary, secondary and post-secondary education.
* In 2018, 5,100 people explored the Bruce Power site as part of our annual Summer Bus Tour Program. The program will resume in July 2019.
About Bruce Power
Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is an electricity company based in Bruce County, Ontario. We are powered by our people. Our 4,200 employees are the foundation of our accomplishments and are proud of the role they play in safely delivering clean, reliable, low-cost nuclear power to families and businesses across the province. Bruce Power has worked hard to build strong roots in Ontario and is committed to protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which we live. Learn more at www.brucepower.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube
