In celebration of Bruce Power’s first anniversary of the company’s Major Component Replacement (MCR) Project and the manufacturing completion of the Unit 6 reactor components, the company hosted a live event on Tuesday, February 23rd.
Despite a 50-day delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a collective effort by Bruce Power employees and partners has allowed the first phase of MCR to stay on track. With a total of 2.1 million hours spent on the project in 2020, the company is also celebrating the completion of manufactured components for the Unit 6 refurbishment.
“This is our second annual report and it’s an exciting time,” says Mike Rencheck, President and CEO of Bruce Power. “We are driving economic development throughout our region and the province.”
He went on to say that Bruce Power is uniquely positioned to provided low-cost, reliable and affordable electricity while having had a major environmental impact as nuclear power allowed coal-generated energy to be phased out.
Rencheck also highlighted several key success points from 2020. “We aren’t just doing this for the short term but we are building a future here at Bruce Power. We’ll be here to produce power for the long and the short term.”
When it came to support during COVID, Rencheck said that the primary reason for reaching out was because they could. “We knew we had to share and help others.” Bruce Power also hosted numerous virtual ‘town halls’ to ensure public health could get their voice heard. “Nuclear is a made-in-Ontario solution and we are proud to be here and be a part of it,” he added.
The Hon. Bill Walker, Associate Minister of Energy and MPP Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound commended Bruce Power for not only providing clean, reliable and affordable energy, but also for “… stepping up to support COVID efforts across communities in Grey Bruce and Huron during our greatest time of need as well as vaccination efforts by providing freezers for vaccines and resources and expertise for immunizations across the province.”
He also noted that the company has provided 2.5 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE), nearly one million dollars for research and food banks in addition to one million dollar through the Be a Light Beating COVID Together campaign to support local organizations and businesses.
The Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, and Indigenous Affairs, said that Bruce Power has gone from being a world-class nuclear power for electricity generation and leading the way in refurbishments to leading the way in isotope production and decomissioning. “I think the one runway that I cherish the most is the one that makes a real difference in people’s lives. I’m not talking about turning on a light switch but changing their fortunes in life in terms of diagnoses and treatment of serious diseases.”
He pointed out that Bruce Power’s successes are ” … major infrastructure projects with incredibly high degrees of complexity. What is especially impressive is that this (MCR) project was undertaken during the worst health crisis in living memory. It’s incredible to think that the Bruce Power team could continue to remove components from unit 6 while partnering with companies to fabricate new components … it’s an impressive achievement.”
He added that Ontario’s nuclear industry will continue to set the newest and highest standards for nuclear refurbishment innovation. “I also want to acknowledge the incredible leadership at Bruce Power during this COVID pandemic. Since day one, Bruce Power has provided the kind of critical support that the communities, the surrounding region and the province are especially grateful for. There is no doubt in mind that Bruce Power has answered the call.
Hon. Paul Lefebvre, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus
O’Regan, said that the Federal Government is in complete support of the nuclear industry.
“As the first country to declare that we would use nuclear for peaceful purposes only, Canada focused on generating electricity, pioneering medical breakthroughs and advance global know-how. This road we have chosen has made all the difference in producing world-class scientific knowledge, winning Nobel prizes and developing a uniquely Canadian CANDU reactor. ”
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.
