Bruce Power is announcing today that Canadian company Nu-Tech Precision Metals Inc., a long-time supplier to the Canadian nuclear industry, is ready to begin the delivery of zirconium alloy pressure tubes for the Unit 6 Major Component Replacement (MCR) Project.
Nu-Tech will begin shipping tubes to Bruce Power this month for the Unit 6 project – which will begin in January 2020 – and is scheduled to complete the order next August. Approximately 50 per cent of the tubes for Unit 6 are in various stages of manufacture at the Nu-Tech facility in Arnprior, ON, and almost 15 per cent of the order has been already completed.
The MCR Project is part of Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program, which started in January 2016 and includes Units 3-8. By extending the life of Bruce Power’s reactors to 2064, the company will create and sustain 22,000 jobs annually, both directly and indirectly, across Ontario, while investing $4 billion a year into the province’s economy. At the same time, Bruce Power will produce 30 per cent of Ontario’s electricity at 30 per cent less than the average cost to generate residential power, while also producing zero carbon emissions.
“Nu-Tech has been in the business of producing seamless zirconium tubes for more than 60 years and has produced just about every pressure tube that’s in every Candu reactor around the world,” said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power President and CEO. “The company’s long history of excellence and experience in the nuclear industry will support Bruce Power’s commitment to delivering our MCR initiative on time and on budget.
“Today’s announcement also signifies our ongoing investment in Ontario’s communities, which will create economic opportunities for the communities in which they operate for many years to come.”
John Yakabuski, MPP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke and Minister of Natural Resources, also emphasized the importance of Bruce Power’s relationship with Nu-Tech for local communities.
“I am thrilled that Bruce Power has partnered up with Nu-Tech Precision Metals, a first-class company that has been contributing to the local economy in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke for many years,” said Yakabuski. “Projects like these will help protect and create jobs for the local communities that depend on them. Our government is committed to making Ontario open for business and open for jobs.”
The long-term agreement has long-term benefits for the people and communities that Nu-Tech touches.
“For Nu-Tech, the ongoing commitment from Bruce Power allows the company to continue supporting Arnprior and Renfrew County by providing stable employment and helping to fund public services in the surrounding communities,” said George Legate, President of Nu-Tech Precision Metals Inc.
“This 10-year contract from Bruce Power for just over 3,000 pressure tubes equates to millions of dollars a year being injected into Renfrew County through the salaries paid to our employees and money flowing to our supply base located throughout the Ottawa Valley. It will also allow us to continue to provide financial assistance with the delivery of services in the Arnprior and McNab/ Braeside area.”
About Bruce Power Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is an electricity company based in Bruce County, Ontario. We are powered by our people. Our 4,100 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 is also a significant source of Cobalt-60, a radioisotope used for the sterilization of medical equipment around the world as well as a specialized form of cancer treatment called the Gamma Knife. Learn more at www.brucepower.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.