Peter Geigen-Miller
London Free Press
January 30, 2004

Bruce Power is considering a plan to boost Ontario’s electricity supply by building two new reactors at its nuclear power complex on the shore of Lake Huron near Kincardine. The two, new-generation Candu reactors being considered by the Bruce partnership carry an estimated price tag of $2.7 billion and would produce 1,400 megawatts of power, enough for more than 460,000 homes.

Building and operating two such reactors would create hundreds of new jobs in the Kincardine area.

New reactors are a long-term project. Building two new units at Bruce would require three years of approvals and licensing and five years of construction, said Bruce Power chief executive Duncan Hawthorne.

He said a good business case will be needed for building new reactors and the company will want firm price guarantees before it decides to proceed.

Bruce Power said it also will examine the feasibility of restarting mothballed units 1 and 2 in the Bruce A nuclear station and refurbishing the four operating Bruce B reactors to prolong their life.

Given studies showing a shortage of generating capacity in Ontario, the time is right to consider building new reactors or refurbishing old ones, said Hawthorne.

Bruce Power has been buoyed by the successful restart of Bruce A units 3 and 4 after a $720-million overhaul.

The cost of the overhaul was originally estimated at $450 million.

Unit 4 was restored to service in October and unit 3 was restarted this month.

The reactors each produce 750 megawatts of power.

Bruce B’s four reactors will need refurbishing to extend their life, said Hawthorne.

"Without significant upgrades, Bruce B will reach the end of its original plant life over the next 15 years."

The study of refurbishing the two Bruce A units is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

It will involve a technical inspection of the units and an assessment of how much it will cost to upgrade them to current standards.

From previous experience, Bruce Power knows the project will involve the costly replacement of steam generators and reactor pressure tubes, said Hawthorne.

Bruce is an ideal site for building new reactors or refurbishing old ones, he said.

"We have a tremendously skilled workforce, a well-established infrastructure and a community that truly understands our technology."

The company’s announcement was greeted with glee by Kincardine residents.

"The community is ecstatic," said John deRosenroll, the municipality’s chief administrative officer.

"With the two Bruce A units operating and back in the (power) grid, employment has resumed and the economy is vibrant."

But Tom Adams of Energy Probe, a Toronto-based watchdog organization, doubts there’s much chance the two Bruce A units will be refurbished, given cost and time overruns for the work on units 3 and 4.

Bruce Power still must prove it is profitable, he said.

Building new units is even more unlikely, given the cost and the long lead time needed for such projects, said Adams.

"The time required creates a tremendous business risk."