The restart process and reconnection to the grid are subject to regulatory approvals from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and “OPG’s ability to do so safely given the current Covid-19 crisis,” a statement said.
The company said it will delay the planned start of the refurbishment of Darlington-3, scheduled to begin in May, as part of its measures to ensure stable electricity supplies during the pandemic.
“In the coming weeks, the Darlington-3 project team will determine the best time to restart the project, ensuring the required critical resources and materials are available,” the statement said.
Darlington-2 is the first of the Darlington station’s four Candu units to undergo refurbishment in a project that will enable the station to continue operations until 2055. All four units are to be refurbished in a phased CAD 12.8bn ($8.9bn, €8bn) project which is scheduled for completion by 2026.
Each of the four units will be taken out of service for three years for work to be carried out.
Overall, the Darlington refurbishment project remains on budget and on schedule for completion in 2026.
Ten Candu units in Canada are being refurbished between 2016 and 2033 – four at Darlington and six at the Bruce nuclear power station. The Pickering nuclear station will continue to operate until 2024 to provide baseload electricity during the Darlington and Bruce refurbishments.
