Four units at facility are scheduled for major refurbishment
Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Pickering-4 nuclear power plant was permanently shut down as planned at the end of 2024, bringing the number of commercial nuclear plants in operation in Canada to 18.
The company said on social media that for decades, the plant has played a vital role delivering safe, reliable, and low-carbon electricity for Ontario.
Unit 4 was the last of the four units collectively known as Pickering A. The four 515 MW Candu reactors were shut down in 1997. Units 2 and 3 were subsequently retired, but units 1 and 4 were later refurbished to extend their life expectancy, with unit 4 returning to service in 2003 and unit 1 in 2005. Pickering-1 was retired on 30 September 2024.
In October, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) approved OPG’s request to continue operating Pickering units 5, 6, 7 and 8 – collectively known as Pickering B – to the end of 2026.
OPG is planning to refurbish the four units, marking a major turnaround for the facility, which was scheduled to close by 2025.
The CNSC approval means the units can continue in operation until that refurbishment begins.
OPG said last year it was continuing to advance planning for the refurbishment, which will be complete by the mid-2030s and could see the units operate for another 30 years or more.
OPG had intended to begin the refurbishment project in 2024 with engineering and design work and securing long-lead components. OPG’s timeline envisages putting the entire station layup in 2026 so that refurbishment can begin.
