New units could more than 12,000 jobs annually
The manufacturing, engineering and construction phase of four AP1000 nuclear power units could generate more than CAD28.7bn (€19.5bn, $21bn) of gross domestic product (GDP) impact for Canada and over 125,000 person-years of employment, a report has shown.
Once operational, the units would create an additional CAD8.1bn in GDP and support more than 12,000 jobs annually, according to the report.
The report, produced for US-based AP1000 supplier Westinghouse by PricewaterhouseCoopers, outlines the “significant economic impact” for Canada by deploying four AP1000 reactor units in the province of Ontario.
The PwC report also concludes that AP1000 technology can help Canada meet its emission reduction plan and support deployment of the technology around the world. Each new reactor installed globally can provide up to CAD880m of GDP impact in Canada.
Canada has a fleet of 19 commercial nuclear power plants that provide about 14% of its electricity generation. Major projects have begun to extend the lifetime of reactors at the Bruce, Darlington and Pickering stations, all in Ontario.
At the Vogtle site in the US state of Georgia, one AP1000 unit began commercial operation in July 2023 and is producing power for the grid, while a second unit recently achieved first criticality with commercial operation projected during the second quarter of 2024.
Four AP1000 reactors – two at Sanmen and two at Haiyang – are operating in China with eight additional reactors under construction.
Last year Ontario said it plans to build three new small modular reactors (SMRs) to help meet rising electricity demand.
The Ontario government is working with utility Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to start planning and licensing the reactors at the Darlington nuclear site, where site preparation has begun for Canada’s first grid-scale SMR.
