The first of six nuclear power units being refurbished at the Bruce station in Ontario, Canada is set to be reconnected to the grid in the fourth quarter of this year after the “substantial completion” of the construction phase of the major component replacement project.

Bruce Power, operator of the eight-unit station, said the focus of work at Unit 6, a Candu 750B, 817-MW pressurised heavy water reactor unit, has now shifted to returning the unit to service.

Operations staff will now begin refuelling the unit with 5,760 fuel bundles. Other lead-out activities and regulatory inspections will be completed to return the plant to Ontario’s electricity grid by the end of the year.