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52-561: Through the 1970s the issue of storing nuclear waste became a serious concern within the nuclear industry. The rocks of the Canadian Shield, many of which have been physically unchanged for billions of years, seemed like a natural candidate for such storage. The fact that high-grade nuclear fuel was held in such formations for billions of years in nature was especially attractive; such deposits, like at Cigar Lake in northern Saskatchewan , were powerful evidence that this mode of storage

104-558: A small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington new nuclear site, the only site in Canada currently licensed for a new nuclear build. The project is expected to be completed as early as 2028. OPG has made some investments in alternative electricity generation. By 2014, OPG had stopped burning coal to generate electricity. Thermal electricity-generating stations were traditionally coal-fired, creating problems caused by pollution. While

156-688: A 26-year-old shift worker walking between buildings at the Cigar Lake mine on his midnight break was attacked and mauled by a lone timber wolf . A nearby security guard frightened the wolf away, administered first aid, and called for an air ambulance which airlifted him 675 km (419 mi) to a hospital in Saskatoon where he recovered. After the attack, authorities ordered that area wolves be shot, that food disposal systems and fencing be inspected, and that staff be educated. Ontario Power Generation Ontario Power Generation Inc. ( OPG )

208-473: A complete scope analysis before starting on the project. Due to the uproar over the large cost overruns and delays, an independent review committee was commissioned to examine the future role of OPG in the electricity sector; the future structure of OPG; the appropriate corporate governance and senior management structure; and the potential refurbishing of Pickering A Units 1, 2, and 3. Former federal Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister John Manley chaired

260-429: A diverse fleet that includes 65 hydroelectric stations and two nuclear stations, OPG's power is more than 99 per cent free of smog and greenhouse gas emissions." Prior to shutting down its coal-fueled generating stations, OPG attracted considerable controversy for the operation of coal-fired generating stations, which ranked among Canada's largest individual air pollution sources. This was mostly because Nanticoke housed

312-455: A grade of 2.65% U3O8 and 7.8 million pounds in the measured and indicated category. Inferred mineral resources total 80,500 tonnes at a grade of 2.25% U3O8 for 4.0 million pounds. The mine is owned by Cameco Corporation (54.547%), Orano Canada Inc. (40.453%) and TEPCO Resources Inc. (5%). Cameco is the project operator. In 2005, a worker was killed by wolves at Points North Landing , near Cameco's Rabbit Lake mine . On August 29, 2016,

364-479: A massive 3,900 MW of generation capacity in one site: it produced "the most pollution in one site" despite being a reasonably clean plant per megawatt of power. Nanticoke Generating Station was North America's largest coal-fired generating station and the single largest air pollution source for southern Ontario and northern New York state, attracting considerable criticism from environmentalists and legislators in both jurisdictions. OPG's Lambton Generating Station

416-537: A new corporate campus would be built in Clarington , Ontario, that will also house Ontario Power Generation's headquarters. On 13 February 2023, OPG announced they completed a deal to purchase the former head office building for General Motors of Canada in Oshawa , Ontario, for their new headquarters, with plans to open in 2024. Original plans called for a new building to be constructed in Clarington , Ontario, at

468-685: A reliable, clean source of base load electricity during refurbishment of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station and the initial Bruce Nuclear refurbishments. Any plan to extend Pickering's life requires approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). OPG is currently working on a licence application to the CNSC for approval in 2018. On 2 December 2021, OPG announced a partnership with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to deploy

520-433: Is a Crown corporation and "government business enterprise" that is responsible for approximately half of the electricity generation in the province of Ontario , Canada. It is wholly owned by the government of Ontario . Sources of electricity include nuclear , hydroelectric , wind , gas and biomass . Although Ontario has an open electricity market , the provincial government, as OPG's sole shareholder, regulates

572-536: Is a large high-grade underground uranium mine, located in the uranium-rich Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan , Canada, at the south-west corner of Waterbury Lake . The deposit, discovered in 1981, is second in size of high-grade deposits only to the nearby McArthur River mine . Other deposits, such as Olympic Dam in Australia , contain more uranium but at lower grades. Full-scale construction began in 2005 with production originally planned for 2007, but

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624-626: Is the owner of four nuclear power plants . It directly operates Pickering Nuclear Generation Station in Pickering , Ontario and Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Courtice , Ontario. OPG also owns the two nuclear power plants that make up the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station on Lake Huron in western Ontario, which are operated by Bruce Power under a long-term lease. OPG also operates three facilities for

676-507: The Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB), AECL was tasked with developing the required technology, while Ontario Hydro would pay for the actual storage and be responsible for transport of the waste to and from a production site. An updated agreement was signed in 1981, with the explicit instructions that no nuclear material would ever be placed in the experimental site. AECL's original plans for long-term waste disposal

728-734: The Nanticoke Generating Station , on Lake Erie in Haldimand County, Ontario, and the Lambton Generating Station were shut down, OPG did convert two other coal-fuelled power plants. Atikokan Generating Station in Atikokan , Ontario, was converted in 2012 to burning steam-treated wood pellets or "biomass" as OPG refers to it. "Biomass wood pellets are a sustainable fuel recognized as beneficial to climate change mitigation , as identified in

780-515: The Northeast blackout of 2003 . The problem was that all but one of the reactors were tripped and allowed to poison out , preventing an early reconnection to the electricity grid . Once shut down, all nuclear reactors take several days to return to service. Another source of criticism was the extended and expensive refit to the reactor Unit 4 at the Pickering A Nuclear Station. In late 2003,

832-444: The 1400 km 2.6 BYa Lac du Bonnet batholith, was asked to find a suitable site. The criterion was that there was at least one square kilometre of partially exposed rock on the surface, that it had not previously been used for excavation, that there was power available, and that it was within reasonable distance of Whiteshell. A total of eight sites were considered before one about 50 kilometres (31 mi) northeast of Whiteshell

884-638: The Athabasca Sandstone formation . Its age is estimated to be 1.3 billion years. Due to natural containment and lack of any traces of radioactive elements on the surface, the deposit is used as an example of an effective natural deep geological repository . During 2020, production was temporarily suspended over two periods due to the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic : from March until September; and then from 14 December 2020. Production at Orano 's McClean Lake uranium mill , which processes

936-655: The Biomass Sustainability Analysis Report by the Pembina Institute ", according to OPG. The company says that this generating station is "North America's largest 100 per cent biomass-fuelled power plant". Thunder Bay Generating Station in Thunder Bay , Ontario, was converted to using "advanced" biomass in 2014. "It is a solid biomass fuel ... has higher energy density and is hydrophobic (repels water) allowing it withstand

988-698: The Federal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change delayed a decision on OPG's DGR, causing a pause in the timeline for the EA decision to be issued. While the JRP had recommended to the federal government the project move forward based on the strong technical safety case, the Minister requested OPG provide further information. OPG has committed to provide the requested studies and additional information by

1040-499: The URL, unless a buyer or tenant could be found. This did not happen, and the site was officially closed in June 2003. Closure work began in 2006, removing equipment from the now unused levels. By the time this process was complete in 2010, all that remained was the tracks used by the underground railway system. A large plug made of clay sandwiched between two plates of high-performance concrete

1092-598: The Whiteshell facility in 1994 and had started the process of winding down operations. In 1996, the AECL held public hearings to present the results from many of the original URL experiments. Although they found some concerns in the research, the AECB decided enough was known to move ahead to begin selecting a production repository site. In 1997, Ontario Hydro took over the experiments related to long-term storage, including many of

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1144-423: The board include John Herron, Selma Lussenburg, Scott McDonald, Jill Pepall, Jim Reinsch, James Sheppard, Anju Virmani, Tracy Primeau and Mary Filipelli. The financial situation at Ontario Power Generation has improved significantly since 2003. Its profits for 2005 were $ 366 million, and its credit rating was upgraded. In July 2006, Liberal Energy Minister Dwight Duncan described OPG's turnaround as "[o]ne of

1196-454: The electricity in Ontario or 74.0 terawatt hours (TWh). Roughly 60 percent of Ontario's electricity is accounted for by three nuclear power plants: Pickering , Darlington and Bruce . No fatal accidents related to nuclear power have occurred in Ontario. Large Small Altogether there are 29 plants producing 127 MW of power. Defunct On 25 June 2019, Ontario Power announced

1248-721: The elements while being stored outside," according to OPG. In March 2016, OPG and partners SunEdison Canadian Construction LP and Six Nations Development Corporation were selected by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to develop the Nanticoke Solar Facility , a 44 megawatt (MW) solar farm on and near the Nanticoke Generating Station site on Lake Erie. The company is proud of its achievements in reducing pollution. "Now, together with

1300-477: The end of 2016. OPG has also begun the process of building up to four new nuclear units at the site of its Darlington Nuclear Generating Station but in October 2013, the province of Ontario declared that the Darlington new build project would not be part of Ontario's long-term energy plan, citing the high capital cost estimates and energy surplus in the province at the time of the announcement. In January 2016,

1352-430: The excavation of the 420 Level was completed in 1991. In total, 34,270 cubic metres were excavated for a total cost of about $ 40 million. The first set of nine major experiments was designed in 1989 and began operations in 1990. Some of these involved measurements of the flow of water in the various rock formations, while others were concerned with the engineered seals and container technologies. Many new experiments joined

1404-588: The existing Darlington Energy Complex. The decision was made to retrofit the empty building for economic and sustainability reasons. Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster issued a statement, saying he was "deeply disappointed" with the decision not to build in Clarington. Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter welcomed the news, saying he was "thrilled to welcome" OPG to Oshawa. OPG owns and operates generating plants that draw from nuclear, hydro-electric, combined gas, biomass, solar and some wind. In 2018, it generated about half of

1456-581: The experiments at the URL, reorganized as the Deep Geologic Repository Technology Program (DGRTP). Yearly costs for the URL were on the order of $ 3 million with incomes on the order of $ 9 to $ 10 million, although about 70% of that was from Ontario Hydro. Ontario Hydro, which became Ontario Power Generation in 1999, announced its intention to stop funding research at the site, in favour of moving forward with production. In 2003, AECL announced it would be shutting down

1508-452: The fuel becomes much safer to handle. The final stage would see the fuel moved to surface sites, but over time this was abandoned and the entire time was to be spent underground. Building the underground portion in the Canadian Shield eliminated concerns about geological events exposing the waste en masse ; it is easy to find large batholiths that have been intact for billions of years. However, these also include fractures of various sizes and

1560-484: The incoming Liberal government fired the three most senior executives at OPG on the heels of a report that the retrofit of a single reactor at the Pickering nuclear plant had come in significantly over budget and three years behind schedule. The government also accepted the resignation of all remaining board members. Management underestimated the amount of work and complexity of the Unit 4 refurbishment project and failed to do

1612-468: The interim management of nuclear waste generated by OPG's 10 nuclear reactors and Bruce Power's eight nuclear reactors. The company is proposing to construct and operate a deep geologic repository (DGR) on the Bruce Nuclear site , adjacent to its present Western Waste Management Facility. The repository would provide permanent storage of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste produced from

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1664-420: The main shaft. The levels were built because the rock formation includes two aquifers, a freshwater one at higher levels and a saltwater one deeper. A key concern for the URL was developing technologies to prevent mixing of the two aquifers. The ultimate result of the URL was a ten-volume Environmental Impact Statement about the entire deep geologic repository concept. Cigar Lake The Cigar Lake Mine

1716-437: The mine experienced a catastrophic water inflow in October 2006, which flooded the mine. A second inflow occurred in 2008 during the first attempt at dewatering the mine after sealing the initial inflow. Remediation efforts continued, and re-entry was successfully accomplished in 2010. Production was delayed several times with the startup dates being announced for 2011, 2013, and 2014. On March 13, 2014, ore production began at

1768-462: The mine, with the mining system and underground processing circuits operational and uranium ore transported to the McClean Lake mill operated by AREVA Resources Canada Inc. located 70 km (43 mi) northeast of the minesite. The deposit is located at depth of 450 m (1,480 ft), surrounded by and isolated within a layer of water-impermeable illite - chlorite clay, within

1820-478: The nature of water movement through these sorts of rock formation was a topic of limited research. In 1978, the NFWMP decided to build a test site to answer two primary questions, one was to characterize the water flow and chemistry in ancient rocks of this type, and the other was to test a proposed sealing system that consisted of a layer of clay sandwiched between engineered concrete walls. Whiteshell, built on top of

1872-527: The operation of the Bruce, Pickering, and Darlington nuclear generating stations. In 2005, OPG initiated the regulatory approval process. Following a comprehensive environmental assessment (EA) process and two rounds of public hearings in front of a federal joint review panel (JRP), on 6 May 2015 the JRP issued the EA Report and recommended the approval of OPG's DGR to the federal government. In February 2016,

1924-437: The ore from the Cigar Lake mine, was also suspended. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission took regulatory action against owners Cameco Corporation in October 2022 due to the volume of waste material placed on waste pile C. As of December 31st, 2023, total proven and probable mineral reserves at Cigar Lake amount to 555,600 tonnes at a grade of 17.03% U3O8 and 208.6 million pounds. Mineral resources total 132,900 tonnes at

1976-664: The original series, including ones on blast effects from nearby mining operations, as well as evacuations. New groups from the US, Japan and France were collaborating on new experiments like the Tunnel Sealing Experiment and the Quarried Block Radionuclide Migration Experiment. The University of Toronto also ran the "mine-by" experiment on the effects of excavating within an existing mine site. The AECL decided to close

2028-470: The price the company receives for its electricity to be less than the market average, in an attempt to stabilize prices. Since 1 April 2008, the company's rates have been regulated by the Ontario Energy Board . In June 2019, it was announced that a new corporate campus would be built in Clarington , Ontario, that will also house Ontario Power Generation's headquarters. In February 2023, it

2080-678: The province of Ontario approved plans to pursue continued operation of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station to 2024. OPG will work with the Ministry of Energy, the Independent Electricity System Operator and the Ontario Energy Board to pursue continued operation of the Pickering Station to 2024. All six units would operate until 2022; two units would then shut down and four units would operate to 2024. Extending Pickering's operation will ensure

2132-593: The review committee. Peter Godsoe , Chairman of the Bank of Nova Scotia, and Jake Epp , a former federal Cabinet Minister, Chair of the Pickering A Review Panel, and interim Chairman of OPG, also sat on the committee. The experience of refurbishing Pickering A Unit 1 was significantly different with a much tighter adherence to schedule and budget. Unit 1 was returned to service in November 2005 providing 542 MW of generating capacity for Ontario's electricity system. It

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2184-706: The untold stories of the last two years". On the local public relations side, OPG has won many awards for its performance as a "good corporate citizen". Most recently, OPG was named for the fourth year in a row to the Corporate Knights Top 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada. OPG regularly sponsors community events across the province and houses wildlife trails in the exclusion zones around its nuclear stations in Durham Region . The company's annual employee charity campaign has raised millions of dollars for charities across Ontario. In October 2008, OPG

2236-443: Was a three-stage process; in the first stage the fuel would be stored in the existing spent fuel pools located at the reactor sites for a period of six to ten years. After that time the overall decay rates have decreased to the point where it can be safely moved. For the second stage, the fuel would be placed in an underground facility for a period of about 300 years. By that time the most active gamma ray emitters have burned off and

2288-554: Was announced that OPG would instead purchase the former head office building of General Motors Canada in Oshawa , Ontario, for their new headquarters, planning to open by 2024. Ontario Power Generation was established in April 1999 as part of plans by the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Mike Harris to privatize the assets of Ontario Hydro and deregulate the province's electricity market. OPG

2340-520: Was decided that Pickering Units 2 and 3 would not be restarted as the business case could not be made. In early December 2015, Ontario's Auditor General pointed out that OPG was importing wood products from Europe to burn at the Thunder Bay station "pushing the cost of the electricity it generates to 25 times higher than other biomass generators", or $ 1,600 per MWh. Subsequently, Ontario's Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle stated that OPG

2392-655: Was named one of " Canada's Top 100 Employers " by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's . Later that month, OPG was also named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers , which was announced by the Toronto Star . OPG regularly reports on its operational, safety and environmental record. The company publishes quarterly reports summarizing its performance in these areas. OPG purchased 9 million shares (1.5%) of former Crown corporation Hydro One , another Ontario Hydro successor company, in April 2016. OPG

2444-421: Was one of the five successor corporations to Ontario Hydro and assumed ownership of all generating stations. Wendy Kei is the chair of the board of directors. She was appointed as chairman on 27 June 2019. Ken Hartwick is the president and chief executive officer of OPG. He was appointed to this position on 1 April 2019, when the previous president and CEO, Jeffrey J. Lyash, resigned. Other current members of

2496-484: Was placed in the main shaft in an ongoing experiment to measure the performance of the plug as a way of blocking the flow of water between aquifers . The site consisted of a main shaft 433 metres (1,421 ft) deep with two main working levels at 240 metres (790 ft) and 420 metres (1,380 ft). Smaller levels were constructed at 130 metres (430 ft) and 300 metres (980 ft) as drilling support sites. A ventilation shaft carrying propane-heated air paralleled

2548-404: Was secure for geological time frames. In 1978, the governments of Canada and Ontario agreed to fund the "Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program" (NFWMP) to consider the deep geological repository as a solution to the growing inventory of spent fuel. At the time, it was estimated the fleet of CANDU reactors would produce 3.6 million fuel bundles by the end of life of existing reactors. Organized by

2600-400: Was seeking a local company to produce the biomass fuel. Considering the ever-increasing cost of electricity to Ontario consumers, the hiring of CEO Jeffrey Lyash in the summer of 2015 created some criticism when it was revealed that Lyash would earn $ 775,000 per annum and that could increase to $ 1.55 million with bonuses if performance targets are met. On 10 June 2019, it was announced that

2652-426: Was selected, part of the same batholith. Between 1980 and 1983 a series of seven deep boreholes and many smaller ones were made around the site to characterize it. The shaft surface site was built during 1982 and 1983, and the first major digging began on 12 May 1984. The first level, 240 Level, was completed in 1987, along with the secondary ventilation shaft. The main shaft was extended to 443 m deep by 1988, and

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2704-518: Was the second largest air polluter in the province. The Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty came to power in 2003 with a promise to phase out coal generation by 2007. However, for various operational and demand reasons this was not possible until 2014, when the last coal was burned in OPG's stations. The company also endured significant criticism concerning the slow return to operation of some of its nuclear generating stations which had been shut down by

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