Nuclear Energy, Pickering and Durham Region

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East In today’s world our energy needs are constantly increasing, especially our need for electrical energy. Because of that, we need an energy source, which is reliable, puts less stress on Nature, and is less challenging to the environment. At this point, we can certainly affirm that nuclear energy is one of these kinds of energy. Moreover, we have the technology, the plants and the science to support it. So let us put Canadian ingenuity to work for us Canadians, once again. Durham region is a hub of nuclear plants in Pickering and Clarington. So let us capitalize on them and keep them working at their best. In addition, it is high time that Durham region had a serious nuclear science center. Why is that, you ask? It is important to consider this type of energy more closely. I will make a comparison with the rapid evolution in electronics, from the invention of the transistor to the very sophisticated integrated circuits of today, which enjoy a broad range of applications in our daily lives. In a few decades, we have witnessed an evolution from the bulky transistor to the nanotechnologies of today. The relevant question is obvious: why can we not accomplish a similar transformation in the field of nuclear reactors? We see efforts to make electric vehicles with improved battery life, but we do not see any research and ideas on miniaturizing nuclear reactors, for vehicle use for example. Such reactors would certainly be better that the proposed batteries for powering vehicles. Your reaction to the idea might be that it seems impossible to do, but my answer is that it definitively is not. We have the example of the first nuclear submarine, going back to the middle of the last century. In early 1950’s, regardless of the challenges faced in developing and operating brand-new technology, Admiral Rickover and the team did not disappoint. The result was a highly reliable nuclear reactor in a form-factor that would fit into a submarine hull with no more than a 28-foot (8.5 m) beam. This became known as the S1W reactor. Nautilus was launched and commissioned with this reactor in 1954. Seventy years have passed and we have not seen further miniaturizations of reactors. So I say, it is time to do some research in this direction right here in the Durham region. Yes, but for this we need vision, political will and expertise, all of which is badly lacking in Canada at this time. Imagine having a car that you do not fill up for years! I think that my thinking is well ahead of its time, but hope that the future will vindicate me. Anyway, there are some signs that nuclear energy is in the spot light again, but not for the right reasons. Politicians promoting the use of electrical vehicles have mounted pressure for nuclear energy as an answer to the problem of lack of electrical energy for the electric vehicle project. So now, all levels of politicians who proudly professed the elimination of nuclear power plants in the past, especially in Pickering, are doing an about-face, praising nuclear energy. Both federal and provincial governments have officially recognized the importance of nuclear energy for meeting climate and energy needs. Even so, development and licensing of a new site can take years. Ontario's electricity demand is rising and refurbishing nuclear plants is a way to meet it cleanly and cost-effectively. The Pickering site, which is ideally positioned to supply the Greater Toronto Area with zero-carbon electricity around the clock, is licensed for over 3,000 MW of nuclear capacity — though the operating licences will have to be renewed, as they have been for the refurbished units at Bruce and Darlington. Then, in a move likely unnoticed by most Ontarians, the province has inched closer to quite a change in energy policy. Last week, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) submitted an application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to extend the life of the Pickering nuclear generating station until the fall of 2026. The plant had been scheduled to close at the end of 2025. However, an extra nine months of affordable, low-carbon electricity from the station will benefit Ontarians. More importantly, the reprieve could pave the way to a full refurbishment that would protect Ontario’s domestic supply of clean electricity and high-quality jobs for decades to come. Operating through 2026 would allow skilled refurbishment workers and OPG project managers currently redoing the Darlington Nuclear Station to switch over to Pickering after the Darlington project wraps up that same year. Meanwhile, the Pickering station would be able to generate extra revenue from the extension, keeping up employment and helping to offset the cost of refurbishment planning. Keeping the Pickering plant running makes sense from a cost perspective. Refurbishments at Ontario’s two other nuclear plants, which are proceeding ahead of schedule, are costing only half the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s estimates for what brand new nuclear capacity costs. Using existing equipment, licences, transmission capacity, buildings and other structures saves both time and money. Apart from legacy hydro dams, Ontario’s nuclear fleet makes the cheapest electricity in the province, while abundant natural fuel and a local supply chain shore up our energy security and economy. With some of the lowest fuel costs of any thermal power plant in the world, revenue from Pickering supports nearly 5,000 high-quality jobs at the plant and thousands more in the surrounding area. The sudden love the Ford government has developed for nuclear energy is also noted. OPG has chosen GE Hitachi to construct a small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington generating station in Clarington. The SMR is expected to be constructed by 2028. The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is loaning almost a billion dollars to OPG to build the country’s first grid-scale, small modular reactor (SMR) in Clarington, Ontario. The Government of Ontario is presently looking at a new large-scale nuclear plant to generate up to 4,800 megawatts on the site of Bruce Power's current generating station on the shore of Lake Huron in Tiverton, Ontario. In conclusion now that Ontario has entered its first energy crunch in decades, and refurbishments at Darlington will be wrapping up, the rationale for moving refurbishment workers to Pickering is stronger than ever. My hope is that politicians at all level in Pickering will be able to secure a bright future for nuclear energy for the benefit of the city, the province, and Canada. It is up to you to check on them!