Bruce Power signs advanced manufacturing contracts

Bruce Power has signed CAD914 million (USD712 million) in advanced manufacturing contracts for its major component replacement (MCR) that starts in 2020 and will allow the site to provide low-cost, carbon-free electricity to Ontario to 2064. Announcing the deals yesterday, Bruce Power said its Life-Extension Programme - which includes the MCRs on units 3-8 - remains on time and on budget.

The Bruce B plant (Image: Bruce Power)

The new contracts include: CAD642 million to BWXT Canada Inc for the manufacturing of 32 steam generators to be produced at BWXT's Cambridge facility; CAD144 million to Laker Energy Products for end fittings, liners and flow elements, which will be manufactured at its Oakville location; CAD62 million to Cameco Fuel Manufacturing, in Cobourg, for calandria tubes and annulus spacers for all six MCRs; and CAD66 million for Nu-Tech Precision Metals, in Arnprior, for the production of zirconium alloy pressure tubes for Units 6 and 3.

Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power's president and CEO, said that, by extending the life of Bruce Power's reactors to 2064, the company will create and sustain 22,000 jobs annually, while investing CAD4 billion a year into Ontario's economy. At the same time, Bruce Power will produce 30% of the province's electricity at almost one-third less than the average cost to generate residential power, while also producing zero-carbon emissions.

Bruce Power operates eight Candu reactors - units 1-4 at Bruce A and units 5-8 at Bruce B. Units 1 and 2 at Bruce A have already been refurbished.

In January 2016, the company launched its CAD$13 billion, multi-year Life-Extension Programme under an agreement with the Independent Electricity System Operator, the government corporation responsible for Ontario's power supply. Bruce unit 6 will be the first unit to undergo refurbishment, beginning in 2020, and the programme will take until 2053 to complete.

Researched and writtenby World Nuclear News