Bruce Power Begins Unit 4 Refurbishment as Part of Life-Extension Program
Bruce Power has begun a three-year refurbishment of Unit 4 at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, marking the midpoint of its ongoing Life-Extension Program to upgrade Ontario’s electricity supply.
Bruce Power has launched its Unit 4 Major Component Replacement (MCR) project, marking the midway point of its ongoing Life-Extension Program aimed at securing long-term electricity supply for Ontario.
The three-year project, which began over the weekend, is part of a broader effort to refurbish Units 3 through 8 at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, extending their operational lifespan by 30 to 35 years.
Bruce Power says the MCR projects and ongoing site operations support 22,000 direct and indirect jobs annually, with significant economic benefits for Bruce, Grey, and Huron counties. The company estimates its investments contribute $4 billion per year to Ontario’s economy.
Local skilled tradespeople are heavily involved in the work, Bruce Power says, and benefit from employment and training opportunities as the refurbishment continues. However, the demand for housing and strains on infrastructure in Bruce, Grey, and Huron counties is a concern. Although the economic boost is significant, the benefits may not be evenly distributed across the region.
The company also says its nuclear output is expected to increase from 6,550 megawatts (MW) to over 7,000 MW in the 2030s. The upgrades are intended to support Ontario’s clean energy goals, helping to offset rising electricity demand, which the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) predicts could grow by 75% by 2050.
Despite its projected benefits, the refurbishment program raises some concerns. The $13-billion investment is privately funded, but costs are ultimately passed to ratepayers through Bruce Power’s contract with the IESO. Cost overruns could lead to higher electricity rates in the future.
The management of nuclear waste remains another challenge. Extending the lifespan of these reactors means continued production of radioactive waste, and while Canada has long-term storage plans, including the proposed Deep Geological Repository, there is still debate over how best to handle and store nuclear materials.
The Unit 4 refurbishment follows similar projects completed on Unit 6 and currently underway on Unit 3, which is expected to return to service in 2026. The entire MCR program is scheduled to continue until 2033, with overlapping outages aimed at maintaining power supply while work is completed.
Bruce Power says lessons learned from earlier refurbishments are being applied to improve efficiency. New robotic tooling, first introduced in the Unit 3 project, is being refined to enhance safety and scheduling for future work.
As one of Canada’s largest infrastructure projects, Bruce Power’s refurbishment is expected to play a major role in Ontario’s electricity grid for decades to come, but its long-term costs, environmental impacts, and energy policy implications remain topics of discussion.