Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Hydro One has selected AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. for a multi-year Owner’s Engineer mandate for the expansion of their Bowmanville Switching Station. The expansion of the substation, situated across from the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, will enable grid connection of the planned build of four Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) at the adjacent Darlington New Nuclear Project site.
“Delivering nation-building energy projects in Canada and around the world has been a hallmark of our work in the Power & Renewables sector for decades,” said Ian L. Edwards, president and Chief Executive Officer, AtkinsRéalis. “Our sector has been involved in marquee projects globally, supported by our centre of excellence in Canada. AtkinsRéalis is perfectly suited to deliver work on this substation, which is a critical link in supplying electricity from the Darlington New Nuclear Project to the people of southern Ontario, including Toronto.”
AtkinsRéalis’ Power & Renewables experts will provide engineering, as well as project & program management services to Hydro One. The engineering work will support the establishment of a new 500 kV switchyard next to the existing substation site— doubling its capacity and expanding the site by an anticipated 30-40 acres. This new capacity will relieve current power congestion along transmission corridors in the area. The expansion is planned for completion prior to all four SMRs coming online.
In addition to the installation of the new switchyard, the project will consist of the installation of new breakers, disconnect switches, and all supporting equipment. The site is also being planned to contain a new multi-purpose building to house control, protection, telecommunication and auxiliary equipment. New line entrance structures will enable the interconnection of high voltage transmission lines to evacuate the power generated into the Hydro One power grid.
“Transmission and distribution infrastructure is one of the backbones of Ontario’s significant electricity build-out program and requires sustained expansion,” said Stéphanie Vaillancourt, president, Canada, AtkinsRéalis. “Building on our extensive national portfolio of transmission and distribution work, this mandate exemplifies how we win and deliver work with our differentiated end-to-end capabilities, while strengthening our relationship with Hydro One.”
Featured image: (Hydro One)
