Thursday, November 27, 2025
The Government of Ontario announced it has approved Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plan to refurbish four CANDU nuclear reactors at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. The refurbishment will extend the facility’s operations to deliver affordable, reliable and clean power for up to 38 years.
“For more than 50 years, nuclear power has been the backbone of Ontario’s energy grid, with the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station as one of the best-performing and continuously operating nuclear stations in the world,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “To deliver on our major jobs plan to get Canadians working, extending the life of the facility will create jobs for tens of thousands of skilled workers while we build up the Ontario supply chain and keep 90 per cent of our project spend in this country.”
Pending final licensing approvals from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), OPG will begin the Project Execution Phase to refurbish Pickering “B” units 5 to 8 in early 2027, with completion expected by the mid-2030s. Once completed, Pickering will generate an increased capacity of up to 2,200 megawatts (MW) of electricity, equivalent to powering 2.2 million homes.
The project is expected to create approximately 30,500 jobs during refurbishment, while sustaining 6,700 jobs throughout the station’s operation. With a final budget of $26.8 billion, more than 90 per cent of the project cost will be spent in Canada to support local businesses and deliver economic benefits across the province.
OPG said it will deliver the project using the same disciplined planning, oversight, and partnership model that has kept the Darlington refurbishment on-time and on-budget. OPG has also committed to investing $100 million with Indigenous-owned companies over the life of the refurbishment project, ensuring that First Nations hosting nuclear facilities share directly in the economic benefits.
“By making this responsible investment into Pickering now, we ensure this clean energy workhorse will continue to power Ontario for future generations. The expertise developed during Darlington’s refurbishment, together with the skilled Pickering team, ensures we are ready to deliver another complex nuclear project—on time, on budget, safely, and with quality,” said Nicolle Butcher, president and CEO, OPG.
(City of Pickering)
In October 2024, CNSC authorized Pickering “B” units to operate until the end of 2026. Further operation of Pickering “B” units would require a complete refurbishment.
In December 2024, OPG completed the Project Initiation Phase of the Pickering refurbishment which included early engineering and design work, as well as securing components that require the longest-lead times. By placing orders in advance with key suppliers, OPG can ensure materials are available when Ontario needs them and help keep costs down.
In January 2025, the government approved OPG to proceed with the Project Definition Phase of the Pickering refurbishment that will continue through 2026. Under this phase, OPG undertook activities to refine project scope and cost, complete engineering deliverables, negotiate commercial contracts and secure spots in the queue for long-lead components.
It was announced that Siemens Energy will manufacture and install steam turbines, generators, and digitalization systems at the plant.
“In a world hungry for electricity, upgrading and extending the life of nuclear power plants is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to meet Canada’s increasing energy demand. Siemens Energy will manufacture and install steam turbines, generators, and digitalization systems to help the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station provide more than 2,200 MW of clean, reliable power to Ontario homes for another 30 years,” said Karim Amin, member of the executive board of Siemens Energy.
Featured image: (OPG)
