|
|
|||
INNOVATIVE ENERGY |
|||
Supporting a long-term solution to Ontario’s energy needs
To meet the need for clean power, since 2001 Bruce Power has returned to full capacity two of the station’s nuclear reactors that had been shut down and is now refurbishing and re-starting two more. Once all of the station’s reactors are operating, by 2010, the Bruce Power site will be the largest single electricity provider in North America, producing more than one quarter of Ontario’s electricity. To help make this energy source available, Golder Associates has worked closely with Bruce Power to make sure that environmental issues are addressed in a way that meets regulatory requirements. So far this has included Golder teams conducting three major environmental assessments on the Bruce Power reactors. These assessments were for the refurbishment and restart of four reactors shut down by the previous operator, and incorporating the use of a new reactor fuel. The resulting environmental assessment approvals have cleared the way to allow all eight reactors to continue operating through 2043, generating 6,200 MW of electricity. Partly because of this success, Bruce Power recently asked Golder Associates to start an environmental assessment of its proposed New Build project, which could see construction of four new, next-generation nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 4,000 MW. These would be the first new reactors planned for Ontario in 25 years. These next generation reactors are more reliable and more efficient than the current designs, and are capable of operating for 60 years. An environmental assessment is an essential first step in planning for any new rectors. Golder’s work on this 30-month environmental assessment will help Bruce Power evaluate whether to conduct further refurbishment of the site, replace existing units with new reactors or augment output by building a third generating station.
|
Currently generating 20 percent of Ontario’s electricity, Bruce Power’s nuclear reactors on the shore of Lake Huron will eventually provide almost a quarter of the electrical supply for Ontario. Bruce Power’s nuclear stations are a vital part of the province’s energy picture. Meeting the rising demand for electrical power, which in the summer of 2006 reached a new peak of over 27,000 megawatts (MW), is complicated by other public and private sector initiatives to reduce or eliminate the burning of coal to produce electricity. 