The Government of Ontario has approved Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plan to begin construction on the first of four small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Darlington nuclear site in the Municipality of Clarington.
This will mark the first SMR of its kind built in a G7 country. Just one of these can produce enough reliable, affordable and clean electricity to power the equivalent of 300,000 homes, said a statement.
According to the province, the four SMRs will eventually produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity—enough to power 1.2 million homes—supporting energy demand projected to rise by 75 per cent by 2050. The project is also expected to create up to 18,000 Canadian jobs and inject $500 million on average annually into Ontario’s economy.
The BWRX-300 is a small-scale nuclear reactor that uses commercially available uranium to generate power. More than 80 Ontario companies have already signed agreements with OPG to deliver this first-of-a-kind project. The government has also negotiated additional commitments from GE Hitachi that will create jobs in Ontario, that will soon be unveiled.
The government emphasized its commitment to using Ontario-sourced materials and labour, and to collaborating with First Nations communities on potential equity partnerships—an unprecedented step in Canadian nuclear energy development.
The project’s first reactor is budgeted at $6.1 billion, with construction costs expected to decline over time. Site preparation began in December 2022, and a construction license for Unit 1 was granted in April.
“This is a historic day for Canada as we start construction on the first small modular reactor in the G7, creating 18,000 jobs for Canadians,” said Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines, at Darlington yesterday.