As the second full week of 2016 ended, we saw some important news hit the nuclear energy community.
First, we have another update on the Darlington Refurbishment Project. A couple weeks ago, we mentioned Ontario Power Generation (OPG) was granted an operating license renewal, valid from Jan.1, 2016 through Nov. 30, 2025, by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. This week the Ontario government has given OPG the green light to begin the Execution Phase for Refurbishment of the first of four Darlington units. The project will begin its planned ten-year construction in October, 2016. The Ontario Government’s support of OPG and its earlier backing of Bruce Power’s plan to refurbish its remaining units provides as huge boost to the nuclear industry in North America. Modus is deeply involved in this project providing project management oversight through Darlington’s multi-year planning work, and we are ecstatic the project can begin its Execution Phase.
The other news that came out this week surrounds the Georgia Power (GP), Vogtle 3&4 nuclear project. Once completed, the Vogtle project will double the sites’ capacity and generate more electricity than any other U.S. nuclear facility, which is enough to power more than one million homes and businesses. Vogtle 3&4’s construction has been impacted by some commercial, regulatory and technical issues that resulted in the project’s rocky start and delays to completion. The good news is the project owners and contractors settled all claims. According to GP, the settlement resolves “all claims currently in litigation with the contractors, reaffirms the current in-service dates, adds additional contractual protections, and positions Westinghouse and its affiliates as the primary contractor over the project.”
Check out the project’s 2015 milestones in action: timeline video.
Looking ahead, we are optimistic that this commitment to nuclear industry in North America, along with the renewed focus on non-carbon-based fuels for electricity and dramatic responses to plant safety concerns, may finally jump start the nuclear renaissance. We will continue to keep a pulse on these projects as the year progresses and the work commences.
