Aecon to overhaul steam turbines at Ontario nuclear plant

Ontario Power Generation has awarded two contracts for refurbishment work at the Darlington nuclear power plant to a joint venture formed by SNC-Lavalin and the Aecon Group.

The Aecon Group will perform 60 per cent of the work in a $265 million to overhaul all four of the power plant’s steam turbine generators and related equipment, to extend each reactor's life by 30 years. SNC-Lavalin will do 40 per cent of the work under that contract.

The second contract, worth $127-million, includes construction of a building to house equipment for processing radioactive waste from reactor components. The work for that contract is split 50-50 between the two companies.

In January, the joint venture was awarded a $2.75-billion contract to extend the life of Darlington’s four Candu nuclear reactors, which produce nearly 20 % of Ontario’s electricity.

The reactors will be taken out of service for about three years apiece until the overall job is completed in about a decade.