The reactor removal phase at Bruce Power’s Unit 3 has been completed ahead of schedule, setting a new benchmark for CANDU reactor refurbishments.
This significant achievement was made possible by leveraging experience and technological advancements from previous projects.
Bruce Power’s Major Component Replacement (MCR) Project
Bruce 3 is the second unit to undergo MCR, a process that involves removing and replacing key reactor components, including steam generators, pressure tubes, calandria tubes, and feeder tubes.
This process adds an estimated 30-35 years to the reactor’s operational lifespan. In total, six units at the Bruce site in Ontario are slated for refurbishment.
Unit 3 MCR Outage
Unit 3 was taken offline in March 2023 to begin its MCR outage. The removal of key internal components took nine months, with the work conducted by the MCR project team alongside vendor partners Shoreline Power Group and ATS Industrial Automation.
Record-Breaking Calandria Tube Removal
The removal of the 480 calandria tubes, which are crucial for containing fuel and coolant, was completed 11 days ahead of schedule on July 26th. This accomplishment sets a new record for CANDU refurbishment projects.
Lessons Learned and Efficiency Gains
The project team attributed the accelerated completion to the experience gained from previous MCR projects, as well as innovations and technological advancements. The removal series was finished faster than the same work on Unit 6.
Commitment to Clean Energy and Performance Improvement
Laurent Seigle, Bruce Power’s Executive Vice President of Projects, expressed the company’s dedication to returning these units to service safely and efficiently, thereby meeting Ontario’s clean energy needs.
He also stressed the importance of collaboration between nuclear professionals in achieving the success of such a complex project.
Transition to Inspection and Installation
With the removal phase complete, Shoreline’s team will now focus on commissioning, operating, and maintaining a groundbreaking six-axis robotic tooling system for reactor inspection and installation.
This will include replacing 960 feeder tubes, 480 fuel channels, and the calandria tubes. Automated tooling systems, mostly designed and manufactured by ATS Industrial Automation, will streamline the cleaning and inspection of thousands of components.
Future Refurbishments and Job Creation
Unit 4 at Bruce Power is next in line for MCR, with its outage scheduled to begin in 2025. Units 5, 7, and 8 will also be refurbished over the next ten years. These projects are anticipated to create and sustain approximately 1,500 jobs in the surrounding regions and across Ontario over the next 15 years.