The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), has initiated a public consultation period regarding Bruce Power’s Initial Project Description (IPD).
This document outlines a potential new nuclear power station at Bruce Power’s existing location on the shores of Lake Huron.
Bruce Power’s Expansion Proposal
In October of last year, Bruce Power formally notified Canadian regulatory bodies of its intention to commence an Impact Assessment (IA) for the development of up to 4800 MWe of additional nuclear capacity at the Bruce site, which is now referred to as the Bruce C project.
The recently released IPD, now accessible via the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC), is a crucial element of this ongoing process.
Both the IAAC and CNSC are actively soliciting feedback from Indigenous communities and the general public on the IPD summary, with a deadline for submissions set for September 12.
Technology-Neutral Approach
Bruce Power’s IPD outlines the company’s assessment of the feasibility of expanding its nuclear operations, providing an option for future energy planning.
The project description employs a technology-neutral strategy, utilizing a bounding Plant Parameter Envelope (PPE) as its foundation. The final selection of nuclear technology will be determined at a later stage.
The current bounding PPE encompasses data on four reactor designs: Atkins Réalis’s MONARK pressurized heavy water reactor, Électricité de France’s European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR), Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy’s Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR), GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300, and Westinghouse’s AP1000 pressurized water reactor. Notably, all but the BWRX-300 small modular reactor are large-scale reactors.
Bruce Site Overview
The Bruce site, situated 18 kilometers north of Kincardine in Bruce County, hosts eight operational Candu reactors. These are divided into two groups: Bruce A (units 1-4) and Bruce B (units 5-8).
The proposed expansion project, Bruce C, would be located within the existing 932-hectare site, with new intake and discharge structures extending into Lake Huron.
Alternative cooling strategies are under consideration as part of the ongoing impact assessment.
Historical Context and Future Outlook
In 2009, Bruce Power retracted an earlier application to build up to four new reactors at the site to concentrate on refurbishing the existing reactors—a project known as Major Component Replacement (MCR). Bruce 6 was the first unit to complete the MCR process, resuming commercial operations last September. Work on unit 3 is progressing ahead of schedule.
Overall, six out of the eight units will undergo MCR over the next decade, extending each unit’s operational life by 30-35 years.
Despite the current focus on safely and timely completing the MCR projects, Bruce Power acknowledges the importance of completing the Impact Assessment for Bruce C. James Scongack, Bruce Power’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President, emphasized the company’s commitment to transparency and proactive engagement with Indigenous communities, local stakeholders, and the broader public.
He highlighted Bruce Power’s unique position for expansion, given its extensive experience, well-researched site, and skilled workforce.
Timeline and Government Support
According to the IPD, Bruce Power anticipates that the Impact Assessment process will require approximately 3-4 years to finalize. Site preparation could begin around 2028 and continue until 2031.
The construction and commissioning phases are expected to span from 2031 to 2045, with the power station potentially operating for 60-100 years, depending on the chosen technology.
In a related development, the Canadian government announced in February the allocation of CAD50 million (approximately USD36 million) to support pre-development activities for the Bruce C project.