Darlington Nuclear Generating Station
Encyclopedia
Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian nuclear power station located on the north shore of Lake Ontario
in Clarington, Ontario
. The facility derives its name from the Township of Darlington, the former name of the municipality in which it is located.
The Darlington station is a large nuclear facility and comprises 4 CANDU nuclear reactor
s located on the northern shore of Lake Ontario
, having a total output of 3,512 MWe (capacity net) when all units are online. It provides about 20 percent of Ontario's electricity needs, enough to serve a city of two million people. It is arguably one of the most advanced nuclear generating stations in the world.
. Unit 2 was brought online in 1990, Unit 1 in 1992, and Units 3 and 4 in 1993. In April 1999 Ontario Hydro was split into 5 component Crown corporations with Ontario Power Generation
(OPG) taking over all electrical generating stations and which continues to operate the Darlington station. The Darlington reactors have been among the best performing in OPG's CANDU fleet, including a top year in 2008 in which the plant achieved a combined 94.5% capacity factor
.
The reactors are named Darlington 1 through Darlington 4.
in the late 1970s, while the final cost was $14.4 billion CAD. The project was adversely affected by declining electricity demand forecasts, mounting debt of Ontario Hydro, and the Chernobyl disaster
which necessitated safety reviews in mid-construction. Each delay incurred interest charges on debt, while ultimately accounted for 70% of the cost overruns. Inflation during 1977 to 1981 was 46 percent, according to Canadas Consumer Price index. In addition interest rates were running at 20 percent. A quarter of the costs were attributable to other errors. Improper choice of equipment and a six-month labour stoppage of electrical workers yielded further costs and delays. A year-long period of public hearings and study by an Ontario government all-party committee finished in 1986 with the decision to proceed with the project, which had then risen to $7 billion in actual and committed costs. Discussion of who is to blame for the costs and subsequent debts associated with Darlington often arise during provincial election campaigns, and are often mentioned in anti-nuclear
literature.
In June 2009, the government of Ontario rejected all three bids submitted, leaving the status of the new builds up in the air.
near Kincardine, Ontario
. OPG has proposed the construction and operation of a deep geologic repository for the long-term storage of this low and intermediate level waste on lands adjacent to WWMF. Pending approvals and licensing by regulatory agencies, the DGR would commence construction in 2013 and operation in 2018.
The Darlington Waste Management Facility provides dry storage for the used fuel from Darlington, after an initial period in a water-filled storage bay. The facility was opened in 2007, reportedly on schedule and on budget. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization
is presently seeking a site in Canada for a permanent repository for used fuel from all of Canada's nuclear reactors.
2007: Performance Improvement Award (Institute of Nuclear Power Operators)
2007: 20th Anniversary Signatures of Sustainability Award (Wildlife Habitat Council)
2005: International Corporate Habitat of the Year Award (Wildlife Habitat Council)
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
in Clarington, Ontario
Clarington, Ontario
Clarington is a municipality in Ontario, Canada in the Regional Municipality of Durham. It took its present name in 1994 after having been known as the Town of Newcastle from 1974-93. The name change was made to alleviate long-standing confusion between the municipality as a whole and the included...
. The facility derives its name from the Township of Darlington, the former name of the municipality in which it is located.
The Darlington station is a large nuclear facility and comprises 4 CANDU nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
s located on the northern shore of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, having a total output of 3,512 MWe (capacity net) when all units are online. It provides about 20 percent of Ontario's electricity needs, enough to serve a city of two million people. It is arguably one of the most advanced nuclear generating stations in the world.
Construction and operation
The facility was constructed in stages between 1981–1993 by the provincial Crown corporation, Ontario HydroOntario Hydro
Ontario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
. Unit 2 was brought online in 1990, Unit 1 in 1992, and Units 3 and 4 in 1993. In April 1999 Ontario Hydro was split into 5 component Crown corporations with Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation is a public company wholly owned by the Government of Ontario. OPG is responsible for approximately 70% of the electricity generation in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Sources of electricity include nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, and fossil fuel...
(OPG) taking over all electrical generating stations and which continues to operate the Darlington station. The Darlington reactors have been among the best performing in OPG's CANDU fleet, including a top year in 2008 in which the plant achieved a combined 94.5% capacity factor
Capacity factor
The net capacity factor or load factor of a power plant is the ratio of the actual output of a power plant over a period of time and its potential output if it had operated at full nameplate capacity the entire time...
.
The reactors are named Darlington 1 through Darlington 4.
Cost overruns
To most Ontarians, the Darlington station is associated with the massive cost overruns incurred during its construction. The initial cost estimate for the station was $3.9 billion CADCanadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
in the late 1970s, while the final cost was $14.4 billion CAD. The project was adversely affected by declining electricity demand forecasts, mounting debt of Ontario Hydro, and the Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
which necessitated safety reviews in mid-construction. Each delay incurred interest charges on debt, while ultimately accounted for 70% of the cost overruns. Inflation during 1977 to 1981 was 46 percent, according to Canadas Consumer Price index. In addition interest rates were running at 20 percent. A quarter of the costs were attributable to other errors. Improper choice of equipment and a six-month labour stoppage of electrical workers yielded further costs and delays. A year-long period of public hearings and study by an Ontario government all-party committee finished in 1986 with the decision to proceed with the project, which had then risen to $7 billion in actual and committed costs. Discussion of who is to blame for the costs and subsequent debts associated with Darlington often arise during provincial election campaigns, and are often mentioned in anti-nuclear
Anti-nuclear
The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes the use of nuclear technologies. Many direct action groups, environmental groups, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, national, and international level...
literature.
New build proposal
OPG has also begun the process for building up to 4 new nuclear units at the site of its Darlington Nuclear Station. There is a lengthy approvals process in place including a full Environmental Assessment which will take 3–4 years to complete. If successful, the new units would go into service sometime around 2018. No decision has been made on what technology will be used.In June 2009, the government of Ontario rejected all three bids submitted, leaving the status of the new builds up in the air.
Waste
Low and intermediate level waste from Darlington is presently stored at the Western Waste Management Facility (WWMF) at the Bruce nuclear siteBruce Nuclear Generating Station
Bruce Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian nuclear power station located on the eastern shore of Lake Huron, in the communities of Inverhuron and Tiverton, Ontario. It occupies 932 ha of land. The facility derives its name from Bruce County in which it is located, in the former Bruce Township...
near Kincardine, Ontario
Kincardine, Ontario
The Municipality of Kincardine is located on the shores of Lake Huron in the County of Bruce in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 12,000, and covers an area of 580 square kilometres...
. OPG has proposed the construction and operation of a deep geologic repository for the long-term storage of this low and intermediate level waste on lands adjacent to WWMF. Pending approvals and licensing by regulatory agencies, the DGR would commence construction in 2013 and operation in 2018.
The Darlington Waste Management Facility provides dry storage for the used fuel from Darlington, after an initial period in a water-filled storage bay. The facility was opened in 2007, reportedly on schedule and on budget. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization
Nuclear Waste Management Organization (Canada)
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Canada was established in 2002 under the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act to investigate approaches for managing Canada’s used nuclear fuel...
is presently seeking a site in Canada for a permanent repository for used fuel from all of Canada's nuclear reactors.
Awards and Recognition
2008: International Corporate Habitat of the Year Award (Wildlife Habitat Council)2007: Performance Improvement Award (Institute of Nuclear Power Operators)
2007: 20th Anniversary Signatures of Sustainability Award (Wildlife Habitat Council)
2005: International Corporate Habitat of the Year Award (Wildlife Habitat Council)
See also
- List of Canadian nuclear generating stations
- Fitzpatrick Nuclear Generating StationFitzpatrick Nuclear Generating StationThe James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant is located in the Town of Scriba, near Oswego, New York, on the southeast shore of Lake Ontario. The nuclear power plant has one General Electric boiling water reactor...
- Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating StationNine Mile Point Nuclear Generating StationNine Mile Point Nuclear Station is a two-unit nuclear power plant located in the Town of Scriba, approximately five miles northeast of Oswego, New York, on the shore of Lake Ontario. The 900 acre site is also occupied by the Fitzpatrick Nuclear Generating Station.Nine Mile Point is operated...
- Pickering Nuclear Generating StationPickering Nuclear Generating StationPickering Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian nuclear power station located on the north shore of Lake Ontario in Pickering, Ontario. The facility derives its name from the City of Pickering in which it is located....