Bruce Power has announced the conclusion of construction work on its Unit 3 Major Component Replacement (MCR) project.

When it returns to service with all-new components, Unit 3 will provide enough clean energy to power a city the size of Brampton for the next 35 years and beyond at a time when the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) estimates electricity demand could grow by 75 percent.

“Unit 3’s Major Component Replacement is another powerful example of Ontario’s nuclear advantage in action,” said Energy Minister Stephen Lecce. “Ontario’s skilled trades and nuclear workforce delivered this milestone, strengthening our energy self-reliance. This investment powers 22,000 jobs, adds $4 billion to our economy, and ensures clean, reliable electricity for decades.”

Bruce Power Operations staff will begin refueling the unit with 5,760 fuel bundles later this month, while other lead-out activities and regulatory inspections will be completed to return it to Ontario’s electricity grid.

Unit 3 is the second of six units that Bruce Power and its partners will refurbish between 2020 and 2033, a privately funded investment into Units 3-8 that will extend the life of the site for 40 years or more. The Unit 4 MCR outage began in February of 2025 and the Unit 5 MCR is scheduled to begin in November. The IESO will also study the possibility of a second refurbishment of Units 1 and 2 in the future.

Unit 3 was removed from service March 1, 2023, and Bruce Power and its construction partners including Shoreline Power Group (SPG), Steam Generator Replacement Team (SGRT), BWXT, ES Fox, ATS, Framatome, Kinectrics, Mammoet and many suppliers have worked together safely to successfully deliver this complex Project.

The construction phase of the Unit 3 MCR, completed with execution partner SPG, a joint venture between Aecon, AtkinsRéalis and United Engineers and Constructors, and a multitude of talented and dedicated tradespeople from the Ontario Building Trades, included the removal and replacement of 480 fuel channels and 960 end fittings, as well as eight hulking steam generators.

Steam generator work was completed by SGRT, a 50/50 joint venture between Aecon and SGT (a partnership between Framatome Canada Ltd. and United Canadian Operations Ltd.)

“Bruce Power and Building Trades workers are securing the future of the province’s clean energy supply,” said Marc Arsenault, Business Manager and Secretary-Treasurer of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. “Together, we’re completing refurbishments safely, with quality, and on schedule, securing good jobs and helping to drive the economy.”

Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program and MCR Project will extend the operational life of each reactor by 30 to 35 years and, as a result, help mitigate the predicted increase in greenhouse gas emissions intensity of the electricity grid.

Bruce Power’s MCR and Asset Management investments are closely co-ordinated with Project 2030, a program that leverages innovation and new efficient technology to increase site capacity, targeting upwards of 7,000 megawatts net peak output in the early-2030s, once all units have completed their MCRs.

It will also ensure a steady supply of medical isotopes for the world market for decades to come.

Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program will generate billions in annual economic benefits in communities throughout the province. It directly and indirectly supports 22,000 jobs annually and injects $4 billion into the province’s economy.