Construction work on the small modular reactor (SMR) project at the Darlington New Nuclear Project site has reached a milestone with the installation of a massive foundation module.

Crews installed a 2.1-million-pound Basemat module for the Unit 1 SMR at the Darlington site. The precision lift, which is equivalent to lifting more than three Airbus A380 airliners, was executed by one of the world’s largest crawler cranes, lowering the material within millimetre precision.

The LR/LE 12500-1.0 crawler crane has up to 2,500 tons lifting capacity and more than 200 metres of reach.

Once complete, the Darlington New Nuclear Project’s four SMRs will produce 1,200 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power 1.2 million homes.

“Ontario is building the Western World's first Small Modular Reactor — creating 18,000 good-paying jobs,” said Energy Minister Stephen Lecce. “Ontario just executed with great precision the first foundation of a new nuclear reactor in Ontario in over 30 years. This is a major achievement as the world turns to Ontario to refurbish and build large scale nuclear on-time and on-budget. For the first time, Ontario has secured over 100 Ontario-based businesses to help build the components for SMRs, infusing over $500 million into Ontario's economy. Our government is deeply committed to building more in Canada, which is why we are proud to invest at least 80 per cent of every dollar in the Canadian supply chain."

In addition, the government is announcing that more than 100 Canadian companies have signed onto the SMR supply chain. Building on the more than 80 northern and rural Ontario companies that have already signed agreements with Ontario Power Generation and its partners to deliver this first-of-its-kind project, 16 new Ontario-based companies, and six companies from Quebec and Alberta have joined the supply chain to support the SMR builds. Recently awarded contracts include:

• Walters Group, based in Hamilton, has been awarded a $44.5 million contract for structural steel.
• Marmon Industrial Water, based in Toronto, has been awarded a $17.8 million contract for a condensate purification package.
• Tractel, based in Scarborough, has been awarded a $9.9 million contract for the reactor building weather enclosure.
• Hooper Welding, based in Oakville, has been awarded an $8.8 million contract for sampling and collection tanks.

The construction, operation and maintenance of the four units will add $38.5 billion to Canada’s GDP over the next 65 years. The government has worked with Ontario Power Generation to ensure that 80 percent of project spending goes to Ontario companies and that construction and operations will protect Ontario workers and jobs by sustaining an estimated 3,800 highly-skilled, good-paying jobs for the next 65 years.

“With the foundation of the first Small Modular Reactor at the Darlington New Nuclear Project in place, we are now able to begin building up, with the project team now advancing construction on the reactor building’s structure, internal systems and components,” said Nicolle Butcher, OPG President and CEO. “This was a milestone months in the making, requiring significant attention to detail and safety, as well as the hard work of dedicated trades and project partners from across Ontario.”

The Ontario government approved OPG’s plan to begin construction on the first of four SMRs at the Darlington nuclear site in 2025.

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