Our Site Visit to Ontario Power Generation (Darlington)

This past March, the interns were invited by our generous partners at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to visit the Darlington Nuclear Station in Courtice, Ontario. OPG is one of the largest power generators in North America, using nuclear, hydroelectric, gas, biomass, and solar to provide power to the province and beyond. Nuclear provides approximately 50% of the province’s power, with Darlington alone generating 20%.  

The Darlington plant is one of the largest employers in the Durham region and is dedicated to developing strong connections with the community through events, information sessions, and community feedback. OPG is also committed to growing their economic partnerships with Indigenous communities. It has a plan to increase the representation of Indigenous employees throughout OPG, grow the Indigenous skilled talent pool across the energy industry, and foster the next generation of Indigenous Energy professionals through post-secondary institution partnerships. 

During our visit, we got to see many of the major components of the generating station, including the reactors, turbines and generators, fuel storage room, and the cooling bay where recently spent fuel is stored before being moved into long term storage. The refurbishment of Darlington’s four units, a major project that is nearing completion, was also a major topic of discussion. Our tour guide, Chuck Lamers, also told us about OPG’s plan to build a Small Modular Reactor at the site, a model that can be replicated all over the province to bring safe, reliable power to the north. Lastly, at every point in the tour, we learned about the extensive safety protocols that keep the workers and local community safe. 

We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to Ontario Power Generation for giving us this tour and for being a loyal supporter of the programme. Special thanks to Nicole Gruythuyzen, Jake Sikora (a former OLIP intern from 2014-2015!), and Chuck Lamers for this fascinating opportunity to learn about nuclear power in the province of Ontario. We are very grateful to have a partner like you!