nuclear-news

$26.8 billion nuclear refurbishment to begin in Pickering early next year

By Glenn Hendry, July 24, 2026 

A nearly $27 billion plan to refurbish four reactors at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station to get nearly four decades more service out of them is set to begin early next year, with all four units to be taken offline in September.

The Ontario government gave the green light to the refurbishment in November, with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s approval still required.

The commission previously had already approved a short extension of units 5 to 8 at the Pickering nuclear plant to the end of 2026.

The renewal will start with Unit 5, pending approval, while the project team makes progress on the ground with construction of a new 200,000-square-foot retube feeder and boiler replacement training and mock-up facility, using experience gained from a similar project built for the refurbishment of the nearby Darlington plant.

The hub will be “critical” to training more than 2,800 skilled trades staff ahead of the refurbishment, Ontario Power Generation said on its website.

The new facility will feature detailed mock-ups of the Pickering reactor design and its components. It will also provide a training mock-up of Pickering’s lower boiler assembly, a unique aspect to the refurbishment.

The project team is also constructing other buildings to support the project, including the Common Services Building, a two-storey, 38,000-square-foot modular building that will be used by vendor partners.

August 19, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Canada