The massive concrete silhouettes of the Pickering Nuclear Power Station have defined the skyline of Lake Ontario’s northern shore for over fifty years. If you’ve ever driven down the 401 toward Toronto, you’ve seen them. They look like relics. Honestly, for a long time, most people—including some folks at Queen's Park—thought they were exactly that. Relics headed for a date with a wrecking ball.
But things changed. Fast.
We used to talk about decommissioning Pickering by 2024, then 2025. Now, the provincial government and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) are betting billions on the idea that these reactors have a second life. It's a massive pivot. It’s also one of the most complex engineering hurdles in Canadian history.
The Reality of the Pickering Nuclear Power Station Extension
Ontario is hungry for power. Between the massive push for electric vehicles (EVs) and the sudden explosion of energy-intensive data centers for AI, our grid is feeling the squeeze. That’s why the Pickering Nuclear Power Station isn't going away. In early 2024, the Ontario government announced it would support OPG’s plan to refurbish the "Pickering B" units. We are talking about Units 5 through 8.
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This isn't a simple tune-up.
Refurbishing a CANDU reactor is basically open-heart surgery on a power plant. They have to replace thousands of fuel channels. They swap out feeder tubes. They overhaul the massive turbines. It’s messy, expensive, and takes years. But when it's done? You get another 30 or 35 years of carbon-free baseload power. That is the kind of reliability wind and solar just can't match on a gloomy, still Tuesday in February.
Why We Can't Just Turn It Off
There is a lot of chatter about why we don't just build more windmills or import power from Quebec. It's not that simple. Pickering provides about 14% of Ontario’s total electricity. That is a staggering amount of juice. If you flick that switch to "off" without a massive replacement ready to go, the lights don't just flicker—the whole economic engine of the GTA grinds to a halt.
Think about the Darlington refurbishment. It’s been a massive success, staying largely on schedule and on budget. That gave the province the confidence to look at Pickering and say, "Yeah, we can probably do that again."
But Pickering is different.
The station is older. The "A" units (Units 1 and 4) are a different beast entirely and aren't part of this long-term refurbishment plan; they are still scheduled to retire soon because their design is older and less efficient for a full rebuild. The focus is strictly on the B side. Energy Minister Todd Smith has been pretty vocal about the fact that this is about "energy security." In plain English? We're scared of blackouts in 2030.
The Economic Ripple Effect in Durham Region
Pickering isn't just a bunch of reactors; it's a massive employer. Thousands of people work there. We're talking about highly specialized nuclear physicists, sure, but also thousands of tradespeople—welders, pipefitters, electricians.
When you decide to refurbish a plant like the Pickering Nuclear Power Station, you aren't just buying parts. You are fueling a local economy. OPG estimates that this project will contribute billions to Canada's GDP. It's a gold mine for the Durham Region. Honestly, if the plant had closed, the local real estate and small business scene in Pickering and Ajax would have taken a massive hit.
Breaking Down the Costs
Nobody likes to talk about the price tag because it's terrifying.
Estimates for the refurbishment are in the multi-billion dollar range. We don't have a final, locked-in number yet because the detailed engineering phase is still ongoing. Critics, like the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, argue that the money would be better spent on renewables and storage. They have a point about the cost, but they often gloss over the "baseload" problem. Nuclear stays on when the sun goes down.
Technical Hurdles Nobody Mentions
CANDU reactors are unique. They use heavy water ($D_2O$) as a moderator and coolant. This allows them to use natural uranium instead of enriched uranium. It’s a point of Canadian pride, but it makes the plumbing incredibly complex.
Inside the Pickering Nuclear Power Station, there are hundreds of pressure tubes. Over decades of intense radiation and heat, these tubes can slightly change shape—a phenomenon called "creep." Managing that creep is why the station has had to undergo so many inspections lately. During refurbishment, every single one of those tubes gets pulled out and replaced. It’s a precision job performed by specialized robots because the environment is far too radioactive for a human to stand in there with a wrench for eight hours.
Environmental Paradoxes
Is nuclear green? It depends on who you ask at the pub.
If you care about carbon emissions, Pickering is a hero. It produces zero CO2 during operation. It has helped Ontario keep its grid one of the cleanest in the world since we kicked the coal habit in 2014.
However, there’s the waste.
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Spent fuel bundles are currently stored on-site in dry storage containers. They look like giant concrete silos. They’re safe, but they’re temporary. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is still working on a permanent deep geological repository. Until that's built, all that waste stays right there on the shores of Lake Ontario. For some people, that’s a dealbreaker. For others, it’s a fair trade for not breathing in coal smoke or natural gas fumes.
What’s Next for the Station?
The timeline is aggressive. OPG is currently in the "Project Preparation" phase. This involves buying materials with long lead times and finalizing the engineering designs.
The actual "shovels in the ground" (or rather, "robots in the core") part of the refurbishment for the Pickering Nuclear Power Station is expected to start around 2028. Between now and then, the plant will continue to operate under strict oversight from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
It’s a gamble. If it goes well, Ontario secures its energy future for the mid-century. If it goes sideways—if costs spiral like they did at some American or British nuclear projects—the taxpayers will be feeling the sting for decades.
How This Affects You
If you live in Ontario, your hydro bill is directly tied to these decisions. Nuclear power is generally cheaper than gas-fired peaking plants but requires a massive upfront investment.
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There's also the "SMR" factor. Small Modular Reactors are the new trendy tech. OPG is building one at Darlington right now. Some people asked, "Why not just build a bunch of SMRs instead of fixing Pickering?" The answer is scale. One Pickering unit produces way more power than a first-gen SMR. We need the bulk power that only a "Big Nuclear" site can provide.
Actionable Steps for Concerned Citizens
Understanding the future of the Pickering Nuclear Power Station requires staying informed through non-partisan channels. It’s easy to get caught up in the pro-nuclear or anti-nuclear hype.
- Monitor the CNSC Public Hearings: The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission holds regular meetings that are open to the public. This is where the real safety data gets dropped. You can watch them online.
- Check the IESO Forecasts: The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) publishes reports on Ontario’s future energy needs. Look at their "Annual Planning Outlook" to see exactly how much they are counting on Pickering to keep the grid stable.
- Review the Darlington Lessons: If you want to know how Pickering will go, look at the Darlington Refurbishment website. OPG posts regular updates there. It’s the closest blueprint we have.
- Engage with Local Zoning: If you live in Pickering or Ajax, pay attention to the transit and housing developments around the plant. The extension of the station's life is already changing how the region plans for the next 30 years.
The Pickering Nuclear Power Station is no longer just a relic of the 1970s. It is officially the cornerstone of Ontario’s 2050 net-zero strategy. Whether you love nuclear or hate it, the province has made its choice. We're doubling down on the atom.