The Ontario government is helping create more than 350 jobs in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.
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The province has authorized Ontario Power Generation to sign contracts, valued at over $1 billion, with BWXT Canada to manufacture steam generators for the refurbishment of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, and the reactor pressure vessel for the first small modular reactor (SMR) in the G7 at Darlington.
To support the refurbishment of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, BWXT will manufacture 48 new steam generators, which convert heat from the reactor into steam that drive turbines to generate electricity.
This work, valued at $960 million over seven years, will create more than 250 highly skilled trades jobs, in addition to engineers and supporting staff.
BWXT will also procure all materials and manufacture the reactor pressure vessel for the Darlington New Nuclear Project, as part of the first on-grid SMR in the G7, supporting 100 additional jobs.
BWXT is the first manufacturer in North America to begin this type of work for an SMR technology, furthering Ontario’s position as a global leader in nuclear innovation and production.
This investment in Ontario nuclear manufacturing, with 80 per cent of spending happening in the province, will leverage BWXT’s recent investment of $80 million to expand their Cambridge facility that began in 2024 and is expected to be completed by 2026.
The facility is already one of the largest commercial manufacturing facilities in North America, currently employing 1,200 people.
Last November, the Minister of Energy and Electrification concluded a successful trade mission to Poland and Estonia to discuss SMRs and support European allies looking to build their energy independence in the face of Russian aggression and to help reduce their reliance on coal power.
The mission resulted in signing agreements with major European energy companies, Orlen Synthos Green Energy and Fermi Energia, that could leverage Ontario based suppliers like BWXT, as they develop and deploy SMRs in their jurisdictions. ■