Clarington: Ontario awards 14 contracts for Darlington small modular reactors

The Ontario government has awarded 14 contracts to companies across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area to supply equipment and materials for the first small modular reactor in the G7, now under construction at the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Clarington.

Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce announced the contracts at a news conference in Scarborough on Friday, November 6, saying the work will create good-paying jobs and support Ontario manufacturers.

The contracts are expected to add more than $110 million to Ontario's gross domestic product and support hundreds of additional jobs, according to the province. The companies will supply parts including transformers, pumps and specialized steel.

Scarborough-based Armstrong Fluid Technology received a $3.9-million contract to supply a pumphouse enclosure and pumps. Oakville-based Hooper Welding is supplying steel for structural modules, and Toronto-based St. Mary's Cement is supplying concrete and operating a high-density concrete batch plant for the project.

Lecce said 80 per cent of the project's spending will stay in Ontario. "By being first in the G7 to build small modular reactors, Ontario is securing a first-mover advantage that translates into real contracts and good-paying jobs," he said.

The Darlington project plans four small modular reactors. The first reactor is expected to cost about $7.7 billion including shared infrastructure, with all four estimated at $20.9 billion. The first reactor is under construction and expected to begin producing electricity by the end of 2030; when complete, the four units will produce 1,200 megawatts, enough to power about 1.2 million homes.

More than 100 Canadian companies have signed agreements with Ontario Power Generation to take part in the project, according to the province. The federal government has committed up to $2 billion and Ontario up to $1 billion toward the project, and seven First Nations covered by the Williams Treaties have announced a $700-million investment. The province estimates the project will contribute $38.5 billion to Canada's economy over 65 years.