Unit 3 MCR construction phase completed on-plan, focus shifts to returning unit to service

Driven by cutting-edge, innovative tooling and thousands of hours of safe, dedicated effort from its workforce and Ontario’s skilled trades, Bruce Power has successfully completed the construction phase of its Unit 3 Major Component Replacement (MCR) project, which remains on-budget and ahead of schedule.

Now, the focus shifts to returning the renewed unit to service in the coming months to power the province’s homes, businesses, hospitals for decades to come, while also driving economic growth as the demand for safe, reliable and affordable electricity continues to rise.

When it returns to service with all-new components, Unit 3 will provide enough clean energy to power a city the size of Brampton for the next 35 years and beyond at a time when the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) estimates electricity demand could grow by 75 per cent.

“Unit 3’s MCR is another powerful example of Ontario’s nuclear advantage in action,” said Ontario energy minister Stephen Lecce. “Ontario’s skilled trades and nuclear workforce delivered this milestone, strengthening our energy self-reliance. This investment powers 22,000 jobs, adds $4-billion to our economy, and ensures clean, reliable electricity for decades — a made-in-Canada success story driving Ontario’s future.”

Bruce Power operations staff will begin refuelling the unit with 5,760 fuel bundles later this month, while other lead-out activities and regulatory inspections will be completed to return it to Ontario’s electricity grid.

“Completing the construction phase of Unit 3’s MCR is a major step forward for Ontario’s clean energy future,” said Eric Chassard, Bruce Power’s president and chief executive officer. “Thanks to the safe, high-quality and disciplined work of our people, skilled trades and partners -- and the innovative tooling that’s delivering step improvements in nuclear refurbishment performance -- we’re now focused on returning this renewed unit to service on-budget and ahead of schedule.”

This is the second of six units that Bruce Power and its partners will refurbish between 2020 and 2033, a privately-funded investment into Units 3-8 that will extend the life of the site for 40 years or more. The Unit 4 MCR outage began in February of 2025 and the Unit 5 MCR is scheduled to begin in November. The IESO will also study the possibility of a second refurbishment of Units 1 and 2 in the future.

“Delivering strong performance on a project of this scale is the result of a relentless focus on safety, disciplined execution, and the ability to innovate,” said Laurent Seigle, executive vice-president of projects at Bruce Power. “By applying lessons learned, investing in new tooling, and working as one team with our partners and skilled trades, we continue to raise the bar with each MCR, improving schedule certainty, quality, and efficiency while setting the foundation for the units that follow.”

Unit 3 was removed from service March 1, 2023, and Bruce Power and its construction partners including Shoreline Power Group (SPG), Steam Generator Replacement Team (SGRT), BWXT, ES Fox, ATS, Framatome, Kinectrics, Mammoet and many suppliers, have worked together safely to successfully deliver this complex project.

The construction phase of the Unit 3 MCR, completed with execution partner SPG, a joint venture among Aecon, AtkinsRéalis and United Engineers and Constructors, and a multitude of talented and dedicated tradespeople from the Ontario Building Trades, included the removal and replacement of 480 fuel channels and 960 end fittings, as well as eight hulking steam generators.

Steam generator work was completed by the SGRT, a 50/50 joint venture between Aecon and SGT (a partnership between Framatome Canada Ltd. and United Canadian Operations Ltd.)

“Bruce Power and building trades workers are securing the future of the province’s clean energy supply,” said Marc Arsenault, business manager and secretary-treasurer of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. “Together, we’re completing refurbishments safely, with quality, and on-schedule, securing good jobs and helping to drive the economy.”

Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program and MCR project will extend the operational life of each reactor by 30-35 years and, as a result, help mitigate the predicted increase in greenhouse gas emissions intensity of the electricity grid. Bruce Power’s MCR and Asset Management investments are closely co-ordinated with Project 2030, a program that leverages innovation and new efficient technology to increase site capacity, targeting upwards of 7,000 megawatts net peak output in the early-2030s, once all units have completed their MCRs.

It will also ensure a steady supply of cancer-fighting medical isotopes for the world market for decades to come.

“In Huron-Bruce, skilled trades are supported on so many different levels," said Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, minister of rural affairs. "The progress on Unit 3 is a reminder that it’s not just an energy project, it’s a lasting investment in people, communities, and the economy. The Clean Energy Frontier Region sees first-hand the benefits of nuclear refurbishment through well-paying skilled jobs, local business opportunities, and long-term confidence that Ontario will have the reliable electricity it needs as demand grows.”

Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program will generate billions in annual economic benefits in communities throughout the province. It directly and indirectly supports 22,000 jobs annually and injects $4-billion into the province’s economy.



A massive steam generator is lifted into the Bruce A generating station during the Unit 3 Major Component Replacement outage