The Government of Ontario has approved Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plan to construct the first of four small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Darlington nuclear site in Clarington, Ontario, under the C$20.9bn Darlington New Nuclear Project.
The SMR, BWRX-300, will be the first in the G7 to be deployed at the site, and is expected to generate sufficient clean energy to power approximately 300,000 homes. It utilises commercially available uranium to generate power.
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Delivered under an integrated project delivery model, the SMR is expected to reach commercial operation by 2030.
OPG commenced site preparation in December 2022 and received a licence to construct from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for Unit 1 in April 2025.
The first SMR is estimated to cost C$6.1bn, with additional costs of C$1.6bn for shared systems and services. Efficiencies are expected to reduce costs for subsequent units.
OPG president and CEO Nicolle Butcher said: “As the first mover on SMRs, this made-in-Ontario project will create jobs for the province’s workers, contracts for Ontario’s booming supply chain, and showcase our capabilities and expertise to the world to further grow our domestic industry while strengthening Canada’s energy security.”
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By GlobalDataThe Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has identified the Darlington New Nuclear Project as the most cost-effective and least risky option, compared with other non-emitting generation alternatives, for meeting the growing electricity demand, which is set to increase by 75% by 2050.
The project’s four SMRs will produce 1.2GW of electricity, enough to power 1.2 million homes, addressing potential power shortages in the early 2030s.
More than 80 Ontario companies have signed agreements with OPG to deliver this project.
In a related development Aecon Kiewit Nuclear Partners, a partnership between Aecon and Kiewit Nuclear Canada, has secured a $1.3bn alliance construction contract from OPG for the execution phase of the Darlington New Nuclear Project.
Aecon Kiewit Nuclear Partners will collaborate with OPG, GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and AtkinsRéalis to deliver the project.
During the execution phase, the scope of work for Aecon Kiewit Nuclear Partners encompasses project management, construction planning and execution.
Aecon Group president and CEO Jean-Louis Servranckx said: “OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project is a trailblazing undertaking – leading the way in delivering the next generation of nuclear plants across North America and internationally.”
In January 2025, BWX Technologies secured contracts worth more than C$1bn to support OPG’s nuclear projects, focusing on the Pickering life extension and Darlington SMR deployment.
