Canadian agency OKs Darlington nuclear plant's license renewal

Darlington Nuclear Generating Station
Darlington Nuclear Generating Station | Courtesy of Ontario Power Generation
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) recently approved the license renewal for Ontario Power Generation Inc.’s (OPG) Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Clarington, Ontario, through Nov. 30, 2025, which includes a refurbishment project to extend the plant's lifetime.

The CNSC said staff members will oversee the plant’s performance on a regular basis through annual reports, monitoring progress on the refurbishment project and ensuring emergency-planning measures pass muster.

The CNSC will allow the facility's reactors to operate beyond 210,000 equivalent full-power hours up to proposed refurbishment outages, with a maximum 235,000 equivalent full-power hours.

The facility houses four nuclear reactors, the first beginning operations in 1990. The public hearings that were held before this decision was made are available for viewing on the CNSC website, www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca, until Tuesday, March 22, 2016.