Hydro-Québec has confirmed the upcoming shut-down of the Gentilly-2 nuclear power plant in Québec, Canada.
In July 2011, the plant's operating licence had been granted a five-year renewal, provided Hydro-Québec refurbishes the plant over the period 1 July 2011 - 30 June 2016. Renovation works were estimated at more than $2.1bn. However, the company had to postpone the start of work several times, due to similar projects at Point Lepreau (New Brunswick) and Wolsong (South Korea). The refurbishment cost was then more than doubled to $4.3bn (not including $2bn in future decommissioning costs), raising the unit cost to $12.30c/kWh. The increase in project costs, combined with falling market prices, has prompted Hydro-Québec to recommend to the Québec government that the generating station be closed.
The 640 MW facility, which was commissioned in 1983, will stop operating on 28 December 2012. Decommissioning works will be led over a 18-month period lasting until mid-2014. Among other things, they will involve defueling the reactor, treating the heavy water and deactivating several systems. Once this is done, the generating station will remain dormant for some 40 years, after which the spent fuel will be removed from the site, the facility dismantled and the site restored. These steps will last until 2062 and will be executed safely, in compliance with existing regulations. The decommissioning of Gentilly-2 will cost $1.8 billion over a period exceeding 50 years.