The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has issued a Nuclear Power Reactor Site Preparation Licence to Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for its new nuclear power plant project at the Darlington nuclear site for a period of 10 years. The licence will be valid from 17 August 2012 to 17 August 2022. The licence means that pre-construction activities such as clearing, excavating and grading the land adjacent to the company's existing four-unit Darlington station can begin, although no vendor has yet been selected to undertake such activities.
The decision to issue a nuclear site preparation licence was made by a joint review panel of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), specially convened in 2009 to consider the environmental assessment and site preparation licence for the project. In making its decision, the JRP considered information presented at the 17-day public hearing held in 2011, receiving and considering submissions from OPG and 264 intervenors and 14 government departments, including the CNSC. The panel has set out a reporting schedule that will see OPG prepare a mid-term report on its licensed activities and the implementation status of commitments made during the environmental assessment. The CNSC will also be required to prepare a report on the status of compliance activities carried out during the first half of the licence term and to present annual updates. All reports will be made publicly available.
Two potential vendors are currently preparing detailed construction plans, schedules and cost estimates for the construction of two reactors at the site under service agreements signed with OPG in June. SNC Lavalin/Candu Energy and Westinghouse have been given 12 months to complete their respective reports for the Enhanced Candu 6 and AP1000 reactor designs. The final reports will be submitted to the government of Ontario, which will make the final decisions on whether to move forward with the project.
From the regulatory perspective, the next step in the licensing process will be a decision on a construction licence for the plant once an application is submitted by OPG, ultimately followed by an application for an operating licence. Opportunities for public comment would be scheduled for each of the remaining two licensing stages.
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