TIVERTON, ON, June 21, 2016 /CNW/ - Bruce Power marked the first day of summer by announcing the return to service of Unit 2 following a planned maintenance and investment program.
The timing of Unit 2's return coincides with the arrival of the hot weather, and the company is ready to generate 30 per cent of Ontario's electricity at 30 per cent less than the average residential price of power for the summer months and beyond.
With the completion of a successful planned maintenance outage on Unit 2, and the Bruce A Station Containment Outage on May 22, Bruce Power is providing clean, low-cost and reliable electricity to the people of Ontario this summer through seven units, which, combined, will provide about 30 per cent of the province's electricity.
"The successful completion of the Unit 2 outage marks a major milestone in Bruce Power's 2016 Business Plan, as we plan to have a significant portion of our investment program behind us with a large volume of output ready to meet the summer demands," said Kevin Kelly, Acting President and Chief Financial Officer. "We continue to invest in our units, while generating low-cost power for Ontario families and businesses."
Units 1, 2 and 4 are now providing power to Ontarians as they turn on their air conditioners to battle the summer heat, while the planned maintenance outage program on Unit 3 will wrap up in August, prior to a planned outage on Unit 7 in September. All four Bruce B units are operating at full power and, as of the end of 2016's first quarter, Bruce Power nuclear was again proving to be Ontario's workhorse with its units operating at a capacity factor of 88 per cent.
"So far in 2016, Bruce Power has produced over 18 Terrawatt-hours (TWh) of carbon-free electricity – that's 30 per cent of Ontario's energy at 30 per cent less than the average residential price of power," Kelly added.
Bruce Power's flexibility has also proven to be a valuable asset to the province as it has adjusted its output more than 200 times this year in response to Ontario's fluctuating demand. Bruce Power is the only nuclear operator in the province that has the ability to adjust its output in response to changing demand.
Unit 4 was returned to service on May 22, ending the Station Containment Outage, which saw all four Bruce A units removed from service in order to fulfil the mandate of our independent regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, by ensuring Bruce A's layers of safety systems are operating to the highest standards.
About Bruce Power
Bruce Power operates the world's largest operating nuclear generating facility and is the source of roughly 30 per cent of Ontario's electricity. The company's site in Tiverton, Ontario is home to eight CANDU reactors. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is an all-Canadian partnership among Borealis Infrastructure Trust Management (a division of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System), TransCanada, the Power Workers' Union and the Society of Energy Professionals. A majority of Bruce Power's employees are also owners in the business.
For updated Bruce Power photos and b-roll video, please visit our Media Kit page.
SOURCE Bruce Power
Image with caption: "Bruce Power provides 30 per cent of Ontario's electricity at 30 per cent below the average residential rate. (CNW Group/Bruce Power)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160621_C5535_PHOTO_EN_718745.jpg
John Peevers - 519-361-6583, Bruce Power Duty Media - 519-361-6161
Share this article