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Q3 2018
A REPORT ON CANADA’S LARGEST CLEAN ENERGY PROJECT
DARLINGTON REFURBISHMENT
WWW.OPG.COM @opgpics@opg Ontario Power Generation
A WOMAN IN TRADES
Statistics show that as few as five per cent of Ontario tradespeople are female. That
number was even smaller when Christy DeCarlo began her pipefitter apprenticeship:
she was the only woman in a group of 75.
“It was challenging at times back then, but I developed broader shoulders and
thicker skin,” says DeCarlo, now a Quality Control Inspector and Level Two Welding
Inspector on Darlington Refurbishment. “There were times early on when I really
thought I’d pack it in, but I decided I wasn’t going to let someone else’s behaviour
change the course of my life.”
A pipefitter by trade since 2010, DeCarlo’s previous career path as hospital unit clerk
helped shape a safety mindset that she demonstrates both on and off the job. She
recently noticed a potential risk of falling by workers, outside her apartment building.
“There was a group working on an elevated work platform — they weren’t tied off
and were climbing on the rails,” she recalls.
So, DeCarlo went to her apartment’s management office, and vocalized the risk
management was taking on by allowing contractors to work in an unsafe manner.
“Management stopped the job,” DeCarlo says, noting her rationale for speaking up was simple: “I couldn’t live with
myself if something happened.”
DeCarlo moved out of hospital work, completing an apprenticeship in western Canada, through the Southern Alberta
Institute of Technology. Before joining Darlington Refurbishment in February 2017, DeCarlo had been working as a
commissioning pipefitter at a potash mine in Saskatchewan.
“If you are curious and have some mechanical aptitude, enquire with your local trade unions — don’t let your gender hold
you back,” she says. “Go for it!”
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) produces almost half the electricity that Ontario homes, schools, hospitals and businesses rely on each day. After decades of reliable power generation, OPG’s Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is receiving a mid-life refurbishment that will benefit Ontarians for another 30 years.
To learn more about Darlington Refurbishment, the largest clean energy project in Canada, visit our website at www.opg.com and subscribe to the Darlington Refurbishment Newsletter.
Have questions? Contact us at [email protected].
To help build Ontario’s
skilled trades capacity,
OPG recently held our
second annual Darlington
Refurbishment Student Day
when students from local
high schools were invited
for a chance to learn about
the various skilled trades
opportunities available in
the nuclear industry.
OPG President and CEO Jeff Lyash and Ontario
Minister of Energy Greg Rickford on the viewing
platform in front of the full-scale reactor replica
at the Mock-up and Training Facility at Darlington
Energy Complex, Oct. 2018.
Workers inspecting fuel channels at Pickering Nuclear, prior to
transferring the components to Darlington Nuclear for installation.
Q3 2018
A REPORT ON CANADA’S LARGEST CLEAN ENERGY PROJECT
DARLINGTON REFURBISHMENT
WWW.OPG.COM @opgpics@opg Ontario Power Generation
A WOMAN IN TRADES
Statistics show that as few as five per cent of Ontario tradespeople are female. That
number was even smaller when Christy DeCarlo began her pipefitter apprenticeship:
she was the only woman in a group of 75.
“It was challenging at times back then, but I developed broader shoulders and
thicker skin,” says DeCarlo, now a Quality Control Inspector and Level Two Welding
Inspector on Darlington Refurbishment. “There were times early on when I really
thought I’d pack it in, but I decided I wasn’t going to let someone else’s behaviour
change the course of my life.”
A pipefitter by trade since 2010, DeCarlo’s previous career path as hospital unit clerk
helped shape a safety mindset that she demonstrates both on and off the job. She
recently noticed a potential risk of falling by workers, outside her apartment building.
“There was a group working on an elevated work platform — they weren’t tied off
and were climbing on the rails,” she recalls.
So, DeCarlo went to her apartment’s management office, and vocalized the risk
management was taking on by allowing contractors to work in an unsafe manner.
“Management stopped the job,” DeCarlo says, noting her rationale for speaking up was simple: “I couldn’t live with
myself if something happened.”
DeCarlo moved out of hospital work, completing an apprenticeship in western Canada, through the Southern Alberta
Institute of Technology. Before joining Darlington Refurbishment in February 2017, DeCarlo had been working as a
commissioning pipefitter at a potash mine in Saskatchewan.
“If you are curious and have some mechanical aptitude, enquire with your local trade unions — don’t let your gender hold
you back,” she says. “Go for it!”
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) produces almost half the electricity that Ontario homes, schools, hospitals and businesses rely on each day. After decades of reliable power generation, OPG’s Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is receiving a mid-life refurbishment that will benefit Ontarians for another 30 years.
To learn more about Darlington Refurbishment, the largest clean energy project in Canada, visit our website at www.opg.com and subscribe to the Darlington Refurbishment Newsletter.
Have questions? Contact us at [email protected].
To help build Ontario’s
skilled trades capacity,
OPG recently held our
second annual Darlington
Refurbishment Student Day
when students from local
high schools were invited
for a chance to learn about
the various skilled trades
opportunities available in
the nuclear industry.
OPG President and CEO Jeff Lyash and Ontario
Minister of Energy Greg Rickford on the viewing
platform in front of the full-scale reactor replica
at the Mock-up and Training Facility at Darlington
Energy Complex, Oct. 2018.
Workers inspecting fuel channels at Pickering Nuclear, prior to
transferring the components to Darlington Nuclear for installation.
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Removeend fittings Remove
pressure tubes
Remove calandria tubes-
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Segment 2B: Remove reactor components
Segment 2B Dec 17 Start
In addition to work underway on the Unit 2 reactor,
other work taking place during Refurbishment will help
ensure Darlington’s long-term safety, reliability and
asset preservation.
Balance of plant work is a “very diverse portfolio,” said
Project Director Pejman Asgaripour. It includes steam
generator maintenance and modification.
“The stream generator is the only life-limiting component
not being replaced during Refurbishment,” Asgaripour
said, noting the other two, pressure tubes and feeders, are
being replaced. “The work we are doing now will ensure
our steam generators are reliable and fit for service for
the second life of Darlington.”
While other nuclear refurbishments have included steam
generator replacement, it was deemed unnecessary
at Darlington, provided a series of maintenance and
modifications scope, which were carried out to enhance
inspection capability and proactively deal with any
plausible equipment risks.
This series of work included cleaning all 16,000 tubes of
the station’s four steam generators.
Project manager Jos Diening likens the need for cleaning
to that of a household kettle — after it’s been in use
for boiling water for a while, some build-up of minerals
develops inside.
“The same thing happens in the steam generators, with
magnetite,” Diening said. “It’s critical that we clean them
out to provide efficient heat transfer.”
Teamwork between project partners BWXT, CANDU
Energy and OPG, including outstanding communication,
led to the successful, on-time cleaning of all of the unit’s
steam generator tubes.
“The biggest factor in the success of this project is
summarized in two words: integration and collaboration,”
said Pedro Fleites, BWXT’s site manager.
Removed magnetite will now be shipped to Western
Waste Management Facility, where it will be safely stored.
“The steam generators will be much more efficient, so we
can generate more energy,” Diening said.
THE UNIT 2 DARLINGTON REFURBISHMENT SCHEDULE
Oct 15, 2016Breaker Open
Shut down reactor
Defuel reactor
Install barriers to isolate Unit 2 from station Containment
pressure test
Segment 1: Defuel reactor and isolate from the station
Open airlocks and install shielding
Remove interferences and install work platform
Sever pressure tubes and bellows
Segment 2A: Prepare for reactor component removal
Remove feeder tubes
Inspect and install calandria tubes
Inspect and install fuel channels (pressure tubes, bellows and end-fittings)
Install feeder tubes
Segment 3: Install reactor components
Progress as at Sept 30, 2018
Segment 3 May 3, 2018
Project Complete Feburary 27, 2020
Load fuel and remove equipment
Heat up and low power testing
High power tests and connection to the grid
Segment 4: Load fuel, test and restart reactor
Segment 4 Aug 7 2019 Start
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While work is underway on the Unit 2 reactor, the Darlington Refurbishment team has been focused on preparing for Unit
3 refurbishment, scheduled to start by February 2020.
Lessons learned from the detailed planning, preparation and execution on the first reactor are fully being incorporated
into our Unit 3 Refurbishment plans.
Those plans include the recent completion of a Full Scope Maintenance Simulator, which will validate work before it is
carried out on the actual reactor unit, and the construction of the project’s second Refurbishment Control Centre where
the team will remotely oversee the removal and installation of components inside Unit 3.
“We’ve been able to look farther ahead because of lessons learned on Unit 2 refurbishment,” said Paul Ross, Project
Director of Refurbishment Execution. “Orders have already been placed for materials and we’ve started staffing up in
key areas.”
The Unit 3 refurbishment team has also been putting innovative technology, such as virtual reality, to use.
“By using virtual reality, we can artificially map out an area inside the reactor and plan the space and location of
components, equipment and people before actually stepping into the space,” says Ross. “This helps us validate logistics
in advance, thereby, saving time and effort.”
Two years have now passed since Ontario Power Generation
and our project partners started Darlington Refurbishment — a
10-year project that began with successfully shutting down Unit
2, the first of our four nuclear reactors at Darlington Nuclear
Generating Station to undergo a mid-life refurbishment. Today,
with just over a year to go before we start work on Unit 3,
Darlington Refurbishment remains on time and on budget,
with more than 11 million hours worked safely since the start
of the project.
During the third quarter of 2018, the project team started
carrying out the complex task of rebuilding the reactor. In
June, we began installing 480 calandria tubes, the last of
which has now been inserted. At the same time, we made
significant progress overhauling the Unit 2 turbine generator,
and completed maintenance and modifications on our steam
generators and fuelling machines.
As well, we made significant headway on plans and
preparations for Unit 3 refurbishment, which is scheduled for
no later than February 2020. In addition to installing a Full
Scope Maintenance Simulator that will be used for training,
we constructed a second Refurbishment Control Centre to
facilitate the team’s remote oversight and performance of
work on the unit.
In this report, you’ll learn more about the status of Darlington
Refurbishment during OPG’s third quarter, and the innovation,
technology and highly skilled people who are driving it.
Dietmar Reiner,Senior Vice President, Nuclear Projects
MEETING OUR COMMITMENTS
PROJECT PILLAR PERFORMANCEOPG’s project pillars measure the organization’s
success in maintaining high standards in worker
safety, quality of work, and ability to adhere to
schedule and overall project cost. Here is an
overview of our project pillar performance during
the third quarter of the year (July 1 — September
30, 2018).
SCHEDULEUnit 2 remains on schedule.
COSTUnit 2 refurbishment costs are $27 million
below plan. The life-to-date cost for Unit 2
and the forecasted completion of the overall
project remains on budget.
SAFETYOne minor medically treated injury occurred in
the third quarter. There have been no lost time
injuries and more than 11 million hours worked
safely since the start of the project.
QUALITYNo Quality-related events resulting in loss of
generation or impacts to the schedule.
ENVIRONMENTEnvironmental performance has been good
with no reportable spills or infractions in Q3.
Emissions are well below all regulatory limits.
Magnetite is a rock mineral that builds up inside
the generators’ tubes after years of use, similar
to the way limescale lines the inside of a kettle
over time.
Through a process that involved shooting high
pressure water through the steam generator
tubes, the Darlington Refurbishment team
removed 250 grams of magnetite from each of
the 16,000 steam generator tubes, totaling more
than 5,000 kilograms of magnetite!
GEARING UP FOR UNIT 3 REFURBISHMENT
ENSURING THE LONG-TERM SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THE STATION
Full Scope Maintenance Simulator,
Darlington Maintenance and Computer
Development Facility, 2018.
Q3 2018
A REPORT ON CANADA’S LARGEST CLEAN ENERGY PROJECT
DARLINGTON REFURBISHMENT
WWW.OPG.COM @opgpics@opg Ontario Power Generation
A WOMAN IN TRADES
Statistics show that as few as five per cent of Ontario tradespeople are female. That
number was even smaller when Christy DeCarlo began her pipefitter apprenticeship:
she was the only woman in a group of 75.
“It was challenging at times back then, but I developed broader shoulders and
thicker skin,” says DeCarlo, now a Quality Control Inspector and Level Two Welding
Inspector on Darlington Refurbishment. “There were times early on when I really
thought I’d pack it in, but I decided I wasn’t going to let someone else’s behaviour
change the course of my life.”
A pipefitter by trade since 2010, DeCarlo’s previous career path as hospital unit clerk
helped shape a safety mindset that she demonstrates both on and off the job. She
recently noticed a potential risk of falling by workers, outside her apartment building.
“There was a group working on an elevated work platform — they weren’t tied off
and were climbing on the rails,” she recalls.
So, DeCarlo went to her apartment’s management office, and vocalized the risk
management was taking on by allowing contractors to work in an unsafe manner.
“Management stopped the job,” DeCarlo says, noting her rationale for speaking up was simple: “I couldn’t live with
myself if something happened.”
DeCarlo moved out of hospital work, completing an apprenticeship in western Canada, through the Southern Alberta
Institute of Technology. Before joining Darlington Refurbishment in February 2017, DeCarlo had been working as a
commissioning pipefitter at a potash mine in Saskatchewan.
“If you are curious and have some mechanical aptitude, enquire with your local trade unions — don’t let your gender hold
you back,” she says. “Go for it!”
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) produces almost half the electricity that Ontario homes, schools, hospitals and businesses rely on each day. After decades of reliable power generation, OPG’s Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is receiving a mid-life refurbishment that will benefit Ontarians for another 30 years.
To learn more about Darlington Refurbishment, the largest clean energy project in Canada, visit our website at www.opg.com and subscribe to the Darlington Refurbishment Newsletter.
Have questions? Contact us at [email protected].
To help build Ontario’s
skilled trades capacity,
OPG recently held our
second annual Darlington
Refurbishment Student Day
when students from local
high schools were invited
for a chance to learn about
the various skilled trades
opportunities available in
the nuclear industry.
OPG President and CEO Jeff Lyash and Ontario
Minister of Energy Greg Rickford on the viewing
platform in front of the full-scale reactor replica
at the Mock-up and Training Facility at Darlington
Energy Complex, Oct. 2018.
Workers inspecting fuel channels at Pickering Nuclear, prior to
transferring the components to Darlington Nuclear for installation.