There is no doubt that 2023 was a year of progress for Bruce Power with the culmination of projects that have been years in the making, and the possibilities of new ones on the horizon, along with ever-expanding medical isotope production helping in the global fight against cancer.
“As we look back on 2023, there’s so much to celebrate for those who work with Bruce Power and in the nuclear industry,” said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s President and CEO. “Our people, our communities, and our partners have a lot to be proud of as we continue to support our communities and provide clean, reliable electricity to the province and cancer-fighting medical isotopes to the global health-care community.”
In 2023, Bruce Power brought its renewed Unit 6 back online safely, with high quality, ahead of schedule and on budget after a successful Major Component (MCR) outage to provide clean and reliable power for the people of Ontario for decades to come. The company also began its Unit 3 MCR outage, leveraging lessons learned and the strong performance in Unit 6. Unit 7 set its continuous operation record of over 520 days and continues the run into the new year.
The company continued to use its reactors not only as a source of clean energy, but also as a strong provider of much-needed medical isotopes for the world health-care community. Bruce Power harvested its largest historical shipment of cobalt-60, used to sterilize billions of single-use medical devices and for targeted cancer treatment, and also was able to increase its capacity to produce cancer-fighting lutetium-177 through innovations to its Isotope Production System in 2023.
The Ontario Government announced big news in the summer when it included Bruce Power in its Powering Ontario Growth Plan to study the feasibility of adding new nuclear to the already established site.
The following are some more of the achievements throughout the months in 2023:
January:
- Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI) recognized ATS Industrial Automation for developing groundbreaking technology to fully automate installation and inspection of Calandria Tubes in collaboration with Bruce Power in support of its MCR project.
- Bruce Power named one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People for the 12th consecutive year, recognition for providing a high-quality workplace and programs for those beginning their careers.
- Bruce Power named among Canada’s Best Employers by Forbes, an award based on an independent survey of more than 12,000 Canadian employees.
February:
- Unit 3 marked 45 years since declaring commercial operation on Feb. 1, 1978.
- Rencheck named Leader of the Year by Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) for championing the company’s commitment to equitable practices, strategies and programs to benefit under-represented communities.
- Bruce Power named as one of Diversio’s Top 20 Most Innovative Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) companies.
- Bruce Power named a top-rated company for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Risk Rating by the third-party ESG rating agency Morningstar Sustainalytics, which included more than 15,000 companies across 42 industries.
March:
- Bruce Power named as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2023 in recognition of its continuation to integrate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program to sustain a positive workplace.
- Bruce Power issues $600 million in Green Bonds as it continues to help the province and country achieve their Net Zero goals through clean-energy projects. Issuance comes after Bruce Power is the first nuclear operator in the world to successfully issue Green Bonds in 2021, raising $500 million.
- Bruce Power completes first-of-kind technology advance to chemically clean Unit 3 reactor prior to commencing the MCR activities advancing worker safety standards.
April:
- Cameco and Bruce Power celebrate the extension of their long-term exclusive nuclear fuel supply arrangements for an additional 10 years through to 2040 – a made in Canada solution.
May:
- Bruce Power begins loading fuel into Unit 6
- $1.3-billion contract awarded to Shoreline Power Group for Fuel Channel and Feeder Replacement (FCFR) for remaining MCR projects in Units 4, 5, 7 and 8.
- Bruce Power awarded a Top Innovative Practice (TIP) Award for Containment Filtered Ventilation System (CFVS), developed with Framatome, at the Nuclear Energy Institute’s Nuclear Energy Assembly in Washington, DC.
June:
- Bruce Power hosts event to highlight progress and innovative work on its Road Map to Net Zero, a multi-faceted action plan to support Ontario’s and Canada’s climate change goals.
- Government of Canada announces funding to allow Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) to take the next step in Gamzook’aamin Aakoziwin partnership with Bruce Power to jointly produce, advance and market new isotopes in support of the global fight against cancer, while working together to create new economic opportunities within SON’s territory.
July:
- Ontario’s Minister of Energy, Hon. Todd Smith, announces support to advance the long-term planning and consultation work required to explore nuclear expansion options on the Bruce Power site.
August:
- Unit 6 achieves a sustained fission chain reaction that creates the heat needed to produce electricity, known in the nuclear industry as ‘first criticality,’ following MCR outage.
- International collaboration of Bruce Power, Isogen (a Kinectrics and Framatome company), Gamzook’aamin Aakoziwin (partnership with SON), and ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE (ITM), implements an isotope target innovation to increase the capacity to produce lutetium-177.
September:
- Unit 6 declared commercially operational, 39 years to the day of its first in-service date of September 14, 1984.
- CEO Rencheck joins industry leaders and government officials in Paris, France in groundbreaking, historic OECD – NEA event with over 20 nations to discuss and support nuclear’s role in leading a clean energy future.
- Bruce Power completes a Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Mid-cycle Assessment in a public meeting held in Kincardine, ON – host community to the Bruce site.
October:
- Bruce Power successfully completea a harvest of cancer-fighting cobalt-60 during its planned outage in Unit 8.
- Unit 3 MCR outage removal and replacement series begins after months of safe and successful preparation.
- Bruce Power releases an Expression of Interest (EOI) process to further understand nuclear technologies that could help meet Ontario’s growing demand for clean electricity and advance decarbonization efforts.
- Company awarded a gold level certification for 4th consecutive time ( 2014, 2017, 2020) by Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) for excellence in Indigenous relations. Company only one of a dozen to have received the designation in 2023.
- Bruce Power notifies Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) of intent to launch an Impact Assessment (IA) for potential new nuclear generation on Bruce Power site including early community, public and Indigenous engagement.
November:
- Bruce Power opens Bruce C Project Office and Community Hub in Saugeen Shores.
- Bruce Power announces launch of a Request for Information (RFI) process in early 2024 to evaluate potential new nuclear technologies as part of preliminary engagement and long-term review of expanding nuclear generation on the Bruce Power site.
- Company announces establishment of an Advisory Panel including business, industry and labour leadership to review critical areas of economic development and partnerships, supply chain and workforce in long-term outlook for Ontario’s nuclear sector.
- Company delivers largest ever harvest of Cobalt-60, a crucial isotope used worldwide in sterilization of billions of pieces of medical equipment and in the ongoing fight against cancer.
- Bruce Power named as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures™ for 2023 by Waterstone Human Capital marking the company’s fourth win (2013, 2017, 2020, 2023), earning a place in Canada’s Most Admired™ Hall of Fame as a four-time award recipient.
December:
- Gamzook’aamin Aakoziwin partnership between Bruce Power and SON delivers its first full-year of revenue from lutetium-177 production.
- Bruce Power signs a Net Zero Nuclear Industry Pledge after being in Dubai on December 2nd, when Canada and more than 20 other countries launch a declaration to triple global nuclear generation capacity by 2050, to help achieve lofty goal.
- Bruce Power, in collaboration with GHD, creates a first-in-industry first carbon offset protocol for nuclear generation, with announcement as part of the Canadian delegation at COP28 – the 28th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai.
About Bruce Power: Bruce Power is an electricity company based in Bruce County, Ontario. We are powered by our people. Our 4,200 employees are the foundation of our accomplishments and are proud of the role they play in safely delivering clean, reliable nuclear power to families and businesses across the province and cancer-fighting medical isotopes around the world. Bruce Power has worked hard to build strong roots in Ontario and is committed to protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which we live. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is a Canadian-owned partnership of TC Energy, OMERS, the Power Workers’ Union and The Society of United Professionals. Learn more at www.brucepower.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
