Ontario set to begin construction of Canada's first mini nuclear power plant

09-May-2025

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Premier Doug Ford's government has given Ontario Power Generation the green light to start construction on Canada's first small modular reactor, a new nuclear energy technology to be built next door to the Darlington power plant. 

The small modular reactor (SMR) would provide 300 megawatts of power, enough electricity to supply about 300,000 homes, according to briefing documents from Ontario's Ministry of Energy and Mines. 

It would be the first of four such reactors that Ontario Power Generation aims to build on the site, at a total project cost of $20.9 billion, in an effort to meet what's forecast to be a steep rise in demand for electricity in the province.

The estimated construction cost of the initial reactor is $7.7 billion, which includes $1.6 billion of infrastructure to be shared across the project.