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Explore the timeline of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station 

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Ford-273Interactive-TimelineofthePickeringPlant

Hailey Ford

Created on March 2, 2024

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Start

Explore the timeline of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station

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First, let's go through some quick facts

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There are eight reactors within the power plant

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They are labelled as units one through eight

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Then split into two sets. Pickering 'A' and 'B'

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Pickering A and B both have different timelines

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Each unit also has a unique history

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Explore the timeline of each unit individually

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Start

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Explore the timeline of each unit through this interactive map

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Explore Pickering 'B'

Explore Pickering 'A'

Return

Home

Bonus fact

Pickering Timeline

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Unit 4

Unit 3

Unit 2

Unit 1

'Pickering A' Timeline

Return

Bonus fact

Home

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PICKERING A/BMERGED

PLACED INSAFE SHUTDOWN

PRESSURE TUBEREFIT BEGINS

CONSTRUCTIONBEGINS

1984

1997

2013

1966

PLANNEDRETIREMENT

BEGINSREOPERATION

HEAVY WATERLEAK INCIDENT

BEGINSOPERATION

1971

1992

2005

2024

Unit One Timeline

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Home

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PLACED IN SAFE SHUTDOWN

POWER SHIFTSIN REACTOR

BEGINSOPERATION

1990

1997

1971

PERMANENTSHUTDOWN

PIPE BREAKINCIDENT

PRESSURE TUBERUPTURE

BEGINSCONSTRUCTION

1983

1994

2007

1966

Unit Two Timeline

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Home

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PERMANENTSHUTDOWN

PLACED INSAFE SHUTDOWN

BEGINSOPERATION

1997

2008

1972

REFURBISHMENTCANCELLED

FUEL CHANNELREFAB

CONSTRUCTIONBEGINS

1990

2005

1967

Unit Three Timeline

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Home

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PLANNED RETIREMENT

BEGINSREOPERATION

HEAVY WATERLEAK INCIDENT

BEGINSOPERATION

1996

2003

2024

1973

PICKERING A/BMERGED

PLACED INSAFE SHUTDOWN

FUEL CHANNELREFAB

CONSTRUCTIONBEGINS

1992

1998

2013

1968

Unit Four Timeline

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Home

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Unit 8

Unit 7

Unit 6

Unit 5

'Pickering B' Timeline

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Bonus fact

Home

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POTENTIALRETIREMENT

REFURBISHMENTSUPPORTED

REFURBISHMENTDENIED

BEGINSOPERATION

2009

2024

2026

1983

REFURBISHMENTCOMPLETE

PLANNEDRETIREMENT

PICKERING A/BMERGED

FUEL CHANNELADJUSTMENT

CONSTRUCTIONBEGINS

1988

2013

2024

2030s

1974

Unit Five Timeline

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Home

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POTENTIALRETIREMENT

REFURBISHMENTSUPPORTED

REFURBISHMENTDENIED

BEGINSOPERATION

2009

2024

2026

1984

REFURBISHMENTCOMPLETE

PLANNEDRETIREMENT

PICKERING A/BMERGED

FUEL CHANNELADJUSTMENT

CONSTRUCTIONBEGINS

1990

2013

2024

2030s

1975

Unit Six Timeline

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Home

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POTENTIALRETIREMENT

REFURBISHMENTSUPPORTED

REFURBISHMENTDENIED

BEGINSOPERATION

2009

2024

2026

1985

REFURBISHMENTCOMPLETE

PLANNEDRETIREMENT

PICKERING A/BMERGED

RUN TIMERECORD SET

CONSTRUCTIONBEGINS

1994

2013

2024

2030s

1976

Unit Seven Timeline

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Home

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PLANNED RETIREMENT

PICKERING A/BMERGED

BEGINSOPERATION

2013

2024

2030s

1985

REFURBISHMENTCOMPLETE

POTENTIALRETIREMENT

REFURBISHMENTSUPPORTED

REFURBISHMENTDENIED

CONSTRUCTIONBEGINS

2009

2024

2026

1976

Unit Eight Timeline

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Home

The unit experienced 'large power shifts in the reactor core'. This led to the shutdown of Unit Two. Some criticism claimed the unit should have been shut down sooner.

September 1990

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The four Pickering A reactors were shut down between 1997 and 1998 partially due to safety concerns.

December 1997

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Construction begins on the unit.

September 1976

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The unit temporarily shut down to reposition the end fittings and bearings (REFAB). This requires fuel channels to be shut off, allowing for pressure tubes to be lengthened. During this time, the unit was unable to produce energy. This was a planned outage.

1989-1990

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Considered one of the worst incidents in Canadian Nuclear History. A pipe burst caused a loss of coolant incident as well as a heavy water spill. A meltdown was prevented through emergency system activations, and the unit was shut down for 14 months.

December 1994

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Commercial operation of the unit begins.

May 1983

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An emergency alert was accidentally issued, falsely stating an incident had occurred. This led to widespread panic. This was corrected via Twitter. Later, a second alert stated that the first was sent in error.

Learn more

2020

Ontario Power Generation is seeking approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to continue operating Units Five to Eight until September 2026, rather than the current 2024 retirement date.

September 2026

Ontario Power Generation is seeking approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to continue operating Units 5-8 until September 2026, rather than the current 2024 retirement date.

September 2026

Learn more

Learn more

Ontario Power Generation is seeking approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to continue operating Units Five to Eight until September 2026, rather than the current 2024 retirement date.

September 2026

Learn more

Following a 2016 extension of the lifetime of the Pickering Plant, all currently active units are set to stop operating in 2024. This would be followed by four years of 'Safe Storage' activities. Ontario Power Generation has not sought to extend the life of Units One and Four

December 2024

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Commercial operation of the unit begins.

February 1986

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Construction begins on the unit.

November 1974

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Commercial operation of the unit begins.

June 1973

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Pickering A and B's licenses were combined into a single site license. This includes Units One and Four from Pickering A, and Units Five to Eight from Pickering B. Some criticism stated that combined reports may misrepresent the efficacy of Units One and Four.

August 2013

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The unit experienced a heavy water leak from a heat exchanger. A similar issue occurred with Unit One in 1992. This caused the release of radiation from tritium into Lake Ontario. This, combined with other Pickering A incidents and factors is what led to a long-term shutdown.

April 1996

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Pickering A and B's licenses were combined into a single site license. This includes Units One and Four from Pickering A, and Units Five to Eight from Pickering B. Some criticism stated that combined reports may misrepresent the efficacy of Units One and Four.

August 2013

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Pickering A and B's licenses were combined into a single site license. This includes Units One and Four from Pickering A, and Units Five to Eight from Pickering B. Some criticism stated that combined reports may misrepresent the efficacy of Units One and Four.

August 2013

Learn more

The unit experienced a heavy water leak from a heat exchanger. A similar issue would occur with Unit Four in 1996. This caused the release of radiation from tritium into Lake Ontario. The radiation leak was around 46 times larger than the one that occurred in 1996.

August 1992

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A pump seal failure led to a demineralized water leak. It is unknown which unit within Pickering A caused the issue. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission stated that the leak posed no health risk.

2011

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In 2006 Ontario Power Generation requested to refurbish units Five to Eight of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. This was denied in 2009 due to economic concerns, and a lack of electricity demand.

January 2009

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The unit temporarily shut down to adjust an area in the Fuel Channels using a spacer location and repositioning (SLAR) tool. This was done to prevent the calandria and pressure tubes from making unwanted contact. This was a planned maintenance activity.

1988

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The refurbishment of Pickering Units Five to Eight, if approved, is expected to be completed by the mid 2030s. The project would ideally allow Pickering B to continue operating for another 30+ years.

2030s

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The Ontario Government released a statement in favour of a proposed refurbishment of Units Five to Eight of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. This allows Ontario Power Generation to begin moving forward in the next steps of the plan to refurbish the units.

January 2024

Learn more

Following a 2016 extension of the lifetime of the Pickering Plant, all currently active units are set to stop operating in 2024. This would be followed by a four year period of 'Safe Storage' activities.

December 2024

Learn more

Following a 2016 extension of the lifetime of the Pickering Plant, all currently active units are set to stop operating in 2024. This would be followed by four years of 'Safe Storage'. Ontario Power Generation has not sought to extend the life of Units One and Four.

December 2024

Learn more

The four Pickering A units were shut down between 1997 and 1998 partially due to safety concerns.

December 1997

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Commercial operation of the unit begins.

January 1985

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Due to the cost failures of the Unit Four Refurbishment, it was announced in 2005 that Units Two and Three would be permanently shut down and not refurbished. Following a two-year fuel and heavy water removal process, the unit was permanently shut down in 2007.

May 2007

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The Ontario Government approved a plan to extend the lifetime of the Pickering Plant from 2020 to 2024.

2016

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Pickering A and B's licenses were combined into a single site license. This includes Units One and Four from Pickering A, and Units Five to Eight from Pickering B. Some criticism stated that combined reports may misrepresent the efficacy of Units One and Four.

August 2013

Learn more

Following a 2016 extension of the lifetime of the Pickering Plant, all currently active units are set to stop operating in 2024. This would be followed by a four year period of 'Safe Storage' activities.

December 2024

Learn more

Ontario Power Generation is seeking approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to continue operating Units Five to Eight until September 2026, rather than the current 2024 retirement date.

September 2026

Learn more

Pickering A and B's licenses were combined into a single site license. This includes Units One and Four from Pickering A, and Units Five to Eight from Pickering B. Some criticism stated that combined reports may misrepresent the efficacy of Units One and Four.

August 2013

Learn more

In 2006 Ontario Power Generation requested to refurbish units Five to Eight of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. This was denied in 2009 due to economic concerns, and a lack of electricity demand.

January 2009

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A two-metre fracture on a pressure tube led to a heavy water leak. The failure was caused by extended contact of the calandria and pressure tubes. This would lead to the retubing of Unit One, due to fears the same issue would be present in the other unit.

August 1983

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Following the 1983 pressure tube rupture in Unit Two, all pressure tubes in Unit One were replaced. This required a shutdown and inspection of the unit. No equivalent issues in Unit One were found.

March 1984

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Commercial operation of the unit begins.

July 1971

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Construction begins on the unit.

October 1975

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Construction begins on the unit.

December 1967

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Ontario Power Generation had planned to refurbish Units Two and Three of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. However, due to the cost failures of the Unit Four Refurbishment, it was announced that they would not be restarted and would be permanently shut down.

August 2005

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Construction begins on the unit.

September 1966

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The four Pickering A reactors were shut down between 1997 and 1998 partially due to safety concerns.

January 1998

Learn more

The Ontario Government released a statement in favour of a proposed refurbishment of Units Five to Eight of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. This allows Ontario Power Generation to begin moving forward in the next steps of the plan to refurbish the units.

January 2024

Learn more

Following a 2016 extension of the lifetime of the Pickering Plant, all currently active units are set to stop operating in 2024. This would be followed by a four year period of 'Safe Storage' activities.

December 2024

Learn more

Commercial operation of the unit begins.

December 1971

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The refurbishment of Pickering Units Five to Eight, if approved, is expected to be completed by the mid 2030s. The project would ideally allow Pickering B to continue operating for another 30+ years.

2030s

Learn more

The unit temporarily shut down to adjust an area in the Fuel Channels using a spacer location and repositioning (SLAR) tool. This was done to prevent the calandria and pressure tubes from making unwanted contact. This was a planned maintenance activity.

1990

Learn more

The four Pickering A reactors were shut down between 1997 and 1998 partially due to safety concerns.

December 1997

Learn more

In 2006 Ontario Power Generation requested to refurbish units Five to Eight of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. This was denied in 2009 due to economic concerns, and a lack of electricity demand.

January 2009

Learn more

Following a 2016 extension of the lifetime of the Pickering Plant, all currently active units are set to stop operating in 2024. This would be followed by a four year period of 'Safe Storage' activities.

December 2024

Learn more

Pickering A and B's licenses were combined into a single site license. This includes Units One and Four from Pickering A, and Units Five to Eight from Pickering B. Some criticism stated that combined reports may misrepresent the efficacy of Units One and Four.

August 2013

Learn more

Commercial operation of the unit begins.

June 1972

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Following the safe shutdown in 1998, Unit Four was refurbished and restarted. This came years later, and millions of dollars more costly than the project was originally expected to take. Three Ontario Power Generation Executives were fired due to this.

September 2003

Learn more

The Ontario Government released a statement in favour of a proposed refurbishment of Units Five to Eight of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. This allows Ontario Power Generation to begin moving forward in the next steps of the plan to refurbish the units.

January 2024

Learn more

It was announced in 2005 that Units Two and Three would not be restarted and would be permanently shut down. Following a two-year fuel and heavy water removal process, the unit was permanently shut down in 2008.

October 2008

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Despite the issues in the refurbishment and restarting of the Unit Four reactor, Unit One also began reoperation. This refurbishment kept closer to budget and timeline than the Unit Four restart.

September 2005

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Ontario Power Generation is seeking approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to continue operating Units Five to Eight until September 2026, rather than the current 2024 retirement date.

September 2026

Learn more

The refurbishment of Pickering Units Five to Eight, if approved, is expected to be completed by the mid 2030s. The project would ideally allow Pickering B to continue operating for another 30+ years.

2030s

Learn more

The unit temporarily shut down to reposition the end fittings and bearings (REFAB). This requires fuel channels to be shut off. This allows for pressure tubes to be lengthened. During this time, the unit was unable to produce energy. This was a planned outage.

1991-1992

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Construction begins on the unit.

March 1976

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The Ontario Government released a statement in favour of a proposed refurbishment of Units Five to Eight of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. This allows Ontario Power Generation to begin moving forward in the next steps of the plan to refurbish the units.

January 2024

Learn more

The refurbishment of Pickering Units Five to Eight, if approved, is expected to be completed by the mid 2030s. The project would ideally allow Pickering B to continue operating for another 30+ years.

2030s

Learn more

Commercial operation of the unit begins.

February 1984

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In 2006 Ontario Power Generation requested to refurbish units Five to Eight of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. This was denied in 2009 due to economic concerns, and a lack of electricity demand.

January 2009

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Construction begins on the unit.

May 1968

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Construction begins on the unit.

June 1966

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Pickering Unit Seven set a world record for the longest continuous operation without a shutdown. It ran for 894 days. The record was broken multiple times. Most recently, the Darlington Plant, also in Ontario, set the record with 963+ days of operation.

October 1994

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