Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
This is the OPG Wesleyville site. It was originally supposed to be an oil-burning power station in the 1970s, but it was never completed. For the last 50 years, OPG held onto it for future nuclear development.
What happens in Ontario will have major impacts on Saskatchewan’s nuclear future
PORT HOPE, ONT. – Just two weeks ago, Saskatchewan announced it was starting the process to choose a design for large-scale nuclear reactors in the 1,000 megawatt range. That process will be closely tied with large-scale nuclear development in Ontario, as Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Bruce Power both have decades of nuclear power experience and are in their own processes of adding several large-scale reactors.
There’s also some impetus to choose a fleet-wide approach across the country, such that if Saskatchewan builds the same reactor design as Ontario, there can be commonalities in the supply chain, training, operations and fuel. And all of these reactors will likely be fueled by Saskatchewan uranium.
On Feb. 12, OPG announced it and the Municipality of Port Hope have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance collaboration on the potential for large-scale new nuclear development at OPG’s Wesleyville site.
It’s known as the New Nuclear at Wesleyville Project or NNW Project, in Port Hope. Wesleyville is eight kilometres west of Port Hope, and site of an oil-fueled power plant built in the 70s but never went into full operation. Not so coincidentally, Cameco has its uranium conversion facility operation at Port Hope. That’s where Cameco’s Saskatchewan uranium ends up for processing.
“Wesleyville is one of three sites, along with Lambton and Nanticoke, that OPG continues to explore opportunities with Rightsholders and local communities for potential new generation to meet Ontario’s forecasted increase in energy demand,” OPG said in its press release.
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Potentially the largest nuclear power plant in the world
The scale of this project is potentially massive. The short description on the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada website describes it as such: “As proposed, the New Nuclear at Wesleyville Project would provide up to 10,000 megawatts of new nuclear generating capacity and operate for 78 years. Several nuclear reactor technologies will be considered for the project. The project assessment and initial licence application review are being conducted in collaboration with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.”
For comparison, Saskatchewan’s entire grid, if every dam was full, every coal and gas turbine running 100 per cent, and every wind turbine at maximum and every solar panel fully lit at noon is 6,125 megawatts. On low-demand days, Saskatchewan uses around 2,800 megawatts. And on cold and hot days, 3,500 megawatts is more common. So this Wesleyville project could power Saskatchewan at least three times over, if built out to full 10,000 megawatts.
Put another way, Wesleyville would be one of the largest power generation sites on the entire planet, and the largest nuclear facility in the world. That is, at least, until Bruce Power adds up to 4,800 megawatts at its planned Bruce C expansion.
And unlike renewables like wind and solar, when the nameplate capacity is stated with regards to nuclear, that number can and is reached routinely, except for periodic maintenance and refueling.
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Power Engineering Factor This reported on March 5, 2025, “The Wesleyville site holds an unfinished oil-fired power station that was partially constructed by OPG’s predecessor company, Ontario Hydro. More importantly, the 1,300 acre site in Port Hope is already zoned for generation, has access to transmission, railways, roads, and is located next to Lake Ontario, which provides cooling water. OPG has previously suggested that the site could house up to 10,000 MW of new nuclear generating capacity.
“The site has been maintained by OPG for more than 50 years, specifically for the purpose of hosting new electricity generation, the company said. Wesleyville is also located adjacent to the Durham Region clean energy corridor, which already hosts two nuclear generating stations: Pickering and Darlington.”
As a greenfield nuclear power station, it would be the third in a progression going east from Toronto along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Starting from Toronto and heading east along the lake shore would be the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, then Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, then Wesleyville (Port Hope), about halfway along the north shore of the lake. The Wesleyville site is 26 kilometres east of the Darlington site, and Darlington is 27 kilometres from Pickering.
“In January, OPG submitted the Initial Project Description for the project to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC). This was the first regulatory step to advance the project through the necessary, multi-phased impact assessment, which will look at its potential impacts and explore how adverse effects could be mitigated,” OPG said, adding, “It also provides an opportunity for Indigenous Nations, the Municipality, stakeholders, and the public to share their perspectives and views.
“Through the MOU, OPG and Port Hope will work together to advance the impact assessment process, which is being led by the IAAC in collaboration with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
“The agreement also includes an additional $4.5 million in growth readiness funding to Port Hope to support the community’s preparation and exploration of nuclear power.
“Once the impact assessment process concludes, and pending a decision to advance the project, OPG and the Municipality would negotiate a host community agreement, through which additional funding would be made available.”
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Timelines are off the charts
The OPG submission to the Impact Assessment Agency calls for site preparation to begin in 2030, with construction starting in 2033 and operation beginning in 2040. The timelines are for final decommissioning of the final unit in 2160. You read that right – 2160, or 134 years from now. Each unit is expected to operate 70 years, with staggered construction of subsequent units carrying on as initial units come online. Decommissioning is expected to take 42 years per unit after shutdown.
So that’s three years of site preparation, seven years of construction, 70 years of operation, and 42 years of decommissioning, per unit. If Saskatchewan follows Ontario’s path, these numbers could likely apply here, as well.
You can download that submission in .pdf form here.
The submission notes four reactor designs with three different methodologies of operation are under consideration. SaskPower is also looking at these designs, except for the last one, which is “small,” not “large.” It has already selected the GE Verona Hitachi BWRX-300 for its initial small modular reactors.
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These are the designs under consideration:
“A specific reactor technology has yet to be chosen for the NNW Project and site licensing will follow a Plant Parameter Envelope (PPE) approach. The use of a PPE is consistent with the CNSC’s regulatory guidance document REGDOC-1.1.1 (Site Evaluation and Site Preparation for New Reactor Facilities). Examples of reactor technologies which have been considered as part of OPG’s PPE include:
- Pressurized Water Reactor – Westinghouse’s AP1000 and EDF’s Evolutionary Pressurized Reactor
- Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor – CANDU such as AtkinsRéalis’ CANDU MONARK
- Boiling Water Reactor – GE-Hitachi’s BWRX-300
“These are not reactor technologies which have been chosen for the NNW Project but are representative examples that the PPE would encompass. Technology selection will consider and seek to reduce, and mitigate, where possible, real and potential impacts to the rights of the WTFNs.”
Also, it noted, “These are not reactor technologies which have been chosen for the NNW Project but are representative examples that the PPE would encompass. Technology selection will consider and seek to reduce, and mitigate, where possible, real and potential impacts to the rights of the WTFNs.”
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Implications for Saskatchewan and Canada
Whatever reactor design OPG chooses will likely have a heavy influence on SaskPower’s choice. As Bruce Power is also looking to add up to 4,800 megawatts at its Bruce C site, and SaskPower is working with them as well, there are a few scenarios. If OPG and Bruce choose the same reactor model, then SaskPower will almost certainly follow along. If they choose different models – one choosing CANDU, the other Westinghouse’s AP1000 for instance, then SaskPower will be placed in a quandary – which one does it choose?
And if that’s not confusing enough, a new entrant called Energy Alberta is considering building up to four large reactors in the Peace Region of northern Alberta. In October it signed a “Collaboration Framework for exploring an AP1000 project in Alberta” with Westinghouse.”
If a fleet approach is taken, it means that a Canada-wide supply chain can be established, benefitting all jurisdictions, and for the long term. For Saskatchewan companies, it could mean taking part not only in our two reactors, then winding down, but potentially up to 18 reactors across the country in the coming decades.
It also means commonality of training, workforce and fuel supply. Plant operators destined to run the Saskatchewan or Alberta plants could train in Ontario, as those will be built first.
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The stakes couldn’t be more serious for one of the contenders – AtkinsRéalis, formerly SNC-Lavalin. It has taken over the Canadian reactor design, the CANDU, from Atomic Energy of Canada back in 2011, precisely because AECL had failed in prior years to make any new sales of reactors. The price? Just $15 million.
If all four companies at play – Ontario Power Generation, Bruce Power, SaskPower and Energy Alberta choose to take a fleet approach and all order the same design, and that approach is NOT the CANDU Monark, it would make things very difficult for AtkinsRéalis. Effectively, it would mean the Canadian reactor couldn’t even be sold to Canadians, so it would dim its prospects elsewhere.
AtkinsRéalis launched the CANDU MONARK reactor on Nov. 28 2023, a 1000 megawatt design. AtkinsRéalis
The Monark is an update of a previous design, but has not been built anywhere. That means choosing the Monark is effectively choosing to build a first-of-a-kind, or FOAK, with all of the issues that come with that.
Westinghouse, on the other hand, has built several AP1000s or their clones under license, and has a growing order book which includes Poland and Ukraine, assuming Ukraine survives its current war with Russia. But building the initial AP1000s had their own difficulties, to the point where it actually bankrupted Westinghouse. That bankruptcy is why Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management and Cameco teamed up to buy 51 and 49 per cent of Westinghouse, respectively, for a song. The total price paid for Westinghouse was far less than the price of just one singular AP1000 reactor. Cameco’s share to buy Westinghouse was just US$2.1 billion.
Westinghouse AP1000 reactors at Vogtle. Cameco
If Westinghouse doesn’t get the Canadian fleet, or at least part of the action, it will still be building reactors around the world. But if AtkinsRéalis misses out, that could mean the end of any future CANDU reactors built
And if that’s not heavy enough stakes for you, each of these projects will likely be the most expensive ever undertaken in their respective provinces. The sole exception might be the Alberta case, where some oilsands projects may have been in the same price range. And for Crown utilities like SaskPower and OPG, it means the taxpayer will be on the hook for the many billions of dollars these reactors will cost.
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Ontario press release
Here is the Feb. 12 press release from the Government of Ontario:
Ontario Secures Agreement to Advance World’s Largest Nuclear Generating Station
Project in Port Hope will create 10,500 jobs and add $235 billion to provincial economy
PORT HOPE – As part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario and advance the development of affordable, reliable and clean nuclear power, Minister Stephen Lecce announced that Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has signed a partnership agreement with the Municipality of Port Hope for new energy generation at the Wesleyville site. The Wesleyville project will support 10,500 jobs across Ontario, including 1,700 new good-paying jobs in Port Hope, representing an average 15 to 20 per cent boost to overall employment levels in the local area, while contributing $235 billion to Ontario’s GDP over its lifespan.
“With more chaos coming from the White House, now is exactly the time to double down on Canada – putting our workers, technology, and supply chain first,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “This agreement is an important step forward as we build the world’s largest nuclear station, creating over 10,000 good-paying jobs and reliable power for up to 10 million homes. We express thanks to Port Hope for the partnership with OPG, as we work together to boost both the local and Canadian economy, with over 90 per cent of nuclear investment stamped with Made in Canada.”
With electricity demand set to increase by up to 90 per cent on the high side, meeting this growing demand is crucial to avoiding potential future electricity disruptions such as brownouts or blackouts seen in other jurisdictions. Without timely investment in new, dependable power sources, Ontario risks future supply shortfalls, higher energy costs and missed economic opportunities. Early assessments show the Wesleyville site alone could support up to 10,000 megawatts of new nuclear generation—enough to power the equivalent of 10 million homes—highlighting both the scale of the opportunity and the risk of delay.
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The Wesleyville site, which is maintained by OPG, located near existing transmission, road and railway infrastructure, and already zoned for new electricity generation, is well-suited to support a large new nuclear site. On January 12, 2026, OPG submitted their Initial Project Description to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada for approval. To advance this critical project OPG and Port Hope will work together throughout the Impact Assessment phase and any additional regulatory approvals and licensing processes. OPG will also continue to engage with Indigenous communities through separate agreements during the project planning and assessment process.
“This agreement is great news for Port Hope,” said David Piccini, Member of Provincial Parliament for Northumberland-Peterborough South. “Advancing new nuclear generation at the Wesleyville site will bring good paying local jobs, drive economic growth, and help build a stronger future for our community. This project creates real opportunities for local workers and businesses, while ensuring we have reliable, made in Ontario power for generations to come.”
To support this project advancement, under the agreement OPG and Port Hope will work to:
- Collaborate, share information and provide technical input required to inform the federal Impact Assessment and meet the prescribed timelines for the proposed project.
- Facilitate community engagement and outreach to educate, listen and include the community in matters related to energy production, nuclear generation and environmental stewardship.
- Promote the health of local ecosystems, air quality, and water resources related to proposed new nuclear generation in the surrounding areas.
- Advance and promote economic development, leveraging OPG’s discipline, expertise and resources to support local business attraction and retention, and create local job opportunities.
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OPG has also provided a further $4 million of growth readiness funding to Port Hope to support the community in preparing for the workload of the Impact Assessment process and beginning stages of a proposed Wesleyville nuclear facility. An additional $500,000 was provided to support specific staffing requirements related to project work.
“The MOU between the Municipality and OPG represents the kind of forward-looking collaboration our community needs to prepare for future growth as we continue to explore the development of clean energy generation in Port Hope,” said Olena Hankivsky, Mayor of the Municipality of Port Hope. “By strengthening partnerships, enhancing community engagement, and supporting sustainable development, we are laying the groundwork for long term economic growth and community well being. This agreement ensures we are ready to meet the opportunities ahead. We’re proud to take this step together to build a resilient, prosperous future for our community.”
Advancing new nuclear energy projects is a key pillar of Energy for Generations, the province’s first-ever integrated energy plan to power a resilient, self-reliant and competitive economy. The government’s integrated approach and record investments in energy infrastructure are also providing the certainty needed for Indigenous communities, municipalities, businesses and industry partners to invest confidently in Ontario’s future. With a clear path forward, the plan is not only meeting the demands of today, but also protecting jobs, supporting workers and powering economic growth for generations to come.
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Quick Facts
- This funding builds on the initial $1 million of readiness funding that OPG provided to Port Hope and represents a significant step toward a future Host Municipality Agreement.
- The Wesleyville project has previously been supported by:
- Society of United Professionals
- United Association
- International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
- OPG has installed a Discovery Centre in Port Hope where the public can learn about nuclear power and its benefits at 115 Toronto Road, Port Hope, ON.
- The 1,300-acre Wesleyville site, originally developed for electricity generation, is already zoned for such use and is strategically located near existing transmission infrastructure, rail lines, and major highways. It also has access to Lake Ontario for cooling water, making it well-suited for new nuclear development.
- The Council of the Municipality of Port Hope unanimously passed a motion on December 17, 2024, endorsing continued engagement for new energy generation at the Wesleyville site.
- In addition to Wesleyville, OPG is working with municipalities and Indigenous Nations and communities at its Nanticoke site in Haldimand County and Lambton site in St. Clair Township to determine community support for new energy generation, including nuclear.
- Nuclear power currently provides about 50 per cent of Ontario’s electricity supply and has positioned Ontario as one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world. It ensures the clean, reliable and affordable power needed to support new housing, advanced manufacturing, and growing communities.
- Ontario’s nuclear industry supports around 80,000 good-paying jobs in communities across the province.
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Quotes
“This important milestone, in a potential new nuclear development that is so critical to Ontario, is a testament to the strength of our relationship with this community. Working collaboratively with Port Hope, we can be sure the Municipality is able to engage fully on behalf of its residents in the multi-year process to assess and develop the site.”
– Nicolle Butcher
President and CEO, OPG
“OCNI welcomes Ontario’s decision to advance early planning at the Wesleyville site as part of building a secure, reliable, and self-reliant electricity system for the province. Early collaboration with the Municipality of Port Hope and Ontario Power Generation helps ensure this work is grounded in community partnership, while giving Canada’s nuclear supply chain the clarity needed to plan, invest, and create long-term opportunities for local workers, businesses, and Ontario’s clean energy economy.”
– Ivette Vera-Perez
President and CEO, OCNI
“Meeting Ontario’s rapidly growing electricity demand requires decisive action, and this MOU reflects the shared understanding that collaboration today is essential to delivering clean and reliable power for future generations. Not only will the Welseyville project deliver the dependable, baseload power our system needs, but it will generate long-term, good-paying jobs both at the site and within our talented Canadian supply chain. The time to act is now.”
– George Christidis
President and CEO, Canadian Nuclear Association
“The Ontario Energy Association welcomes this step to advance new nuclear generation at the Wesleyville site. As electricity demand continues to rise, long-term planning and timely investment in reliable, emissions-free power are essential to keeping Ontario competitive and secure. This agreement demonstrates the importance of collaboration between government, communities, and industry to support jobs, economic growth, and a resilient energy system for the future.”
– Vince Brescia
President and CEO, The Ontario Energy Association
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“The Canadian Association of Small Modular Reactors welcomes today’s announcement by Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines regarding the Memorandum of Understanding between Ontario Power Generation and the Municipality of Port Hope, supporting community preparations to advance new nuclear generation at the Wesleyville site. Ontario’s leadership, building on a strong refurbishment track record and now extending into SMRs and new large-scale nuclear, shows how nuclear plans are being translated into real projects. New nuclear investment builds the infrastructure needed to deliver clean, reliable baseload power while anchoring industrial growth and creating long-term, high-value jobs as electricity demand rises. Ontario is leading the way in turning nuclear ambition into reality and in building a world-class nuclear supply chain and expertise that will benefit Canada for decades to come.”
– Erveina Gosalci
Founder and CEO, Canadian Association of Small Modular Reactors
“The Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce welcomes this step forward for the Wesleyville site and the region’s long-term economic future. This agreement signals meaningful momentum, creating opportunities for investment, skilled jobs, and supply chain growth that could benefit local businesses for generations. Our business community looks forward to working collaboratively with Ontario Power Generation and all stakeholders to ensure this project supports responsible growth and lasting prosperity for Port Hope.”
– Andrew Hall
CEO, Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce
“I want to congratulate OPG and the Municipality of Port Hope on achieving this important milestone toward advancing potential new nuclear generation at the Wesleyville site. With electricity demand rising, projects like this are critical to delivering reliable power while supporting highly skilled jobs and long-term economic growth for Ontario communities.”
– Julie O’Driscoll
Executive Director, Ontario’s Nuclear Advantage
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