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PICKERING, ONT. – It’s official. The Ontario government has approved Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plan to refurbish four CANDU nuclear reactors at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station.

According to a release from the province, the $26.8 billion refurbishment will extend the facility’s operations for up to 38 years.

Pending final licensing approvals from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), OPG will begin the project execution phase to refurbish Pickering “B” units 5 to 8 in early 2027, with completion expected by the mid-2030s.

Once completed, Pickering will generate an increased capacity of up to 2,200 megawatts (MW) of electricity, which is equivalent to powering 2.2 million homes.

The project itself is expected to create approximately 30,500 jobs during refurbishment, while sustaining 6,700 jobs throughout the station’s operation.

“OPG will deliver the project using the same disciplined planning, oversight, and partnership model that has kept the Darlington refurbishment on-time and on-budget,” the release reads. “OPG has also committed to investing $100 million with Indigenous-owned companies over the life of the refurbishment project, ensuring that First Nations hosting nuclear facilities share directly in the economic benefits.”

This news comes after years of developments for the Pickering plant.

In September 2022,  OPG would continue to operate the “B” units (units 5 to 8) at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station through September 2026, pending CNSC approval, which was given in October 2024, but it was noted further operation of Pickering “B” units would require a complete refurbishment.

In December 2024, OPG completed the  of the Pickering refurbishment, which included early engineering and design work, as well as securing components that require the longest-lead times.

Then, in January 2025, the government approved OPG to proceed with the , which will continue through 2026. Under this phase, OPG undertook activities to refine project scope and cost, complete engineering deliverables, negotiate commercial contracts and secure spots in the queue for long-lead components, the release adds.