Energy Evolution Ontario Power Generation leads the North American race to build advanced nuclear
Mar 25, 2026
Nicolle Butcher, President and CEO of Ontario Power Generation, leads OPG’s nuclear and generation strategy. She discusses starting construction on Darlington’s first BWRX-300 SMR and the plan to build four 300 MW units by the 2030s. Topics include why OPG moved first, how the reactor was chosen for deployability and low risk, and the focus on execution, cost competitiveness, and public utilities as early builders.
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Darlington SMR Construction Milestones
- Ontario Power Generation started construction of the Darlington BWRX-300 SMR in April and has paused excavation after completing three large shafts.
- One shaft will house a 3.4 km tunnel boring machine to bring cooling water from Lake Ontario, and the basemat will be lifted in April by the world's largest crawler crane.
Sequential Builds Shorten Nuclear Schedules
- OPG will build four 300 MW BWRX-300 units, sequencing the first to finish by 2030 then applying lessons to successive units.
- Their Darlington CANDU refurbishment taught them to shorten schedules by up to 360 days between first and last units, improving execution for SMRs.
Use Existing Trades To De‑Risk First SMRs
- Leverage in-house project management, supply chain, and skilled trades from prior large projects to de-risk first-of-a-kind builds.
- OPG moved welders directly from Darlington refurbishment to SMR basemat work to retain nuclear-quality skills.