Nuclear energy firm seeks licence change

BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada seeking ability to produce nuclear fuel pellets in Peterborough through its 10-year nuclear operating licence renewal

A nuclear energy firm based at the General Electric property on Monaghan Road has applied to produce fuel bundles for nuclear reactors at its Peterborough location, but did not speculate whether approval would mean more jobs.

BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada submitted an application Nov. 12 to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to renew its Class 1B Nuclear Fuel Facility Operating Licence, which expires on Dec.

31, 2020, for a period of 10 years.

The current licence issued on Jan. 1, 2011 authorizes the company to produce and test fuel bundles using natural and depleted uranium dioxide pellets in Peterborough and produce the pellets — a process known as pelleting — at its west-end Toronto facility.

The local site is also allowed to receive, repair, modify and returns contaminated equipment from off-site nuclear facilities, BWXT NEC stated in its fall 2018 community newsletter.

The company produces uranium fuel bundles for use at Candu nuclear power generation plants including Pickering, Darlington and Bruce in Ontario.

It currently ships pellets from its Toronto facility at 1025 Lansdowne Ave. to Peterborough, where they are placed into bundles for the power stations.

While BWXT NEC seeks the licence change to allow pelleting in Peterborough, it does not have plans to change its current operations, manager of community relations and communications Sara Forsey stated via email.

“The licensing process is extensive, and it made the most sense to make the request for potential pelleting at our Peterborough location since we were already due for a licence renewal,” she wrote. “Including the flexibility to allow BWXT NEC’s Peterborough facility to conduct pelleting will help to ensure that we have the ability to adapt as needed to changing business needs over the proposed decadelong licence period.”

Because there are no plans to change operations, “we cannot speculate on future employment needs,” she added.

The CNSC considers licence applications for nuclear facilities via a public hearing process and a date for BWXT NEC’s bid has not yet been determined. The information will be made public on the commission’s website at www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca once a date is chosen.

Last March, the company announced it had been awarded a five-year contract extension to assemble fuel bundles in Peterborough.

The $168-million deal with Ontario Power Generation extends a manufacturing agreement to make fuel for the Darlington and Pickering nuclear generating stations in Durham Region through the end of 2023.

At the same time, the company said it wasn’t planning to occupy more space when GE ceased manufacturing late last year. It has a long-term lease with GE, which has a complex that sits on 21 acres on Park Street.

Formerly known as Babcock and Wilcox, BWXT NEC operates in the former General ElectricHitachi nuclear division, which it bought in 2016.

NOTES: More information, including BWXT NEC’s licence renewal application and corresponding environmental risk assessment, are available online at www.nec.bwxt.com.… The company can be reached at 1-855696-9588 or questions@bwxt.com. — with files from Joelle Kovach, Examiner Staff Writer