France’s Framatome and Canada’s Bruce Power have signed a contract for digital instrumentation and control (I&C) system upgrades at Bruce Power units 5, 7&8 in Ontario. This follows digital system upgrade projects implemented at units 1, 2&6, others currently in progress at units 3&4. These digital system upgrades are part of the larger Bruce Power major component replacement (MCR) programme underway to extend the life of the nuclear fleet.
The MCR project began in January 2020. The eight pressurised heavy-water Candu reactor units at the Bruce site in Ontario (Bruce A – units 1-4, and Bruce B – units 4-8) began commercial operation between 1977 and 1987. Bruce Power’s CAD13bn ($10bn) Life Extension Programme, which includes Asset Management and MCR, began in 2016. MCR, which began with unit 6 and also includes units 3-8, will extend the life of the site until 2064. Units 1&2 have already been refurbished and were returned to service in 2012. Work began on unit 3 in March 2023. Unit 6 was taken offline for the refurbishment in January 2020 and was returned to service in 2023.
Frédéric Lelièvre, Senior Executive Vice President, Sales, Regional Platforms and Instrumentation & Control Business Unit at Framatome noted: “Our local experts in Kincardine, Pickering, and Montreal have deep roots in Canada and will continue to provide the best solutions and expertise to support the Bruce fleet now and well into the future.”
As part of this contract, Framatome will provide an enhanced digital upgrade to the existing analogue primary heat transport, feed bleed and relief system. The upgraded system will provide stable reactor pressure control during normal steady state and transient conditions.
For this system, Bruce selected Framatome to provide the proven commercial Tricon programmable logic controller (PLC) technology. This platform has more than a billion hours of operation without failure on demand providing enhanced safety and high plant availability. “Bruce Power is pleased to continue its strong partnership with Framatome and the upgrades to our digital systems will allow our units to continue to provide clean and reliable energy to the people of Ontario for decades to come,” said David Furr, Bruce Power’s Vice-President, Supply Chain.
