The Bruce C nuclear power plant expansion project in Ontario, Canada, moved one step closer to fruition last week with the May 7 announcement that Bruce Power and the provincial government of Ontario had entered into a cost-sharing and recovery agreement that could be worth C$300 million ($219.4 million).

Ontario has directed the province’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to enter into the agreement with Bruce Power so the Canadian utility can proceed with First Nations and community engagement, workforce planning, preconstruction and site preparation planning, and other critical activities that fall under predevelopment work. This work would be completed by 2030.

As Bruce Power continues predevelopment work, public input is being sought on the potential Bruce C nuclear power expansion project in Ontario.

Bruce Power recently submitted its initial project description to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada for an expansion that would add up to 4,800 MWe. Earlier this year, the Canadian government announced up to C$50 million ($36.8 million) in funding for the Bruce C project, which would be Canada’s first major expansion of a large nuclear plant in decades.

Bruce Power has announced the completion of its Unit 3 reactor removal—a milestone on its Major Component Replacement (MCR) project aimed at extending the Bruce plant’s operational life through 2064.