Bruce Power's defueling project for its major component replacement (MCR) of Unit 3's reactor was completed 18 days ahead of schedule.
Bruce Power crews removed 5,748 fuel bundles from Unit 3’s reactor core, 31 days faster than the same program on the Unit 6 MCR.
Bruce Power credits lessons learned from the recent Unit 6 MCR for the enhanced performance efficiencies. Bruce Power crews are now getting ready for bulkhead installation and the Primary Heat Transport (PHT) system drain and dry procedure.
Once those steps are completed, crews will be able to start construction activity, which begins with major component disassembly. The Unit 3 MCR is the second refurbishment project in the company’s Life-Extension Program to extend the operational lives of Units 3-8 on the Bruce Power site to 2064.
The MCR on Unit 6 began in January of 2020, and the unit is expected to return to service on target, later this year.
“This remarkable achievement has been realized primarily due to the extraordinary planning and innovation put into place in Unit 3,” said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s President and CEO. “Learning lessons during Unit 6’s MCR, leveraging the ideas and experiences of staff and investing in innovative tooling has allowed us to find efficiencies and this builds on the successful momentum of our Life-Extension Program overall.”
