On Feb. 4, Bruce Power’s Unit 5 marked a record run of 591 days of providing clean, reliable electricity before it was removed from service for a planned maintenance outage.
The unit surpassed its previous record of 556 consecutive days online on Jan. 1, 2022, and continued its strong performance until the planned outage began Friday.
“We are proud to provide reliable electricity to the people and businesses of Ontario during these cold winter months, while also producing zero carbon emissions from our energy output,” said Chris Mudrick, Bruce Power’s Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President. “The collective effort of our people is what allows us to reach these milestones.”
The Unit 5 planned outage represents an investment into maintenance projects that will allow the unit to perform strongly until its Major Component Replacement Project, scheduled for 2026.
The outage will include a harvest of Cobalt-60, a life-saving medical isotope used in fighting cancer and to sterilize single-use medical devices that are so important to public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. This harvest will produce enough Cobalt-60 to sterilize about 24 billion gloves, masks, gowns and swabs.
Bruce Power is a leader in nuclear medicine, with the four Bruce B units safely producing Cobalt-60 for decades, while it recently expanded its isotope program through the innovative Isotope Production System, which will produce Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) to treat prostate cancer. Bruce Power will market the new isotope supply in an historic collaboration partnership with Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON). The partnership project with SON, named “Gamzook’aamin Aakoziwin,” includes an equity stake for SON and a revenue-sharing program that provides a direct benefit to the Nation.
The Unit 5 planned maintenance outage is part of Bruce Power’s ‘Made in Ontario’ economic recovery investment of $3 billion over the next 18 months through the company’s Life-Extension Program, isotope development, and asset optimization strategy. These investments help to create and sustain thousands of highly skilled jobs and drive economic benefits across Ontario, securing reliable electricity for decades and contributing to Bruce Power’s Net Zero 2027 goal, as well as Canada Net Zero 2050.
About Bruce Power
Bruce Power is an electricity company based in Bruce County, Ontario. We are powered by our people. Our 4,200 employees are the foundation of our accomplishments and are proud of the role they play in safely delivering clean, reliable, low-cost nuclear power to families and businesses across the province and life-saving medical isotopes around the world. Bruce Power has worked hard to build strong roots in Ontario and is committed to protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which we live. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is a Canadian-owned partnership of TC Energy, OMERS, the Power Workers’ Union and The Society of United Professionals. Learn more at www.brucepower.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
