Refurbishment of Darlington nuclear plant reactors ahead of schedule, Ontario says

The Ontario government says it has marked a major milestone in the refurbishment of four nuclear reactors at the Darlington generating station, just east of Toronto.

Work is now complete on the refurbishment of Unit 1 at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, five months ahead of schedule, the province announced Monday.

It's the third reactor to be refurbished at the plant since the province announced the project in 2016.

Demand for electricity in Ontario is expected to increase by 75 per cent by 2050, according to Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator.

The upgraded unit is just one component of the province's efforts to meet that demand, said Stephen Lecce, Ontario's minister of energy and electrification.

"This is just another example of how nuclear energy is a win for our economy, a win for our environment and a win for Ontario's rate payers," he said at a newsconference Monday.

Work is now underway on the refurbishment of Unit 4 at the generating station, which is expected to be completed by 2026.