WCW24

When many of us think of Nuclear Power, we likely think of the Simpsons, and certainly, we all recognize the classic cartoon figure, Homer Simpson. The Nuclear Power Plant Operator who eats donuts, constantly falls asleep, and neglects his duties. Homer had no idea how to operate such a complex facility and certainly wouldn't be any better off with today's technological advancements and the strive for continuous improvement. The EPCOR (Great Lakes Partners) Darlington Demineralized Water Treatment Plant (DWP) is located on the footprint of the Darlington Nuclear Generation Facility in Ontario. In 2021, EPCOR began a 30-year Design, Build, Finance, Own, Operate, and Maintain Agreement (DBFOM) with Ontario Power Generation (OPG). The Darlington Facility generates over 20% of Ontario's electricity needs and is the future home of Canada's first grid-scale Small Modular Reactor. This presentation will outline the structured 30-year partnership, how risk is transferred to and managed by EPCOR, how the facility was commissioned and integrated into the OPG operation, a sneak peek of the systems employed, how we continue to add value after the construction is complete, and how we work to create and maintain trust over time. And, of course, we will touch on the technology employed, which allows us to take water from Lake Ontario and purify it down to a resistance of fewer than 0.005 microSiemens per meter and total solids of less than 80 micrograms per kilogram!