Aecon, E.S. Fox partner to fabricate steel parts for Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington New Nuclear Project

Aecon

Aecon has announced a partnership with E.S. Fox Limited to advance innovative modular fabrication supporting the delivery of North America’s first grid-scale Small Modular Reactor (SMR) through Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG’s) Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP).

Aecon is the provider of all construction services for the DNNP, including project management, construction planning, and execution as part of an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) partnership with OPG, GE Hitachi, and SNC-Lavalin.

E.S. Fox is currently completing early site preparation work at the DNNP location.

Aecon has formed a subsequent teaming agreement with E.S. Fox to jointly fabricate steel components offsite at Aecon’s fabrication facility in Cambridge and E.S. Fox’s Port Robinson facility. These components will be welded into sub-assemblies and shipped to the DNNP project site, where they will be built into larger modules on-site and used to construct the primary steel structure of the reactor building. Leveraging a modular approach to help build the BWRX-300 SMR, a new class of nuclear reactor, will contribute to achieving reduced construction costs.

“This modular fabrication partnership is a made-in-Ontario solution, illustrating the strength of Ontario’s robust nuclear supply chain – a network that is critical to deploying the future of nuclear in Ontario and beyond,” said Thomas Clochard, executive vice-president, nuclear and civil, Aecon. “Aecon is playing an important role in delivering the next generation of nuclear plants. We look forward to combining the collective capacity and expertise of Aecon and E.S. Fox to execute this important fabrication scope while working with our project partners to ensure the supply of clean, reliable and affordable electricity to support local communities and global net-zero goals.”

“With the experience of both companies, we look forward to building large sections of the structure at the two facilities leveraging a modular approach and shipping them to the DNNP project site – helping reduce field labour and equipment costs, improving the overall project schedule, and supporting high-paying skilled jobs in Niagara Region," said Pat Cimek, vice-president, construction and fabrication services, E.S. Fox.

The DNNP could create approximately 2,500 new, high-quality jobs and produce the clean, long-lasting, and reliable power required to meet Ontario’s growing energy needs. Ontario-based partnerships associated with the DNNP will help drive this job creation while supporting economic growth and export opportunities for Ontario.

Ontario is positioned as a potential supplier of products, services, and expertise for new nuclear projects across Canada, as well as in the global SMR market, which is expected to grow to more than $150 billion by 2040.