skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Canada Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Nuclear Power Generation
Canada Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Nuclear Power Generation: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/986277/canada-celebrates-50th-anniversary-of-nuclear-power-generation
..."On June 4th, 1962, in Rolphton, Ontario, the Nuclear Power
Demonstration (NPD) reactor began supplying electricity to the Ontario
grid, producing enough electricity to power 10,000 homes. Today,
nuclear power generation supplies 15 % of Canada's safe, clean, and
reliable electricity, and almost 60% in Ontario alone.
"This
historic achievement marks an important milestone in Canada's leadership
in nuclear energy and technology," said Denise Carpenter, CNA President
and CEO. "The NPD was made possible through the combined expertise and
innovation of several companies we know today, such as AECL, and with
the support and direction of the National Research Council."
One of NPD's essential roles was as a prototype for Canada's homegrown
CANDU technology as it was the first heavy-water power reactor in the
world. It used Canadian natural uranium and assumed the horizontal
pressure-tube arrangement, which is characteristic of all CANDU units to
this day. This made NPD the first commercial power reactor to have a
completely replaceable core, and the first to refuel while operating at
full power - both signature CANDU traits.
In the five decades since,
Canada's CANDU nuclear fleet has grown to include 20 reactors with two
more planned at Darlington in Ontario to help the province achieve its
clean energy goals - similarly, this was the goal when nuclear energy
was developed 50 years ago to compete with coal.
"Today also marks
the kick-off of Canadian Environment Week," added Carpenter. "This is
particularly significant since nuclear energy provides a clean and
reliable source of power that is an important part of Canada's clean
energy portfolio."
The role of nuclear in Canada goes far beyond
being a safe, clean, affordable, available, and reliable source of
energy. Nuclear has an important role to play in medicine, research,
food safety, highly-skilled jobs, and makes crucial contributions to
other industries across the Canadian economy.
The NPD was shut down
in 1987 after having exceeded its operational goals. Our thanks to the
women and men who brought us this strong symbol of Canadian innovation
for a powerful, clean energy future. "
No comments:
Post a Comment