New Western Clean-Energy Sorting, Recycling Facility opens in Bruce Energy Centre

About 50 people were on hand, Friday morning (Oct. 20), for the ribbon-cutting to officially open the new Western Clean-Energy Sorting and Recycling Facility, located in the Bruce Energy Centre, across from the Bruce Power Visitors’ Centre, in the Municipality of Kincardine.

A joint project among Laurentis Energy Partners, EnergySolutions Canada, and Ontario Power Generation (OPG), the 42,000-square-foot facility will minimize waste associated with nuclear energy generation.

Work at the facility focuses on sorting materials, such as protective clothing or small tools, from OPG’s nuclear generating stations. It supports OPG’s efforts to reduce waste volumes through processing, segregation, and by diverting more nuclear materials through methods that include reuse and recycling.

“We are excited about supporting OPG’s goal of reducing its environmental footprint,” said Jason Van Wart, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Laurentis. “Two years ago, we were standing in a dirt field for the ground-breaking. Now, here we are with this new sorting and recycling plant.

"The official opening of this facility marks a significant milestone in our commitment to delivering cutting-edge nuclear energy solutions. The facility will enable the efficient sorting of nuclear materials and we’re pleased to have brought this integrated solution to the nuclear industry.”

Chris Ginther, OPG’s executive vice-president of business strategy and commercial management, said nuclear power has been a mainstay in Ontario’s energy system for the past 50 years and will continue to play a critical role in powering electrification and economic growth.

“This innovative facility will allow OPG to support the three Rs, which includes further reducing nuclear’s already small environmental footprint by minimizing the number of low-level materials in storage.”

“EnergySolutions is proud of the partnership we have established with Laurentis and OPG in this endeavour,” said chief operating officer Jeff Richardson. “Our joint success here is a reminder and example of our deep commitment to teamwork in Ontario’s nuclear industry and how fundamental it is to success.

“This facility is a clear demonstration of the power and potential of working together, each partner playing to its unique strengths and experience, to deliver vital services to the province. We look forward to working together and exploring future ventures to serve OPG’s nuclear business and our common goal of net-zero.”

Diane Foxton, representing Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson’s office, congratulated the three companies on this facility which will enhance OPG’s ability to sort, recycle and reduce low-level nuclear waste.

“On behalf of council, staff, and the residents of Kincardine, I congratulate OPG, Laurentis Energy Partners and EnergySolutions on the grand opening of the Western Clean-Energy Sorting and Recycling Facility,” said Kincardine mayor Kenneth Craig. “The addition of this facility will provide valuable jobs and represents continued innovation and advancement in our municipality, furthering our position as one of Canada’s leading communities in the energy sector.”

The company representatives joined Craig and Foxton in the ribbon-cutting before tours were conducted of the facility.

During the tour, Van Wart said the low-level waste will come from OPG’s Nuclear Sustainability Services (formerly the Western Waste Management Facility) to be segregated and incinerated, reducing the volume by about 95 per cent, and then permanently stored at OPG's facility.

Celia Figel, project manager for EnergySolutions, said the low-level waste comes into the facility in shipping containers to a receiving area where every item is documented. The waste goes into modules where it is sorted into various categories, such as metal, protective clothing, dry container items, and products that cannot be incinerated or compacted.

Once the items are reduced in volume, the containers are shipped back to Nuclear Sustainability Services for permanent storage, said Figel. Some items that cannot be incinerated here are shipped to the United States through EnergySolutions, to be incinerated, and then back to OPG for storage.

Figel said the facility has about 30 employees and has been operating for a couple of months.

Quick Facts
 

• By reducing the volume of nuclear materials, this operation decreases the need for new storage buildings and reduces OPG’s environmental footprint.
• Learnings from LEP and McMaster University’s Clean-Energy Materials Sorting and Recycling Initiative in Hamilton, Ontario, have been incorporated into the facility.
• LEP developed the facility, and Dancor Construction Ltd. constructed it.
• The facility operates under EnergySolutions’ Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) licence. EnergySolutions Canada also provides radiation safety compliance and management for the facility.

Laurentis Energy Partners, a subsidiary of OPG, delivers cutting-edge and reliable nuclear energy solutions for clients globally. With a commitment to excellence and innovation, it offers expertise in inspections, refurbishment and engineering, nuclear materials sorting and recycling, the production of nuclear isotopes, and the advancement of small modular reactors. Laurentis has offices in the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Bruce County in Ontario, as well as St. John, New Brunswick; Regina, Saskatchewan, and Bucharest and Cernavoda in Romania. Follow Laurentis on Twitter and LinkedIn @laurentisenergy or at www.laurentisenergy.com.

EnergySolutions is a global leader in the safe recycling, processing, and disposal of nuclear material, and offers customers a full range of integrated services and solutions, including, decommissioning, decontamination, site closure, transportation, nuclear materials management, processing, recycling, and disposition of nuclear waste. With decades of experience, it serves government and commercial customers in the nuclear, environmental, and energy sectors. The company is dedicated to providing innovative and cost-effective solutions to manage complex nuclear challenges. It has been supporting the Canadian nuclear industry for more than 45 years with dedicated operations in Ontario. For additional information, visit www.energysolutions.com.