CAMBRIDGE, ON, July 9, 2015 /CNW/ - Bruce Power's maintenance
and inspection activities will be enhanced through a new,
state-of-the-art tooling system unveiled today by a coalition of
respected Ontario-based companies
that have used innovation to drive the province's nuclear industry
forward by meeting the operational needs of the Bruce Power
site.
"Ontario's nuclear facilities
provide reliable and clean electricity. Innovation within the
industry is a key driver of jobs and economic growth throughout the
province," said Charles Sousa,
Ontario's Minister of Finance, who
was in attendance at the event. "Improving affordability and
competitiveness is also key and that is why our government is
committed to the refurbishment of the Bruce Power and Darlington units as part of Ontario's Long Term Energy Plan."
The Bruce Reactor Inspection and Maintenance System (BRIMS) tool
is being unveiled today at ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. in
Cambridge and will be shipped in
the coming days by ATS to Bruce Power where it will make its debut
during Bruce Power's planned outages for the balance of 2015.
"It's so encouraging to see innovation and collaboration at work
sustaining jobs and economic benefits in our community and across
the province," said Kathryn McGarry,
MPP for Cambridge. "I'm proud of
the role our local industry is playing in providing clean,
affordable and reliable nuclear energy for Ontario now and in the future."
The BRIMS automated tooling system is the result of a
multi-company collaboration involving Bruce Power, ATS Automation,
MacDonald, Dettwiler and
Associates Ltd., BWXT Canada Ltd., Candu Energy Inc. a member of
the SNC-Lavalin Group, and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Canada.
"We are proud to be part of this important initiative for Bruce
Power, a valued ATS customer," said Anthony
Caputo, CEO, ATS Automation. "ATS automation solutions are
at the core of mission critical processes across a wide variety of
industries. We have applied our knowledge in this case to provide a
very cost-effective way of inspecting and maintaining nuclear
reactors."
Bruce Power provides 30 per cent of Ontario's electricity at 30 per cent below the
average price and its operations inject more than $4 billion into Ontario's economy every year. Ontario's Long-Term Energy Plan is counting on
Bruce Power's eight units to supply clean, reliable electricity for
decades to come.
"This is an example of the nuclear industry's incredible
innovation and Bruce Power is proud to be at the forefront of this
world-class technology to ensure we continue to deliver clean,
affordable, reliable electricity to Ontario families and business," said
Duncan Hawthorne, President and CEO
Bruce Power. "This new tooling builds on lessons learned from years
of operation allowing for more effective execution of our
inspection and maintenance activities that we carry-out on a
planned basis through maintenance outages."
"The city of Cambridge
congratulates all the companies involved in this successful
project," said Doug Craig, Mayor of
Cambridge. "Our community is proud
of the role businesses like ATS Automation and BWXT Canada play in
the global nuclear energy supply chain and it's encouraging to see
what is possible when Ontario-based companies collaborate."
About ATS
ATS is an industry-leading automation solutions provider to many
of the world's most successful companies. ATS uses its extensive
knowledge base and global capabilities in custom automation, repeat
automation, automation products and value-added services including
pre-automation and after-sales services to address the
sophisticated manufacturing automation systems and service needs of
multinational customers in markets such as life sciences,
chemicals, consumer products, electronics, food, beverage,
transportation, energy, and oil and gas. Founded in 1978, ATS
employs approximately 3,500 people at 26 manufacturing facilities
and 47 offices in North America,
Europe, Southeast Asia and China. The Company's shares are traded on the
Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ATA.
About Bruce Power
Bruce Power operates the world's largest operating nuclear
generating facility and is the source of roughly 30 per cent of
Ontario's electricity. The
company's site in Tiverton,
Ontario is home to eight CANDU reactors, each one capable of
generating enough low-cost, reliable, safe and clean electricity to
meet the annual needs of a city the size of Hamilton. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is an
all-Canadian partnership among Borealis Infrastructure Management
(a division of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System),
TransCanada, the Power Workers' Union and the Society of Energy
Professionals. A majority of Bruce Power's employees are also
owners in the business.
SOURCE Bruce Power