The Gentilly 2 CANDU pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) is owned and operated by Hydro Québec. It was designed by AECL, and has a gross output of 675 MWe. Gentilly 2 was one of the first 700 MWe class CANDU 6 plants to be built-its construction began in 1974, and it went into service in 1983.

Nuclear energy, generated by Gentilly 2, provides approximately 3% of Québec's electricity, or enough to meet the needs of about 180 000 homes and businesses.

In addition to having one of the first CANDU 6 nuclear power plants, Hydro-Québec was the first utility to adopt AECL's MACSTOR™ technology for its Gentilly station. MACSTOR (Modular Air-Cooled STORage) provides above-ground dry storage for used nuclear fuel. Hydro Québec's first MACSTOR unit was installed in 1995. Since then, another four storage units were installed, and an additional five are planned.

In the beginning of the 1980s, there was a major imbalance between the supply and demand of electricity, made even worse by the 1981-1982 recession. In order to limit the surplus of energy in the Québec electricity grid, the Gentilly 2 nuclear power plant operated at only 50% of its rated generating capacity over long periods-until 1987, when it began operating at full-power.

Gentilly 2 Major Project Milestones

Gentilly 2 Project Responsibilities