In October 2005, AECL was awarded the Retubing contract by Bruce Power as part of the refurbishment of the Bruce A Units 1 and 2 CANDU reactors. AECL’s scope of the project is expected to take approximately 41 months to complete and includes the removal and replacement of 480 pressure tubes and 480 calandria tubes in each of the two reactors, along with the associated hardware.

The Retube project will also involve the removal of radioactive components already present within the reactors and moving them to safe storage within the Western Waste Management Facility on the Bruce Power site. This will be followed by the installation of new components that meet current and improved specifications.

The project is expected to provide more than 400 direct and indirect jobs in the Bruce County area and contribute millions of dollars annually to the local economy. AECL is already implementing a plan to meet the staffing needs of the Retube project, including a longer-term presence in the Bruce area that extends beyond the current project requirements. This will enable AECL to better support Bruce Power in its efforts to achieving maximum performance from their CANDU asset.