Another reactor reached a big milestone at Bruce Power.
In a release this morning, the power generator says Unit 7 surpassed one year of continuous operation "providing clean, reliable, and low-cost electricity to people, businesses and health-care facilities in Ontario."
Unit 7 is scheduled for a planned maintenance inspection program in the fall of 2021 that will include a harvest of Cobalt-60. Cobalt-60 is a medical isotope used around the world to sterilize medical equipment like drapes, gowns, gloves, scalpels, and other devices. With the threat of COVID-19, its supply is even more important now.
Unit 7 is included in Bruce Power's "Life-Extension Program" along with five other units and is scheduled to undergo Major Component replacement.
"Unit 7 joins Unit 3 and Unit 1 as reactors that have established reliability milestones since April for long-running, predictable service," said Chris Mudrick, Bruce Power's recently named Executive Vice-President and Chief Nuclear Officer. "Our continued success to provide a dependable source of power to the province is the result of a commitment to excellence and hard work by our employees and supply-chain partners."