Laurentis Energy Partners, in partnership with Dancor Construction Ltd. as the contractor, plans to develop a new nuclear-materials sorting facility in Kincardine, Ontario, near the Bruce nuclear station for Ontario Power Generation (OPG).

The facility will be known as Western Clean-Energy Sorting and Recycling (WCSR). Its purpose is to sort low-level radioactive materials, such as used worker garments, small tools, mops and rags, to reduce volumes through processing and to maximize the recycling and free release of clean materials.

Based in part on learnings from Laurentis and McMaster University's Clean-Energy Materials Sorting and Recycling Initiative in Hamilton, Ontario, construction of the WCSR facility is expected to begin this year, with plans to be operational in 2022, pending regulatory approvals.

"Building on the successes to-date from our research initiative in Hamilton, Laurentis is pleased to expand our presence in Bruce County and support this project by delivering a building and equipment that will meet OPG's need for efficient, advanced and innovative sorting of nuclear materials," said Brad Ellsworth, Project Manager at Laurentis. "By sharing our expertise, we can continue our mission of advancing nuclear-energy innovations and environmental solutions across the nuclear industry."

Volume reductions lessen the need for new storage buildings, cut the cost of decommissioning stations, and reduce the amount of space needed in interim storage and eventual permanent disposal facilities.

"This new facility represents an opportunity to support the three Rs and reduce our environmental footprint," said Jason Wooland, Director of Western Operations for OPG's Nuclear Sustainability Services. "We can minimize the amount of nuclear by-products in storage, by carefully sorting and segregating what is clean, what is recyclable, and what can be processed to reduce the volume. That's good news for the environment - and it's resulting in new jobs in Kincardine."

The new 42,000-square-foot WCSR facility will be located 3 kilometres to the east of OPG's Western Waste Management Facility, outside of the Bruce nuclear site, at the Bruce Energy Centre, and will benefit the local economy through property taxes, construction, and the employment of approximately 25 people.

Energy Solutions will be providing the licencing support for the new facility.

By demonstrating expertise and innovation in nuclear-materials handling, it may also help open the door to future commercial opportunities for Laurentis, a commercial subsidiary of OPG, in sorting and recycling for other nuclear operators, whether in Canada or beyond.

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