Talk:Pickering Nuclear Generating Station

I find it curious that two major accidents that occurred at Pickering are missing from the article. I do not have time to edit the article at the moment, but if someone does, have a look for the 1974 and 1983 pressure tube ruptures. AECL will have full reports on these. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.246.7.68 (talk) 16:12, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

Do you think the person who wrote this article meant CANDU reactor, not CANDAR? M123 00:54, 18 Aug 2003 (UTC)

Yes, there is no such thing as a CANDAR reactor, all reactors in Canada are CANDU reactors. Alex756 00:59, 18 Aug 2003 (UTC)

I don't know how to use the talk pages (The date and such), so I'm just using edit, cause theres no post new comment or anything Anyways, Yes, I did mean CANDU, I didn't have anything on hand. I usually post the general info that I know, then comeback and edit my mistakes... It appears as if you already did. I will add more info, I'm trying to find the address cause I live near it Fizscy46 19:03?, 20 Aug 2003 {UTC)

I forgot to write a summary of changes; in any event, I edited the "status list" so that both A1 and A4 are listed as currently operating without adding a reference to a "return to service".--Nicsilo 04:11, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

What does the DI water leak have to do with waste? --SCStrikwerda (talk) 15:18, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

There is really no real reference as to what type of nuclear reactor is operating at Pickering ( only a mention of the name CANDU) and how it is vastly different to anything operating in the United States. You have to jump around through three web links to find a reference and even then you have to have previous knowledge of the CANDU heavy water Nuclear reactor design. People assume that the CANDU design is in the same league as say the Fukashima American designed reactors and it is not! The article needs some major links to the explanations for a heavy water nuclear reactor.

What about using {{Infobox NPP}} like this article has: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_Nuclear_Generating_Station ?? Altonbr (talk) 14:29, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Why are CANDU Zirconium BoilerTube failures omitted?

Here's my understanding from discussion with engineers & other elecricity people clients, as a local General Insurance Broker :

Under longterm intense radiation after ~20years of CANDU boasting the world's most efficient nuclear generation, the Zirconium tubes changed chemistry, failed and leaked. Operators were so confounded by this that, in trying to find the problem, they pushed the first 2 failed reactors to be unrepairable.

This caused major, time-consuming, co$tly zirconium boiler tube replacement repairs for Pickering reactors, then Darlington, then Bruce.

All of this drove up the price of electricity, causing:

- Ontario to be reputed to currently have highest rates in NorthAmerica

- Niagara, Hamilton & Brant to be de-industrialised, with heavy industry moving abroad for cheaper electricity over 2-3decades :

• Inco had 2,700 workers at PortColborne's electrolytic refinery in 1970;

• Prior to Pickering, consumers paid the rate charged by the generator that supplied them. NiagaraFalls SirAdamBeck1&2 plants attracted heavy industry because of those low rates.

• Pickering was designed to serve the Toronto-GTA region. However, Pickering was over-budget, hydro rates would rise for GTA, and the Ontario Tory Government was afraid that they would be defeated at election.

They therefore 'equalised' rates across Ontario : cheaper hydro rates in NorthernOntario and Niagara rose, while Toronto fell, and Toronto continued to elect Tory MPPs.

• However, heavy industry companies slowly adapted by moving-selling-buying elsewhere.

Instead of PortColborne, Inco transported its smelted Nickel ore from Sudbury to Thompson MB where they had another mine-refinery. (Heinz Ketchup blaimed high hydro when moving to USA from Leamington.)

• many people-parties blamed Mulroney's FreeTradeAgreement with USA, but the killer was

HIGH HYDRO RATES. Nuclear now supplies ~60% of Ontario electricity (Gridwatch) https://apps.apple.com/app/id536892685

• only 170 workers are left in PortColborne in 2026,

in the ~1974 $50M Cobalt refinery built just before Pickering Nuclear was fully onstream.

=> the PortColborne Refinery could likely be enlarged to refine Critical Minerals, if Canada mandates it, and is willing to pay the cost. The 1918 Inco refinery had a PreciousMetals department which also refined Gold, Silver, Platinum, etc. from Sudbury's ore; twas reputed to be so profitable that it paid for the entire operation of the refinery. -/-

- Ontario has committed to expand Nuclear Electricity :

• new CANDU plants with NO reports anywhere from OPG or Journalists on replacing Zirconium boiler tubes

• new, untested SmallModularReactors that won't be approved in USA until ~2035, and will work well for ~20years before the usual unexpected faults are found (CANDU, Fukushima, ThreeMileIsland, and ~50 more, starting with the first at ChalkRiver ~1952 that was fixed by USNavy officer Jimmy CARTER).

Where did the 1994 LOCA come from? Even Greenpeace had nothing on it on their website. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.112.169.35 (talk) 01:37, 9 March 2015 (UTC)

=> WHY don't we MANDATE SOLAR RETROFIT of OfficeBuildings & ParkingLots? InternationalEnergyAgency reports that RenewableEnergy is the cheapest source of electricity worldwide. (And yes, ALL energy has problems to solve-correct.)

PLEASE, add this to your list of Events-Problems of CANDU.

PS. I heard from a Korean Rotarian that they somehow improved CANDU, but haven't been able to learn how, or if that is to replace Zirconium. ~2026-15275-64 (talk) 18:59, 10 March 2026 (UTC)