A historic engineering milestone has been achieved within the Durham Region following the successful lift and installation of a 2.1 million pound SMR unit basemat module at the Darlington New Nuclear Project. The announcement was made by Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Stephen Lecce, during the CNA2026 Conference in Ottawa, marking a pivotal moment for the province’s energy sector. This installation represents the first foundation of a new nuclear reactor to be built in Ontario in more than three decades, signaling a long-term commitment to clean, reliable power generation.
The execution of the lift for the 2.1 million pound SMR unit was a feat of modern engineering. Utilizing one of the world’s largest crawler cranes—the LR/LE 12500-1.0, which boasts a lifting capacity of up to 2,500 tons—the project team lowered the massive module with millimetre precision. To put the scale of the operation into perspective, the weight of the basemat module is the equivalent of more than three Airbus A380 airliners. With the foundation now securely in place for Unit 1, the construction phase will transition toward building the reactor’s internal systems, components, and the primary building structure.
Economic Impact and Supply Chain Growth
The development of the 2.1 million pound SMR unit is a massive economic driver for both the Durham Region and Canada at large. The project is expected to create approximately 18,000 jobs during its peak and add an estimated $38.5 billion to the national GDP over the next 65 years. A key component of the provincial strategy is ensuring that 80% of project spending is directed toward Ontario-based companies, sustaining roughly 3,800 high-skilled jobs for decades to come.
Currently, more than 100 Canadian companies have signed onto the SMR supply chain. Recent major contracts include:
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Walters Group (Hamilton): Awarded $44.5 million for structural steel.
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Marmon Industrial Water (Toronto): Awarded $17.8 million for a condensate purification package.
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Tractel (Scarborough): Awarded $9.9 million for the reactor building weather enclosure.
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Hooper Welding (Oakville): Awarded $8.8 million for sampling and collection tanks.
Community and Future Outlook
Beyond the technical achievements of the 2.1 million pound SMR unit, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is prioritizing collaborative relationships with the Williams Treaties First Nations. The project is exploring a first-of-its-kind equity partnership for nuclear energy generation in Canada, ensuring that local First Nations benefit directly from infrastructure built within their territories.
Once all four planned SMRs at the Darlington site are fully operational, they will produce a combined 1,200 megawatts of electricity—enough to power 1.2 million homes. With the Licence to Operate application filed for Unit 1 in March 2026, the project remains on a steady timeline to revolutionize the province’s energy grid while reinforcing Clarington’s role as a global leader in nuclear innovation.
