New Brunswick's sole nuclear power facility, the Point Lepreau Generating Station, has resumed electricity production after a planned maintenance shutdown that lasted approximately five months. The return to service of this critical infrastructure piece marks a significant moment for the province's energy security and its carbon-free power generation capacity.
Extended Outage for Refueling and Upgrades
The outage, which began in mid-2025, was a scheduled event for the CANDU-6 reactor. This extensive period was used to conduct vital refueling, safety inspections, and component replacements that are essential for the long-term, reliable operation of the plant. Such planned maintenance is a standard part of the lifecycle for nuclear facilities, ensuring they operate within the strictest safety parameters set by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
While the specific technical details of the work completed are often proprietary, outages of this nature typically involve replacing a portion of the reactor's fuel bundles, performing non-destructive testing on key systems like pressure tubes, and upgrading instrumentation and control systems. The five-month timeline aligns with the complex and meticulous nature of this work.
Impact on the Provincial and Regional Grid
The return of Point Lepreau to the grid is a major boost for New Brunswick's power supply. The plant is a cornerstone of the province's electricity system, capable of generating approximately 705 megawatts of baseload power—enough to supply hundreds of thousands of homes. Its output is a significant source of non-emitting electricity, which is crucial for New Brunswick's and Canada's climate goals.
During the outage, NB Power, the provincial utility that operates the station, would have relied more heavily on other sources in its generation mix. This can include the Belledune coal-fired plant, natural gas facilities, and power imports from neighbouring provinces and the New England states. The plant's return helps stabilize the grid and reduces reliance on potentially more expensive or higher-emission alternatives.
A Key Asset for Atlantic Canada's Energy Future
Point Lepreau's operational status is not just a provincial matter. As the only nuclear power plant in Atlantic Canada, it plays a strategic role in the region's interconnected electricity market. Its reliable, large-scale output contributes to grid stability across the Maritimes.
The successful completion of this maintenance outage and the plant's return to service underscore the ongoing role of existing nuclear assets in the transition to a cleaner energy grid. As debates continue about future small modular reactors (SMRs) in New Brunswick, the performance and reliability of the existing Point Lepreau station remain a focal point for the province's energy policy and economic planning. The focus now shifts to the plant's performance as it resumes its place as a workhorse of New Brunswick's power generation fleet.
