We’re barely into 2026 and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ (CNL) Douglas Point team has already reached its largest milestone to date: the completion of the first of five phases in a multi-decade decommissioning project, that began in 2021.
There is a momentum behind nuclear energy at the moment, “At CNL, our research is essential to Canada’s role in a nuclear renaissance, and our decommissioning work is just as essential,” stated James Miller, Vice-President of Decommissioning and Waste Management at CNL. “We are taking care of the legacy, which created the path for the current and future nuclear industry.”
Douglas Point, Canada’s first full-scale commercial nuclear generating station is the cornerstone of that legacy. This facility is owned by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) with CNL performing the decommissioning on their behalf.
“AECL is very pleased with the progress CNL has made in the remediation mission to complete the removal of all buildings from the Douglas Point site over the next decade”, said Jim McCafferty, AECL’s Director of Decommissioning Oversight for the Offsite Reactors.
Construction of the Turbine Building began in the 1960s
The first phase of the project focused on non-nuclear buildings, and included two large structures and several smaller ones. Demolition began with the East Steam Lines, followed by the Steam Bridge, then the two storey Administration Building and finally the Ancillary Building. In late 2024, the team began preliminary demolition of the four storey Turbine Building. This work included the removal of the 127,006 kilograms gantry crane and a concrete turbine pedestal made up of approximately 4.5 million kilograms of concrete and rebar, which was all recycled.
A combination of CNL staff and contractors supported the non-nuclear decommissioning work. Along the way, this team encountered several challenges, from lightning storms, blizzards, and high winds typical along the shores of Lake Huron, to unanticipated finds during the characterization campaign and the removal of significant hazardous waste (more than 804,000 kilograms of asbestos, PCBs, and lead).
While inclement weather was anticipated, the team also made an interesting and unexpected discovery linked to Douglas Point’s lakeside location.
“We found a Hydrographic Service Marker on the roof of the Turbine Building,” notes Reg Thompson, a lead on the decommissioning team. “This indicates the Canadian Hydrographic Service completed some shoreline charting using the Douglas Point facility.”
The project has generated valuable lessons that will benefit future decommissioning work across the nuclear industry, including the importance of retaining configuration management, conducting thorough characterization particularly for hazardous material abatement, and adapting demolition techniques to site-specific conditions.
As a legacy facility, with various occupants following the reactor shutdown, the team first had to ensure the non-nuclear buildings were mechanically and electrically isolated before dismantling. This included perimeter trenching, installation of a new power system to ensure this isolation, as well as tie outs and air gapping of general services – such as sewage, firewater and domestic water – from the wider Bruce nuclear site. Once configuration management was re-established by the team, they could proceed with the demolition confident that worker safety was fully protected.
Spraying water minimizes dust during decommissioning of the Administration Building
Although the first work package involved non-nuclear buildings, the project’s extensive sampling and analysis throughout the buildings – referred to as characterization – ensured waste was sorted, segregated, and appropriately managed according to its type. This enabled the effective application of CNL’s waste-minimization strategy, resulting in more than 95 per cent of non-hazardous materials being diverted from the landfill. For the demolition of the Administration Building alone, 686,705 kilogram of metal and concrete were reused or recycled. Wherever possible, the project engaged local and small businesses for scrap metal recycling, and leveraged the broader nuclear supply chain for decontamination services and support, amplifying opportunities for reuse.
During early characterization, a few localized building contamination areas were discovered, and the project team was able to swiftly deal with these hazards prior to building demolition to safeguard workers. This activity emphasizes the importance of the extensive sampling campaigns.
Demolition of the Turbine Building required particular care from the team due to its proximity to nuclear structures, including the Reactor Building and the Spent Fuel Canister Area. Early planning activities helped minimize impact with measures such as installing a vibration monitoring system, using diamond wire cutting for large concrete structures, and removing the gantry crane in three controlled lifts.
The vibration monitoring system has now been operating at the site for the past 16 months, logging all site vibration data with real-time alerts. This system provides baseline data on how site vibrations are transmitted to critical structures, like the Reactor Building and the Spent Fuel Canister Area, ensuring demolition activities are carefully managed. Its integration ultimately allowed the use of larger demolition equipment that had initially been considered unsuitable, an important win for both the current project and future decommissioning activities.
Turbine Building demolition began in late 2024
“The milestone achieved at Douglas Point reflects more than technical excellence, it reflects an unwavering commitment to safe work practices,” emphasized George Al Haddad, CNL’s Director of Reactor Decommissioning, “Every decision, every innovation, and every adjustment in our approach has been anchored in protecting our people. In a project of this scale and complexity, safety isn’t just a priority; it is the culture that guides us. I am immensely proud of how our team continues to demonstrate that complex decommissioning can be done methodically, responsibly, and above all, safely.”
A small number of follow-up activities remain for the non-nuclear decommissioning work, including grading the footprints of the Administration Building and the Turbine Building, which is planned for completion in the spring.
With some work running in parallel, the Douglas Point team has already begun the next two phases: decommissioning the nuclear support buildings and removing internal systems from the Reactor Building. Before 2030, CNL will apply for a licence amendment to proceed with the last two phases: the SArea and the Reactor Building, including the reactor core.
“I’m beyond proud of the people working on this project, at CNL and with our contractors,” stated Joe Holstead, Decommissioning Manager, “There has been an incredible commitment to worker safety and ingenuity. I’ve seen the team apply out-of-the-box thinking countless times over the past few years.”
Decommissioning may not attract the same attention as new nuclear builds, but projects like Douglas Point demonstrate the nuclear industry’s ability to manage legacy facilities safely, responsibly and on schedule. That capability, grounded in safety, excellence and teamwork is essential to building trust and supporting the future of nuclear energy in Canada.
Douglas Point team members recognized for internal safety award during decommissioning project
