$110M in contracts awarded for small modular reactor

Key Takeaways:

• Ontario awarded 14 manufacturing contracts worth more than $110 million in provincial GDP to GTHA firms for the Darlington New Nuclear Project.
• The procurement package includes structural steel from Hooper Welding, specialized pumps from Armstrong Fluid Technology and Celeros Flow Technology, and concrete from St. Marys Cement.
• The four SMRs will deliver 1,200 MW of power to supply 1.2 million homes, backed by an 80% domestic spending mandate with Ontario-based suppliers.

The Whole Story:

The Ontario government has awarded 14 manufacturing contracts to suppliers across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) to supply critical components for the Group of Seven’s first commercial small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP).

Announced Nov. 6 in Scarborough, the procurement package will inject more than $110 million into Ontario’s gross domestic product while securing essential mechanical and structural equipment—including pumps, transformers, and specialized structural steel—for the nuclear expansion. The province has structured procurement terms with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to ensure that 80% of total project capital is spent with domestic suppliers.

The contracts tap into local manufacturers to supply the first of four planned GE Hitachi BWRX-300 SMR units at the site in Clarington, Ont.. Among the recipients, Scarborough-based Armstrong Fluid Technology secured a $3.9-million contract to fabricate a pumphouse enclosure and pump assemblies, while Oakville-based Hooper Welding is supplying structural module steel, and Burlington’s Celeros Flow Technology is manufacturing specialized control rod drive pumps. Toronto-based St. Marys Cement will supply concrete and manage an on-site, high-density batch plant for the build.

Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce positioned the project as a domestic countermeasure against U.S. cross-border trade tariffs, noting that nuclear infrastructure investments create secure, captive markets for Canadian steel, concrete, and advanced manufacturing. Lecce stated that building the first SMR in the G7 secures an export advantage that will support broader international deployments, including supply chain partnerships already signed to build SMR equipment in Ontario for European markets.

Once fully built out, the four SMRs at Darlington will generate 1,200 megawatts of electricity—enough to power approximately 1.2 million homes—while adding an estimated $38.5 billion to Canada’s GDP over their 65-year lifespan. The development is backed by a $1-billion provincial allocation from the Building Ontario Fund and $2 billion in federal support through the Canada Growth Fund.