AtkinsRéalis wins contract to expand Ontario switching station

Key Takeaways:

• Hydro One has selected AtkinsRéalis to serve as Owner’s Engineer for the multi-year expansion of the Bowmanville Switching Station, which will support the grid connection of four Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) at OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project.
• The expansion will double the substation’s capacity, add 30–40 acres to the site, and include a new 500 kV switchyard and control building, aiming to relieve power congestion and meet rising electricity demand in southern Ontario.
• AtkinsRéalis continues to grow its power and renewables portfolio across Canada, with major roles on the Champlain Hudson Power Express, TES Canada’s green hydrogen hub, and Rio Tinto’s Isle-Maligne hydropower refurbishment.

The Whole Story:

AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. has been selected by Hydro One Networks Inc. to provide multi-year Owner’s Engineer services for the expansion of the Bowmanville Switching Station, which will support grid connection of four Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) planned for Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington New Nuclear Project.

The substation expansion will double capacity and extend the site by an anticipated 30 to 40 acres, relieving power congestion along transmission corridors in the region. The work includes installation of a new 500 kilovolt switchyard, breakers, disconnect switches, and a multi-purpose building to house control and protection equipment. Completion is planned before all four SMRs come online.

The project addresses growing electricity demand in southern Ontario, driven by population growth and infrastructure projects including GO Transit electrification and the Ontario Line, which are anticipated to add 100 megawatts of demand to Toronto’s system alone.

“Transmission and distribution infrastructure is one of the backbones of Ontario’s significant electricity build-out program and requires sustained expansion,” said Stéphanie Vaillancourt, President, Canada, AtkinsRéalis, in a news release. “Building on our extensive national portfolio of transmission and distribution work, this mandate exemplifies how we win and deliver work with our differentiated end-to-end capabilities, while strengthening our relationship with Hydro One.”

AtkinsRéalis will provide engineering, project and program management services. The company is currently executing several major power and renewables projects in Canada, including an Owner’s Engineer role on the Champlain Hudson Power Express project—a 545-kilometre buried cable transmission line carrying 1,250 megawatts of clean power from Quebec to New York City—and engineering and design services for TES Canada’s Projet Mauricie green hydrogen hub in Quebec, which will produce up to 70,000 tonnes per year.

The company said in a news release that it is also providing project management for the refurbishment of Rio Tinto’s Isle-Maligne hydropower plant in Alma, Quebec.