14 GTHA Firms Land Contracts for Darlington's First SMR Build
Fourteen Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) companies now hold contracts to build the G7’s first small modular reactor at Ontario’s Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP), Daily Commercial News reports.
Market Impact
The Ontario government announced the awards as part of a push to open new markets for tariff-impacted sectors. A government release quoted by DCN says “global uncertainty and U.S. tariffs put pressure on the province’s key industries,” and that the DNNP is creating demand for steel and concrete producers in particular.
Two awardees are named. Oakville-based Hooper Welding is supplying steel for the structural modules used to build the DNNP. Toronto-based St. Mary’s Cement is supplying concrete and operating a high-density concrete batch plant for the project. The source does not name the other 12 awardees and gives no contract values, so no package-size estimate is possible.
The 14 contracts sit within a larger supply chain. More than 100 Canadian companies have already signed agreements with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to deliver this first-of-a-kind project. Velan has planned a Durham Region facility to build safety valves for SMRs in Europe, and BWXT Canada has signed an agreement to manufacture SMR components in Ontario for Poland. When complete, the four SMR units at the DNNP will deliver 1,200 megawatts, enough for roughly 1.2 million homes. That works out to an average of 300 MW per unit.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Structural steel and welding shops: Hooper Welding is supplying steel for the structural modules. Fabricators, welders, coating shops and haulers in the GTHA should approach Hooper about overflow or specialty work. Module-based construction usually needs more shop capacity than one supplier holds, though the source does not say Hooper plans to subcontract.
- Concrete, formwork and rebar trades: St. Mary’s Cement will operate a high-density concrete batch plant for the project. Placing, finishing, formwork, rebar and trucking crews should expect their concrete supply to run through that plant. Aggregate and admixture suppliers should contact St. Mary’s directly.
- Find the other 12 awardees: The source does not name them, so check the Ontario government release and OPG’s supplier announcements for the full list. Those 14 firms are your first targets for tier-2 fabrication, install and site-services work.
- The 100-plus OPG agreement holders: Companies that signed agreements with OPG may also hire subs. Ask them whether they have open scopes at Darlington. The source gives no bid dates or schedule.
- Four units, 1,200 MW: The scope covers four SMR units averaging 300 MW each. The source does not say whether the 14 contracts cover all four units. Ask each awardee whether its scope repeats across units, since crews and quality procedures proven on unit one could carry over.
- Machining, valve and component shops: Velan’s planned Durham Region valve facility and BWXT Canada’s Ontario manufacturing for Poland point to a regional nuclear supply chain. Precision machining, testing and inspection firms near Durham Region should target those two companies.
