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if <3 w 7& Êr JL rS 11 Ah p/ril im - y us * PL € , n w ini pj w &'pT * S I V 0 Ë fJgy m oi_ r M fiir^W (The Cmrn&mn Statesman Wednesday, July 20,1983 As construction activity activity at Ontario Hydro's Darlington Nuclear Generating Station increases, increases, so does the public's interest in the $12 billion project. So far this year, approximately approximately 2,200 have toured Canada's largest construction project located located just west of Bow- manville. Sue Stickley, community community relations officer for Ontario Hydro, explains explains that one of the reasons for the growing interest is the fact that the site is more visible now from Highway 401. "As the plant progresses, progresses, people find it's more interesting to see," she said. It takes a tour of the Darlington project to fully understand the magnitude of the work underway. Ontario Hydro is offering offering the public a chance to visit the site seven days a week, from nine a.m. to four p.m. Tour starts at the Darlington Darlington Generating Station Station information centre on Holt Rd. Words can't completely completely describe the size of the Darlington project. To liken it to the building building of the pyramids in Egypt or the Great Wall of China may be melodramatic, melodramatic, but the comparison comparison would not be entirely entirely out of place. For example, it will take enough concrete to build 15 CN Towers to complete the Darlington Generating Station. The electrical cables being installed at the site would be sufficient to stretch around the world 20 times. And the project currently currently employs about 2,700. Recent construction highlights include completion completion of the 940-metre intake tunnel which will transport cooling water from Lake Ontario to condensers in the station. station. The passageway is about the diameter of a subway tunnel. Installation of two 232 tonne cranes in the main turbine hall is another highlight. In addition, workers continue the preparation preparation of the vacuum building for the pouring of exterior walls and there is continued work on concrete in foundations foundations and walls. The first structural steel is being erected in the turbine hall and in places this steel is at the full height of the building building (45 metres). Ontario Hydro expects expects the number of employees employees at the Darlington Darlington site to peak at 2,900 by December 1983 and this peak will continue through to 1986. Darlington will house four 850,000 kilowatt nuclear reactors when completed in 1982. When a new information information centre is completed next year, Ontario Hydro hopes to welcome even more visitors to its Darlington site. Miss Stickley explains that the information centre will overlook the generating station so that visitors can watch the work in progress. Ontario Hydro plans to approve a contract for the information centre this summer. Areas where concrete will be poured are a maze of reinforcing bars. zf CSoror/ Steel is being erected at the 45-metre turbine hall Generating Station. The steel is visible now from which will run the length of the Darlington Highway 401. The turbine hall is shown behind these cement which will be used to generate electricity. trucks. It's the future location of the steam turbines This truck and dragline are working on the harbor at the Darlington development. The harbor will be used for moving large pieces of equipment to the station, including the inner cores of the nuclear reactors. V Photos and Story by Peter Parrott Foundations of the Darlington Generating Station are a hive of activity, To date, enough concrete has been poured to build three CN Towers. The completed project will need enough cement for 15 structures the size of the CN Tower. Robin Balch takes a reading at the site of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. He's one of approximately 2,700 employees currently working at the site. While visitors may not get quite as good a view of the construction as the persons who work there, tours through the site are conducted daily from the Ontario Hydro information centre on Holt Rd. The centre is open from nine a.m. to 4p.m. Progress continues on the vacuum building. Workmen are currently preparing to pour the exterior walls of the structure.