The governments of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick have agreed to a joint strategic plan for deploying small modular reactors, also known as SMRs. The plan highlights that these SMRs can provide safe, reliable, zero-emissions energy while creating new opportunities to export Canadian knowledge about these SMRs around the world.
The report identifies five key priority areas which include positioning Canada as an exporter of global SMR technology, promoting a strong nuclear regulatory framework that focuses on health and safety of the public and the environment, securing federal government commitments for financial and policy support, creating opportunities for participation from Indigenous communities and for public public engagement, and working with the federal government and nuclear operators on a robust nuclear waste management plan.
Minister responsible for SaskPower, Don Morgan, stresses that a decision won’t happen for several years, after engagement with the public and Indigenous leaders and communities and other stakeholders.
He notes that SaskPower’s four year collaboration with Ontario Power Generation around SMR technologies to assess designs for fleet-based deployment has laid a strong foundation for nuclear power, which will support deep reductions in Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net zero by 2050.
QUICK FACTS:
-SMRs are scalable and versatile nuclear reactors that typically produce 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity or less. They can support large established grids, small grids, remote off-grid communities and resource projects.
-A 300 MW SMR could generate enough clean electricity each year to power 300,000 homes.
-In December 2021, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy was named Ontario Power Generation’s technology development partner to deploy Canada’s first grid-scale SMR at their Darlington new nuclear site.
-Global First Power, a joint venture between Ontario Power Generation and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, is proposing to build a 5 MW micro-SMR project at the federally owned Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario. The project is intended to demonstrate feasibility for off-grid applications, such as remote mines.
-SMRs can provide stable baseload clean energy to complement renewable energy sources such as wind and solar
-Advanced SMRs can offer a source of both clean electricity and heat energy (co-generation) for clean fuel production such as hydrogen for residential applications and heavy transport, ammonia, and synthetic fuels for transportation, as well as for heavy industry such as chemical, cement, steel, aluminum, mining, desalination and oil sands.
-Micro (off-grid) SMRs can be used to displace diesel generation used in mining in remote areas, and heat and electricity generation in northern remote communities.
Click here for the full agreement: Interprovincial SMR MOU
