In the goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions, the provincial government is funding $80-million for the Saskatchewan Research Council to pursue a microreactor in Saskatchewan. That includes the public engagement including Indigenous engagement, going through all of the licensing, looking for a test site and deploying it.

President and CEO of the SRC, Mike Crabtree says microreactors are not Small Modular Reactors. SMRs are actually much larger, but they are modular. He compares microreactors to a battery. It is fuelled and it lasts for eight to ten years before it has to be refuelled. The spent fuel will be the equivalent of three 200-litre drums, from powering a 3,000 home community for ten years. If successful, these microreactors could be used for industry or for remote communities. It’s an eVinci microreactor from Westinghouse Electric Company and the goal is to have it built by 2029.

Premier Scott Moe noted that a microreactor would replace 20-million litres of diesel fuel annually. He says, “This project has the opportunity to be transformative for our economy, industry and communities. Microreactors provide a custom solution for Saskatchewan’s unique energy needs.”