The government of Canada released its Canadian Small Modular Reactor Roadmap November 7, saying SMRs represent the next wave of innovation in nuclear energy technology. SMRs are designed to be built at a smaller scale than traditional nuclear reactors, with lower up-front capital costs and enhanced safety features. They have potential to provide non-emitting energy in a wide range of applications, such as grid-scale electricity generation and heavy industry, including in remote communities.
The Department of Natural Resources convened a range of interested provinces, territories, power utilities, Indigenous communities and other stakeholders to support the development of the roadmap. The Roadmap is a result of a 10-month engagement process with the industry and potential end-users, including Indigenous and northern communities and heavy industry. It includes over 50 recommendations in areas such as waste management, regulatory readiness and international engagement. It also highlights the need for ongoing engagement with civil society, northern and Indigenous communities and environmental organizations. The Roadmap arose out of last year’s Generation Energy consultation process – billed as the largest national conversation about energy in Canada’s history.
Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, NuScale Power announced November 27 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Bruce Power L.P. to develop a business case to introduce NuScale’s SMR technology to the Canadian market.
“Bringing NuScale’s safe, scalable, economic and carbon-free reactor to Canadian customers makes sense both from an energy and business perspective and we are thrilled to have the support of leading power generator Bruce Power as we make this case,” said NuScale Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Hopkins. “Bruce Power’s expertise in managing nuclear plants as a private company adds additional valuable experience as we move into the Canadian market.”
Through the agreement, Bruce Power will support evaluation, planning and licensing activities, all of which will serve an important role in “demonstrating the business case for why NuScale’s technology is the right choice for Ontario and Canada.” This will include studies on the impacts of deployment of a NuScale plant in the province, feasibility studies for proposed SMR sites, and other risk evaluation exercises to show how SMR deployment can benefit Canadians.
In May 2018, Bruce Power and the County of Bruce announced a partnership to establish the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII) as an international centre of excellence for applied research and training, which will evaluate applications for new nuclear technologies including SMRs.
The announcement follows an MOU that NuScale signed earlier this month with Ontario Power Generation Inc. to support NuScale in its vendor design review with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.