Why does Saskatchewan want small modular nuclear reactors?

Saskatchewan wants to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, despite the federal government's insistence it be reached by 2035. The province's solution is nuclear power.

SaskPower says there are no immediate plans to pursue larger nuclear reactors. Instead, it's exploring the implementation ofsmall modular reactors (SMRs).

SMRs have never been deployed in Canada, but Saskatchewan is among several provinces exploring usingthem.

Estevan has been identified as the location for a potential nuclear power plant in Saskatchewan, but afinal decision on whether anSMRwill be built in the province is not expected until 2029.If approved, construction could begin as early as 2030, with the first SMR in Saskatchewan becoming operational as soon as 2034.

What is a small modular reactor?

SMRs, like all nuclear reactors, use fission to produce energy.

An SMR isnot a single specific type of reactor. It's a catch-all term that describes a "vast number of technologies," according to Dave Novog, a professor of engineering research at McMasterUniversity.

"Some are cooled with exotic coolants like molten lead. Some look very much like a large reactor, just scaled down. So they come in all shapes and sizes," Novog said.

SMRs are physically smaller than existing technologyandhavesmaller outputs. TheInternational Atomic Energy Agency considers reactors to be small if their output is under 300 megawatts. That's enough topower300,000 homes and roughly one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power generators.

The "M" in SMRstands for"modular," or made up of modules. That means they'll be assembled inpieces in factoriesand transportedby flatbedtrucks or trains towhere they areneeded.

SaskPowerhas already partnered with GE Hitachi on the design, fuel-sourcing and fabrication for a BWRX-300 reactor, the type thatwas originally selected in 2022.

While SaskPoweris looking at SMRs to supplement larger population centres and industrial sites, the Saskatchewan Research Council is exploring nuclear-powered microreactors for remote northern communities.Microreactors can produce 20 megawatts of energy, have a lifespan of eight years, and could power up to 5,000homes in remote areas.

The province pledged$80 million forthe research council topursue licensing fees for nuclear projects.

The Saskatchewan Research Council has selected a eVinci microreactor, which will be built byWestinghouse Electric Company.

If everything goes to plan, the microreactor will be operational by 2029. A location has yet to be selected.

WATCH |Saskatchewan is looking to build a small modular reactor. Here's why:

Saskatchewan is looking to build a small modular reactor. Here's why.

3 months ago

Duration 1:56

A final decision on whether an SMR will be built in the province is not expected until 2029. If approved, construction could begin as early as 2030, with the first SMR in Saskatchewan becoming operational as soon as 2034. CBC Saskatchewan reporter Alexander Quon explains why the province is looking to set one up in the first place.

What currently exists?

Justtwoprovinces currentlyuse nuclear power plants in Canada.

New BrunswickhasPoint Lepreau and Ontario has three plants: Pickering, Darlingtonand Bruce. Nineteen nuclear power reactors are split between the four locations.

All of the existing nuclear reactors operating in Canada employ Canadian deuterium uranium (Candu) reactors.

The technology, which was first deployed in the 1960s, uses uranium as fuel andheavy water, ordeuterium,as a coolant and moderator.

The existing Candugeneratorsproduce between 500 MW and 600 MW, depending on the model.

No new large nuclear plants havebeen built in Canada since the Darlington plant came online in the early '90s.

As of 2021, nuclear power generation accounted for approximately 14 per cent of Canada's electricity,according to Natural Resources Canada.

How will SMRs bedifferent?

Novog said the biggest differencebetween the country's existing Candutechnology and the SMRs being considered in Saskatchewan is that the new reactors will rely onenriched uranium.

The existing Candureactors weredeveloped with a conscious decision to not use enriched uranium, according to Novog. In the 1960s it was decided that Canada shouldnot be reliant on another country to serve as a source of enriched uranium.

Canada doeshavevast reserves of uranium, but does not enrich it.

"It's not a technology that we've chosen to pursue," said Novog.

Most SMRsdo use enriched uranium, which will require Saskatchewan to purchase it from other countries such as the United States, France or the U.K.

Arthur Situm is the Canada Research Chair on SMR safety and an assistant professor at the University of Regina.

He said the province will have time to build up the knowledge and expertise needed as the new SMRs are being built.

"If you're thinking about what [Saskatchewan Research Council] is going to have to do in terms of hiring, SaskPower, Westinghouse, Cameco,there's a lot of opportunities there. And so it's really great to be at the forefront of that, trying to train up the next generation of students to work in this industry," Situm recently told media.

Situmand two otherresearchers at the U of R received$580,000 in funding from Innovation Saskatchewanto advance nuclear science and subatomic physics.

Situmwill use $200,000 from Innovation Saskatchewanto study rust and corrosion prevention on nuclear reactors.

Why does Saskatchewan want this?

SaskPower says large nuclear reactors would put too much of the province's power generation in one spot,which would meantoo big an impact onthe province's grid if there were planned or unplanned outages there.

That's why SMRsare "well suited" for Saskatchewan, the Crown corporation says.

"They match the size of our largest existing generation units," said SaskPower.

Novog agreed, saying that having new generators be the same size as what they're meant to replace will make it easy to manage the power grid.

"If you tried to build a very extremely large Candureactor in Saskatchewan, the grid might not be able to tolerate such a very large source of electricity in one specific location," Novog said.