While Albertans were waiting on King Ralph for his non-plan plans, he died. Now we not only have no non plan, we no longer have the no plan non planner.
PS “Clean” is the new “natural.”
Art Berman@aeberman12 July 1, 2024:
Key Point: there are no SMRs
This announcement is a revision of plans for design of as-yet imaginary SMRs.
France’s EDF to redraft small modular reactor design amid cost, technology concerns by America Hernandez, July 1, 2024, Reuters
PARIS, July 1 (Reuters) – French state-owned utility EDF will switch to using existing technologies for the design of its small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) rather than continuing to develop its own innovations, the company said on Monday.
EDF did not say what the budget impact would be of redrafting its design after four years of work, nor whether it would delay the rollout of its SMRs, which had been advertised as being ready for market in the 2030s.
A source at Nuward, EDF’s subsidiary designing the SMRs, told Reuters the decision to go back to the drawing board came after talks with prospective clients such as Vattenfall, CEZ and Fortum, who are examining investments in both third-generation full-size nuclear plants and the yet-to-be-built small-scale reactors.
Those potential buyers need security that promised costs won’t balloon and delivery deadlines will be met — and are more willing to invest in a product based on proven technologies to ensure the levelised cost of electricity for the SMRs would be in the range of 70 to 100 euros per megawatt-hour, the source said.
EDF said in an emailed statement that its SMR design subsidiary Nuward had reached the basic design phase, in which the engineering teams were able to study the complete model of the plant in more detail, and that at this point EDF had decided to “evolve the design”.
“The reorientation consists of developing a design built exclusively from proven technological bricks. It will offer better conditions for success by facilitating technical feasibility,” an EDF spokesperson said via email.
SMRs are smaller-sized nuclear reactors, billed as cheaper and quicker to roll out than full-size models, which can take decades to build.
They are primarily aimed at replacing coal-fired plants or providing localized electricity for small industrial sites or remote municipalities.Caveman jurisdictions like Alberta want to make taxpayers fund SMRs for industry to use to melt down (steam) bitumen in the tarsands
A new plan of action on design choice should come in several months, the Nuward source said.
EDF’s public statement comes after French investigative outlet L’Informé reported, citing company sources, that the internal SMR design was being scrapped after encountering engineering difficulties, and that EDF would have to partner with other companies or use off-the-shelf technologies to avoid delays or budget overruns.
Nuward had received innovation-related state subsidies to develop its technology.
EDF has also signed agreements with companies across Europe to develop SMRs alongside conventional large reactors.
Comments to me a few years ago by a Canadian scientist on SMRs:
More depressing info re Canada government support for Small Modular Reactors https://smractionplan.ca/content/government-canada
The feds are putting in 50 million for this madness It’s fresh money laundering: Gov’t stealing from the people to give to industry for squirting some lemons.
Two small reactors will be built one molten salt cooled and the other molten sodium. Molten sodium explodes violently when exposed to water. It will ignite and burn hot enough to melt metal when a small leak sprays it into air. It happened in the Monju reactor in Japan that operated only for about 2 hours. Both molten salt and sodium will easily solidify terminating the flow of the primary coolant. Both coolants will be extremely dangerous from fission products and activation products. Both require fuel reprocessing to use either plutonium or enriched uranium as fuel. Both will have horrendous waste streams both from the reactor and from reprocessing.
How will they decommission them? No such reactor has ever worked yet. They are and will be huge money pits. The propaganda has started to flow. US scam interests are promoting this and the feds and province have fallen for it and are dumping in money.
When I was the plant radiation and industrial safety officer at Pinawa they told me to dispose of some sodium. I had a fist sized chunk and a paint can full. I threw the chunk into the sewage lagoon. It skipped around exploding and shooting flames 30 feet in the air. It was spectacular. Just a fist sized chunk. I had protective services shoot the paint can off a floating board I pushed out. It sank and exploded like a depth charge shaking the ground and shooting flames 50 feet high with a huge wave. Can you imagine what a reactor full of liquid sodium and deadly fission products can do? This is madness. A huge new cesspool. What is wrong with these people. Too many battles to fight. Is anyone sane?
PEGGY CAMERON: Trudeau making mistake investing in nuclear research by Peggy Cameron, May 11, 2021, Saltwire
Peggy Cameron is vice-president of Black River Wind Ltd. She lives in Halifax.
Nova Scotia’s provincial government sensibly banned uranium mining in 1981. A later provincial government sensibly extended the ban in 2009. Sensibly, because it was one of those unusual times when the provincial government followed the will of the majority of Nova Scotians who oppose both uranium mining and nuclear energy.
We should all be concerned that the Trudeau government is spending $50.5 million on small nuclear reactor research in New Brunswick for 48 jobs and a promise of energy sometime in the 2030s. According to a recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, small nuclear power plants are no use in the climate crisis; they are unsafe, costly, unproven and clearly linked to military weapons manufacturing. https://climatenewsnetwork.net/small-nuclear-power-plants-no-use-in-climate-crisis/
Why are we Canadian taxpayers underwriting this disproven technology that “has fundamental safety and security disadvantages compared with other low-carbon sources?”
All the better to frac us with nuclear’s deadly waste?
Money spent on cheaper, proven, quicker low-carbon solutions could immediately benefit Canadians by putting electricity on the grid now — not making promises of “maybe” in the 2030s. Any of the proven technologies (solar, wind, energy efficiency) or improving the transmission grid in New Brunswick to import Quebec hydroelectricity and shut down Nova Scotia’s coal-fired stations would be a better use of public money and create at least the 48 jobs that the small nuke research project promises.
The idea of citizens’ taxes going to experimental small nuclear seems especially short-sighted knowing that the Canadian government under former prime minister Stephen Harper sold Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL) to SNC-Lavalin for $15 million. That was after decades of government subsidies. These publicly funded gifts continued even to the end. As part of the sale / divestment, the feds gave $75 million to complete development of a new reactor — enhanced CANDU 6.
To see Canada reverse its ban on extracting plutonium — a key ingredient for nuclear weapons — from used nuclear fuel, tout it as recycling and sink $50.5 million of citizens’ tax dollars into testing nuclear tech makes as much sense as buying pipelines and subsidizing fossil fuels to achieve higher GHG emissions reductions.
Canada is one of the most flagrant climate offenders of this century. We may think we’re doing ok but we’re the only G7 country that is still emitting GHG emissions way above 1990 levels — at 21 per cent more. Compare that to the U.S., which is on par with its 1990 levels, the 27 EU countries, now 25 per cent below 1990 levels, or the U.K., which is at 42 per cent below 1990 levels, and it’s evident that Canada’s contradictory climate policy isn’t working.
Time to stop with the “we can have our cake and eat it too” and get serious on where we invest time and money.
Canadian government invests in SMR project by World Nuclear News, 18 March 2021
The Canadian government has announced investments totalling just over CAD56 million (USD45 million) to support the development of small modular reactor (SMR) research and technology in New Brunswick. The package includes an investment of CAD50.5 million in Moltex Energy Ltd to develop its 300 MW Stable Salt Reactor-Wasteburner (SSR-W). Meanwhile, a new report has underlined the potential economic benefits from SMRs for Canadian provinces.
Look at that! They’re all men, white men, mostly old white men:
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Left to right: Mayor of Saint John, New Brunswick Don Darling, Blaine Higgs, Rory O’Sullivan, Member of Parliament Wayne Long, and University of New Brunswick. president and vice-chancellor Paul Mazerolle at today’s announcement (Image: Moltex)
Moltex Energy intends to build a 300 MW Stable Salt Reactor-Wasteburner (SSR-W) and WAste To Stable Salt (WATSS) facility at the Point Lepreau site in Saint John, New Brunswick, aiming for grid connection by the early 2030s.
Dominic LeBlanc, president of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, announced the investment on behalf of Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne and Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) Mélanie Joly. SMRs could represent the “next great opportunity” towards Canada’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, he said, and at the same time providing economic opportunities and jobs.Pffft. None of it’s believable.
“This investment will help develop and validate SMR technology, secure the establishment of the industry here in New Brunswick, and also establish a first-of-a-kind, world-class clean ??? clean ??? energy system that can be used in Canada but also around the world,” he said. Moltex’s reactor – which will recycle existing used nuclear fuel to produce clean energy – will also have the potential to reduce waste storage needs, he added.
Moltex CEO for North America Rory O’Sullivan said the company was “extremely grateful” to the federal government for its support.To be sure
“We are significantly closer to our goal of new clean energy generation, and the many economic ??????????????????? and environmental ??????? benefits that come with it,” he said.
The major portion of the funding to Moltex – CAD47.5 million – is through the Canadian government’s Strategic Innovation Fund. The company is to match these funds dollar-for-dollar and, as part of the investment, has committed to creating and maintaining 48 full-time jobs. CAD3 million is provided through the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation programme. The full amount will be used to progress the SSR-W and WATSS designs and validate key assumptions to support the second phase of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s Pre-Licensing Vendor Design Review, the company said.
Always remember, commitments by industry mean nothing! “Commitment” is code for “give us more money” to help us try to reach our fantasies while paying us for our lies and greed.
LeBlanc also announced two investments through the ACOA: CAD4.999 million to help NB Power prepare the Point Lepreau site for SMR deployment and demonstration; and CAD0.6 million to expand the capacity of the University of New Brunswick’s Centre for Nuclear Energy Research to support SMR technology development in the province.
Advanced Reactor Concepts’ ARC-100 sodium-cooled fast reactor has also been selected for implementation at Point Lepreau and the companies last year agreed to set up an SMR vendor cluster in New Brunswick.
“The best way to ensure that Canada, specifically New Brunswick, becomes a leader in advanced small modular reactor development is through continued engagement and partnerships,” New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs said. “Two years ago, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ontario and Saskatchewan, committing to collaborate on the development of SMRs, right here in Canada. By investing in SMRs, not only are we supporting the development of local expertise but we are also helping to create a critical mass to attract the best talent, which will enable other companies in our province to grow. I am confident this technology could help us create a more prosperous and sustainable tomorrow for future generations.”
Economic benefits
The Canadian government’s announcement came the day after the publication of a study that found that building SMRs in Ontario and Saskatchewan would create jobs, increase provincial revenues and help ensure the necessary supply of zero-emissions, non-intermittent and cost-competitive energy. The Conference Board of Canada study, A New Power: Economic Impacts of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors in Electricity Grids, looked at the impacts of deployment of SMRs from 2021 onwards.
This paragraph is a nice dream:According to the study, a 300 MWe grid-scale SMR built in Ontario and operated for 60 years would create direct and related employment including nearly 700 jobs during project development, over 1600 jobs during manufacturing and construction, over 200 jobs during operations, and about 160 jobs during decommissioning. It would add over CAD2.5 billion to gross domestic product and result in an increase of provincial revenues of over CAD870 million.
Ontario Power Generation CEO Ken Hartwick said the study “reinforces what we at OPG already knew: that nuclear power is integral to our low-carbon future and SMRs are the flexible, scalable answer to some of the most complex energy questions.” The company in November 2020 announced the resumption of planning activities for building new generation capacity at its Darlington site where it could site an SMR as early as 2028.
Researched and written by World Nuclear News
Canadian provinces complete SMR study by World Nuclear News, 15 April 2021
A study into the feasibility of the development and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Canada, prepared at the request of the leaders of New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan, has concluded the development of SMRs would support domestic energy needs, curb greenhouse gas emissions and position Canada as a global leader in this emerging technology. The province of Alberta has joined the three provinces as a signatory to a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on SMR development.
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(Image: Government of Ontario)
The study, which has been carried out by Bruce Power, NB Power, Ontario Power Generation and SaskPower, was formally requested as part of the MoU signed by the provinces’ leaders in December 2019. It sets out three streams of SMR project proposals for consideration by the governments of Ontario, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.
Stream 1 proposes a first grid-scale SMR project of about 300 MW, which would be built at the Darlington nuclear site in Ontario by 2028. Subsequent units in Saskatchewan would follow, with the first SMR projected to be in service in 2032. Stream 2 would see two fourth-generation advanced SMRs that would be developed in New Brunswick, with an initial ARC Clean Energy demonstration unit at the Point Lepreau nuclear plant site operational by 2030, and a Moltex Energy Inc waste recycling facility and reactor by the early 2030s. Stream 3 proposes a new class of micro-SMRs designed primarily to replace the use of diesel in remote communities and mines. A project with a 5 MW Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation gas-cooled reactor is under way at the Chalk River site in Ontario and is expected to be in service by 2026.
Projects in all three streams are advancing rapidly and all are demonstrating commercial and technical feasibility, the study finds. Critical to SMR feasibility will be federal supportaka, money money and more money with no strings attached, through cost and risk-sharingthe citizenry will carry all the risks, industry and the magic engineer and design fairies, none, as well as policy support; provincial support, with governments establishing policy and regulatory frameworks to enable SMRs as a clean energy option and support training programmes, as well as working with power companies to ensure appropriate project development oversight and public and Indigenous engagement; and nuclear industry support, to ensure a strong domestic supply chain including uranium mining, nuclear suppliers and world-leading nuclear research, as well as skilled workforces in readiness for SMR deployment.Why did they leave “N” for “nuclear” out of the acronym for these new highly dangerous fantasy “small” monsters?
A joint strategic plan, to be drafted in collaboration by the four provincial governments, is the next step under the MoU. This will identify the steps required within each stream to achieve project commitments in a timely manner while identifying key risks and how they can be – more important is IF they can bemitigated, as well as the policy analysis required to clearly set out the requirements for government support. The strategic plan is to be completed this spring.Ooooo La La!!!
“We will only meet climate change goals through a swift transition to clean energy sources.No, much easier, cheaper, safer, more effective is to reduce human energy waste and over breeding and consumption and allow the teaching of reality in schoolsThis will require the adoption of existing and emerging low-carbon technologies, including small modular reactors,” John Gorman, president and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association, said. “In fact, for a successful clean energy transition, new nuclear must play a lead role. Initiatives like those announced today, build momentum for Canada as a global leader in the development and deployment of these important technologies.”
Alberta joins MoU
Alberta last year signalled its intention to join the MoU signed in 2019 by the leaders of New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan..jpg.aspx)
The MoU now has four signatories (Image: @jkenney)
“Alberta has always been committed to clean, affordable energy,” Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney said yesterday. “Small modular reactors are an exciting new technology that could be used in the future to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, for example by generating power for Canadian oilsands producers. Nuclear is the cleanest most dangerous form of electricity production and with SMRs, is now more affordable and scaleable for industrial use. We are excited to be part of this group that will help develop Canadian SMR technology.”If SMRs are so safe and perfect, why did Kenney leave out “Nuclear?”
***
- Endorsement date: December 18, 2020
- Organization: Government of Canada
With support from:
- Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
- Canada’s Regional Development Agencies
- Canadian Space Agency
- Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Global Affairs Canada
- Health Canada
- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
- Natural Resources Canada
Overview
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are an opportunity for Canada to deliver on its energy priorities, while unlocking a range of complementary benefits: environmental, economic, geopolitical and social. The Government of Canada recognizes that it has a role to play in supporting this emerging innovative sub-sector, and in enabling Canada to seize these benefits.
It comes as no surprise that Canada has emerged as a leader in SMRs. For over 75 years, we’ve been pioneers: from becoming only the second country to produce nuclear energy, developing our home-grown CANDU technology and exporting it around the world, to leading advancements in nuclear medicine that are saving lives around the world. In fact, we’ve been recognized on the global stage for our nuclear expertise and a quarter of our Nobel Prizes have been related to nuclear science.
We see SMRs as the next step in building on that heritage. At an early stage, we recognized the potential for this emerging area of nuclear innovation and understood the importance of strategic partnerships to capture the SMR opportunity. That’s why, in 2018, we convened Canada’s SMR Roadmap, a ten-month cross-country conversation on Canada’s SMR opportunity that brought together provincial and territorial governments, power utilities, industry and other interested stakeholders to chart a path forward for this technology in Canada. The report made over 50 recommendations, which Canada’s SMR Action Plan responds to and builds on.
Since the launch of the Roadmap, momentum for SMRs in Canada has only increased:
- Dozens more partners have become involved for the first time, including from Canada’s mining and oil and gas sectors seeking opportunities to bolster their competitivenesscode for make more profit and lie better! and reduce emissions;
- At the end of last year, we were pleased to see the Premiers of Ontario, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan come together through an agreement to collaborate on SMR development and deployment, with Alberta soon to join;
- The continued progress being made through the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s pre-licensing vendor design review process that provides SMR vendors with feedback on their designs at an early stage, with 12 currently involved; and
- The invitation for SMR vendors to be considered for demonstration at one of Canada’s national nuclear laboratory sites, with Canada’s first SMR demonstration project now moving through an environmental assessment.
Canada’s SMR Action Plan comes at a time when Canada is transforming its economy to move toward net-zero emissions by 2050, with substantial contributions from the natural resource and energy sectors.
More specifically, SMRs have the potential to support Canada in its goals to reach net-zero by 2050; accelerate electricity decarbonization and move Canadians off coal and diesel; drive deep industrial decarbonization, including green mining; and in the future, provide an affordable, reliable and non-emitting alternative to diesel for remote communities, and open new applications for nuclear energy such as space exploration.One of the massive wastes that humans must stop is space work. Once the climate chaos problems are solved, then, humans can feed their egos up in space. So stupid and harmful At the same time, SMRs have the potential to create and sustain jobs, mobilize innovation, foster inclusive growththe LAST thing the world needs is growth!, advance Indigenous reconciliation, and support the growth of a diverse, inclusive and resilient workforce.
But we know that there is much more to do, and this federal chapter of Canada’s SMR Action Plan lays out the whole-of-government actions being taken to bring this innovative technology to fruition and lead the world on SMRs.
Canada’s SMR Action Plan captures these activities, as well as many others. For our part, the Government of Canada is committed to taking action using all parts of its toolkit. We are also ensuring that the federal legislative, DEregulatory, and policy framework is sound and ready for SMR deployment, while working with bilateral and multilateral partners to align international engagement and cooperation with Canadian priorities on SMRs. Finally, we also remain committed to supporting and enabling SMR research and development work to help advance designs move from demonstration to commercial deployment stages.
Each section of this chapter outlines a key aspect of Canada’s SMR opportunity.
Canada Has What It Takes
As one of a handful of countries with our own power reactor technology, we belong to an elite group of Tier 1 nuclear nations with capabilities that cover the full nuclear life cycle. Today, Canada is home to cutting-edge research facilities at laboratories and universities across the country that are prepared to support the development of this game-changing technology and build on our heritage of nuclear innovation.
But SMRs are more than just a technology innovation story. The successful deployment of SMRs will require the right markets, the right structures, the right expertise and the right plan.Lots of areas for boo boos, which humans are super efficient at making many of, notably with COVID brain fogging up natural human stupidity super stupified by ego and arrogance.And Canada stands alone among competitors in having all of the key elements:
1. DERegulatory: An independent, world-renowned nuclear regulator open to innovation;
2. Sites: Historic leadership in S&T with suitable sites for demonstration with facilities and expertise;
3. Operators: Several experienced nuclear operators ready to partner;
4. Financing: A mix of public and private financing;
5. Supply Chain: A full-spectrum supply chain including strong engineering, procurement and construction firms and Indigenous businesses ramped up from the refurbishments in Ontario, and soon to be looking for new projects;
6. Demand: A strong brand internationally; favourable markets and economics; significant interest for mining; community support and public confidencemeaning govt and industry have to heavily propagandize the masses into accepting this high risk expensive experiments in our communities; and
7. Indigenous Partnerships: Meaningful, two-way engagement and opportunities for benefits-sharing.
Already, we have a ramped up supply chain delivering the refurbishment of Ontario’s nuclear fleet, and experienced nuclear operators ready to partner to demonstrate this technology on site. We also have a world renowned regulator committed to safety and open to innovation, as well as a comprehensive plan to manage nuclear waste in the long-term. This combination of enabling elements, coupled with our commitment to nuclear excellence, results in a unique environment where Canada is poised to lead the world.
Any time you read that many “commitments” you know it’s a scam.
Part of Canada’s Climate Strategy
Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. To respond, and to meet our goal of reaching net-zero by 2050, Canada will need to act boldly, and nowhere is this more true than where we get our energy. Achieving net-zero will require a bold transformation of our economy, including a transition towards non-emitting energy throughout the country.
SMRs, which represent the next wave of innovative, affordable, and reliable nuclear power, offer the potential to expand the role of nuclear energy in Canada’s energy mix – to drive to net-zero emissions by 2050. Nuclear energy also contributes to reducing air pollution: in Ontario, for example, the phase-out of coal-fired power plants, enabled by the refurbishments of nuclear plants, reduced the number of smog days from 53 in 2005 to just two since 2014, the year the last coal plant closed.
And so, a range of SMR opportunities are being explored across the country – from supporting cleaner grids and replacing coal power generation, to decarbonizing heavy industry such as mining and the oil sandsThey need to be shut down! SMRs – if designs ever work – will expand them, to moving interested rural and remote communities off diesel. As a baseload, dispatchable and non-emitting source of energy, SMRs could also play a vital role in enabling deeper integration of variable renewables (e.g. wind and solar) into Canada’s energy mix, especially in regions without significant hydro resources. Several provinces that must phase out conventional coal-fired power plants are at a critical decision point for new electricity sources, and the commercialization of SMRs will allow these provinces to achieve and lock in a decarbonized energy mix.
On behalf of the Government of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is committed to leading the implementation of an overall whole-of-government plan for climate action, a cleaner environment and a sustainable economy. This is being accomplished through the Pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change, the proposed Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act and through Canada’s strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. Together, these will set Canada on a path to achieve a prosperous net-zero emissions future by 2050 and position Canada as a global leader.
A key commitment of the Pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change is to increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable and low-emitting sources. In developing plans to reach a net-zero economy, ECCC will consider the role that SMRs could play alongside other non-emitting technologies to decarbonize the electricity and industrial sectors.
A Driver of Economic Growth into the Future
SMRs are also a great money laundering tool to help us steal from you to give to industry! an economic opportunity – to sustain and create good, middle class jobs, to support economic growth must kill growth to begin mitigating climate chaos and diversification in regions across the country, to build on the ongoing refurbishment projects in Ontario, to anchor innovation within Canada, and to support Canada’s ongoing economic recovery.
The ongoing projects in Ontario to extend the life of the Darlington and Bruce nuclear plants have led to a ramped-up nuclear supply chain, creating thousands of new jobs. As these projects end in the late 2020s and early 2030s, SMR projects could present an opportunity to sustain this capacity into the long term, as found through Canada’s SMR Roadmap. In other regions throughout the country, including Atlantic, Western and Northern Canada, SMRs are an opportunity to develop a new economic driver supporting good, middle-class jobs, and the Government of Canada supports efforts to enable all regions to benefit from Canada’s SMR opportunity.
The Canadian mining industry also has a special interest in the development of SMR technology, as it is well-positioned to be a primary end-user and beneficiary of SMR technology. The industry recognizes SMRs’ potential long-term cost savings and environmental benefits for off-grid mining operations.SMRs provide no environmental benefits, just lots of harms and waste of the public’s money
In particular, SMRs are well suited for mining in northern and remote regions due to (1) the greatly reduced ventilation requirements attributed to their non-emitting properties, and (2) they offer as much as a 20-60% energy cost advantage over diesel–the GHG-intensive energy standard–which is difficult to transport and supply consistently. The Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP) has identified alternative and renewable energy as a key area for action. This includes the need to study the feasibility and role of SMRs in mining operations as a means to provide reliable energy and reduce GHG emissions and costs, as well as the potential market for this technology.
Much of the SMR technology developed for mining operations could also be used to support the Government of Canada’s priority to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and transition rural, remote and northern Indigenous communities away from expensive, GHG-intensive diesel energy. Promoting engagement on SMR development Propagandizing SMRswill foster meaningful relationships with Indigenous and local communities.
At the same time, research into SMR technologies could lead to innovations that Canada might contribute to the international endeavour of human exploration of the Solar System, in particular to in-space propulsion and surface power solutions on the Moon and Mars.
Creating Opportunities for Canadian Exporters
While SMRs present a significant economic opportunity for Canada at home, there are even greater opportunities in the global export market, which Canada’s SMR Roadmap estimated at more than $150-300 billion per year by 2040. And, like we did with CANDU, where we supplied about 7% of the large reactor market, there’s no reason why we can’t do the same or more with SMRs: the Roadmap also found that Canadian companies are positioned to seize as much as 5-10% of this market. SMRs will help to build on the internationally-recognized nuclear brand Canada established with CANDU, and secure major new export opportunities for Canadian businesses, while continuing to explore CANDU opportunities into the future.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is the federal department responsible for Canada’s foreign policy, including international trade, development, and diplomatic relationships. The Trade Commissioner Service (TCS), represented globally in Canada’s diplomatic offices abroad, provides services and advice to help Canadian businesses succeed abroad, attracts foreign direct investment into Canada, and supports international partnerships in innovation, science and technology.
Of particular note to the future of SMR development, GAC is also responsible for Canada’s international obligations regarding nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear technologies, including nuclear safety and security. Canada also works with the international community in a multilateral setting to ensure Canada’s commercial interests and nuclear non-proliferation concerns are well balanced.
To help Canada secure a share of the emerging global SMR market, GAC will support Canadian SMR companies in their export-oriented objectives, providing international business development services led by the TCS in full respect of Canada’s nuclear non-proliferation policy. GAC will also work with its federal partners to ensure that the financial and business needs of Canadian SMR companies and innovators are met as part of their efforts to commercialize SMR technologies and reach international markets.
Forging Lasting Partnerships with Indigenous Peoples
The Government of Canada recognizes that genuine, meaningful partnerships with Indigenous Peoples are a critical component for Canada to capture the SMR opportunity. For that reason, in this Action Plan, the federal government is committing to actions that will not only ensure that Indigenous views on SMRs are heard and understood, but that we are on a path towards a framework whereby SMRs provide lasting and meaningful benefits to Indigenous communities.
These actions include ongoing, meaningful engagement, and ensuring that Indigenous representatives are included when Canada convenes the senior leadership of Canada’s SMR Action Plan to discuss strategic priorities going forward. This will ensure that the SMR opportunity builds a legacy of walking the path of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership as the foundation for transformative change.
Building the Workforce of the Future
Canada, through its diversity, quality of life and economic opportunity, is a magnet for skilled immigrants and fresh perspectives from around the world. Our nuclear sector, particularly through our cutting-edge university research infrastructure, continues to attract the best and brightest, helping to set Canada up for success and promotes growth.
At the same time, it is important to ensure diversity and representation within the energy sector, and to continue to encourage women, Indigenous and people of colour to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The Government of Canada and its partners have put forward several initiatives aimed at increasing the participation of Canadians in STEM from childhood to high school to post-secondary to the workforce, including these under-represented groups.
As parts of its commitment to these objectives, the Government of Canada is proud to be a member of the “Equal by 30” campaign to work towards equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunities for women in the clean energy sector by 2030, and welcomes the strong support from Canada’s nuclear industry, with dozens of organizations that have signed on and made commits to enhance diversity and representation in the sector, particularly among women. We salute the work of Women in Nuclear Canada (WiN-Canada) and the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) and plan to continue to work with them to help build the workforce of the future.
Our nuclear sector is supported by a robust supply chain primarily composed of small and medium-sized enterprises, many of which are owned and operated by women, Indigenous peoples and people of colour. Government of Canada encourages utilities, industry and others to take advantage of goods and services offered by these companies.
An Opportunity for Robust International Partnerships
Over the past six decades, the Government of Canada has successfully established and maintained strategic bilateral and multilateral partnerships around the globe to advance shared nuclear energy priorities. As one of a handful of countries with our own power reactor technology and full-spectrum nuclear capabilities, Canada belongs to an elite group of Tier 1 nuclear nations. With our demonstrated leadership and expertise in nuclear science and technology, we are in a position to lead and contribute to international partnerships to support the development and deployment of SMRs across the globe.
Canada is an active supporter of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and maintains nuclear cooperation agreements (NCAs) with 48 countries, including members of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). Canada has also concluded various bilateral memorandums of understanding in support of greater cooperation, including on research and development (R&D), and sharing best practices and experience. We will continue to leverage these strong and robust partnerships to work together to share knowledge and convene discussions on policies and strategies to advance SMRs globally. In particular, the Government of Canada will explore opportunities for Canada to lead and contribute to international policy discussions on the development of international enabling frameworks for SMR deployment.
Canada also brings its nuclear expertise to multilateral organizations such as the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), the international Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC) and the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM). Through active and productive participation in these organizations, Canada is able to advocate for and pursue activities that seek to surface international best practices and advance international R&D collaboration on SMRs. In recent years, Canada has co-led the development of the “Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy Future” initiative (NICE Future) and the Flexible Nuclear Campaign at the CEM to advance the role that innovative nuclear energy technologies can play in meeting climate change goals. Canada will continue to pursue collaboration with partners under this initiative to explore the increasingly flexible role of SMR technologies.
Conclusion
SMRs are a real opportunity for our country. They bring the potential of a source of energy that could significantly contribute to reducing our GHG emissions, open new economic opportunities, and provide social and regional benefits.
With this Action Plan, the Government of Canada is signalling its near-term plans on this important technology, and is inviting all of its partners – provinces and territories, industry, utilities, laboratories and academia, Indigenous Peoples and civil society – to work together to make this vision a reality.
ACTIONS **Long list at bottom of link; worth keeping an eye on as the MNR con develops.**
A few of the completed ones, as of date of this post:
POLICY, LEGISLATION AND REGULATION Canada’s SMR Action Plan STATUS: COMPLETE GC03
Responds to SMR Roadmap recommendation(s): 4
ACTION
The Government of Canada has accepted the Roadmap recommendation to finalize an SMR Action Plan.
The Government understands the need for coordinated action by all essential enablers if Canada is to be a world leader on SMRs. In response, in 2020, Natural Resources Canada convened partners from across the country to develop Canada’s SMR Action Plan, including a full response to the Roadmap’s recommendations.
EXPECTED RESULTS
- Partners from across Canada outline their roles and plans on SMRs for the coming years.
- Public and private decisions are informed by a strategic, action-oriented plan and investors have a clear signal of pan-Canadian buy-in.
- The plan respects and builds on the respective roles and responsibilities of essential enabling partners and sets out timelines for action to maximize benefits to Canada.
POLICY, LEGISLATION AND REGULATION Nuclear energy projects under the Impact Assessment Act STATUS: COMPLETE GC06
Responds to SMR Roadmap recommendation(s): 7
ACTION
The Government of Canada has partially accepted the Roadmap recommendation on impact assessments, including the principle of a threshold approach for inclusion on the Project List.
In August 2019, the Impact Assessment Act came into force, putting in place stronger rules for major projects that protect the environment and communities, advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and ensure good projects can go forward, creating good jobs and economic opportunities for middle-class Canadians.
In a mature regulatory environment such as Canada, federal impact assessment provides a comprehensive and rigorous framework through which to review those major projects with the greatest potential for adverse environmental effects on areas that fall within federal jurisdiction and encourages best possible project designs that take into consideration a range of environmental, health, social and economic effects.
The Physical Activities Regulations (Project List) under the Impact Assessment Act, which came into force in August 2019, includes a two-part threshold for SMRs, which is stricter than that recommended in the Roadmap to further ensure that SMR development in Canada takes place in an environmentally responsible way. Projects that exceed the thresholds are “designated projects” and enter into the planning phase under the Act. Non-designated projects will be assessed by the lifecycle regulator, the CNSC, and, if they take place on federal lands, may require an assessment of environmental effects under the Act.
Pursuant to the two-part threshold, the following physical activities are “designated projects”:
The site preparation for, and the construction, operation and decommissioning of, one or more new nuclear fission or fusion reactors if:
- that activity is located within the licensed boundaries of an existing Class IA nuclear facility and the new reactors have a combined thermal capacity of more than 900 MWth; or
- that activity is not located within the licensed boundaries of an existing Class IA nuclear facility and the new reactors have a combined thermal capacity of more than 200 MWth.
EXPECTED RESULTS
- Canada has a robust process for assessing the impacts of designated projects that is balanced and informed by risk, forming part of a long-term sustainable development strategy for Canada and allowing good projects to move forward.
- SMRs are developed and deployed in an environmentally safe and responsible way.
CAPACITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND PUBLIC CONFIDENCE National SMR Forum with Indigenous Communities STATUS: COMPLETE GC12
Responds to SMR Roadmap recommendation(s): 10
ACTION
The Government of Canada has accepted the Roadmap recommendation for Indigenous engagement.
The Government of Canada supported the National Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Forum with Indigenous communities, organized by the First Nations Power Authority (FNPA), which brought together industry, governments, and Indigenous communities interested in the development of SMRs.
The Forum provided an opportunity for meaningful engagement and dialogue between Indigenous communities, industry and governments in the spirit of reconciliation.
EXPECTED RESULTS
- The Forum provided an opportunity for meaningful engagement and dialogue between Indigenous communities, industry and governments in the spirit of reconciliation.
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS AND MARKETS Global SMR market validation STATUS: COMPLETE GC15
Responds to SMR Roadmap recommendation(s): 14
ACTION
The Government of Canada has accepted the Roadmap recommendation on validating the global market for SMRs.
NRCan contracted McKinsey & Company to validate the estimates of the global SMR market. McKinsey & Company’s report validated these estimates and project that the actual market is likely to exceed the estimates of the Economics and Finance Working Group.
EXPECTED RESULTS
- The Government of Canada and its partners have information on the size and potential applications for SMRs globally, and the value that Canada could capture in global supply chains.
Refer also to:
