Feds fund small nuclear reactor ahead of national strategy to adopt more of them
OTTAWA — An Ontario nuclear power company is getting $20 million from Ottawa to try to get its new small modular reactor in line with Canada's safety regulations.
© Provided by The Canadian Press
The grant to Terrestrial Energy in Oakville, Ont., is the first investment Canada has made in small modular reactors, or SMRs. It comes just weeks before Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan expects to produce a "road map" to show how the emerging technology will be used to help get Canada to its climate change goals.
"Just last week, the International Energy Agency released a landmark report showing that achieving our target of net-zero emissions without nuclear energy will take a lot longer, with a great risk of failure," he said.
Canada has promised to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by almost one-third in the next 10 years, and then to net-zero by 2050, when any emissions still produced are captured by nature or technology.
About one-fifth of Canada's electricity still comes from fossil fuels, including natural gas and coal.
Nuclear generators produce no greenhouse gas emissions. They currently make up 15 per cent of Canada's energy mix overall, but only Ontario and New Brunswick use nuclear reactors for electricity.
Those CANDU reactors are big and expensive, while SMRs are pitched as smaller and more versatile, and can be shipped to remote locations where electricity grids don't currently reach.
SMRs are still in the developmental stage, with about a dozen companies in Canada trying to be the first to the finish line.
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, whose department is providing the $20-million grant through its strategic innovation fund, said they are an emerging technology with high growth potential.
"Without a doubt one of our most promising solutions to fight climate change and promote clean energy has three letters — SMR," he said.
Bains says the money will help the company complete a pre-licensing process with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
This process occurs before the company applies for a licence so that it can work to meet the commission's requirements in the development phase. Terrestrial has been working with the commission for nearly two years and is also undergoing a similar process with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Terrestrial has offices in Oakville and Connecticut.
The company hopes its first nuclear reactor will be producing power before the end of the decade.
Not everyone is as convinced as O'Regan and Bains that nuclear is the answer to Canada's climate change dreams.
Eva Schacherl, who helped found the Coalition Against Nuclear Dumps on the Ottawa River, said nuclear waste is a big concern, and fears investments in SMRs are going to take money away from cleaner, already proven technologies like wind, solar and tidal power.
"It will distract our attention and resources," she said.
Plus, she said, Canada already has enough nuclear waste to fill more than 1,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
"We really don't need to create more," she said.
O'Regan said he is also developing a radioactive waste policy, and said nuclear will not displace other sources of clean power.
"All of this is part of a wave of different energy sources we are going to need," he said. "We're going to need all of it."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2020.
The grant to Terrestrial Energy in Oakville, Ont., is the first investment Canada has made in small modular reactors, or SMRs. It comes just weeks before Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan expects to produce a "road map" to show how the emerging technology will be used to help get Canada to its climate change goals.
"Just last week, the International Energy Agency released a landmark report showing that achieving our target of net-zero emissions without nuclear energy will take a lot longer, with a great risk of failure," he said.
Canada has promised to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by almost one-third in the next 10 years, and then to net-zero by 2050, when any emissions still produced are captured by nature or technology.
About one-fifth of Canada's electricity still comes from fossil fuels, including natural gas and coal.
Nuclear generators produce no greenhouse gas emissions. They currently make up 15 per cent of Canada's energy mix overall, but only Ontario and New Brunswick use nuclear reactors for electricity.
Those CANDU reactors are big and expensive, while SMRs are pitched as smaller and more versatile, and can be shipped to remote locations where electricity grids don't currently reach.
SMRs are still in the developmental stage, with about a dozen companies in Canada trying to be the first to the finish line.
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, whose department is providing the $20-million grant through its strategic innovation fund, said they are an emerging technology with high growth potential.
"Without a doubt one of our most promising solutions to fight climate change and promote clean energy has three letters — SMR," he said.
Bains says the money will help the company complete a pre-licensing process with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
This process occurs before the company applies for a licence so that it can work to meet the commission's requirements in the development phase. Terrestrial has been working with the commission for nearly two years and is also undergoing a similar process with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Terrestrial has offices in Oakville and Connecticut.
The company hopes its first nuclear reactor will be producing power before the end of the decade.
Not everyone is as convinced as O'Regan and Bains that nuclear is the answer to Canada's climate change dreams.
Eva Schacherl, who helped found the Coalition Against Nuclear Dumps on the Ottawa River, said nuclear waste is a big concern, and fears investments in SMRs are going to take money away from cleaner, already proven technologies like wind, solar and tidal power.
"It will distract our attention and resources," she said.
Plus, she said, Canada already has enough nuclear waste to fill more than 1,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
"We really don't need to create more," she said.
O'Regan said he is also developing a radioactive waste policy, and said nuclear will not displace other sources of clean power.
"All of this is part of a wave of different energy sources we are going to need," he said. "We're going to need all of it."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2020.
Federal government invests in small nuclear reactors to help it meet net-zero 2050 target
The federal government says it's investing $20 million in the nuclear industry to help Canada meet its target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The investment in Oakville Ontario's Terrestrial Energy is meant to help the firm bring small modular nuclear reactors to market.
"By helping to bring these small reactors to market, we are supporting significant environmental and economic benefits, including generating energy with reduced emissions, highly skilled job creation and Canadian intellectual property development," said Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains in a media statement.
Small modular reactors — SMRs — are smaller than a conventional nuclear power plant and can be built in one location before being transported and assembled elsewhere.
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited says it sees three major uses for SMRs in Canada:
Helping utilities replace energy capacity lost to closures of coal fired power plants.
Providing power and heat to off-grid industrial projects such as mines and oilsands developments.
Recycling nuclear waste
Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan said the federal government is reviewing its radioactive waste program to ensure it adheres to the "highest international standards."
"We do have to make sure that Canadians trust the power system," O'Regan said. "SMR technology allows us to minimize the amount of waste and in some cases has the potential to recycle nuclear waste."
The federal government says that Terrestrial Energy has committed to creating and maintaining 186 jobs and creating 52 co-op placements nationally.
The government says the company also has promised to undertake gender equity and diversity initiatives to, among other things, boost the number of women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
The federal government says it's investing $20 million in the nuclear industry to help Canada meet its target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The investment in Oakville Ontario's Terrestrial Energy is meant to help the firm bring small modular nuclear reactors to market.
"By helping to bring these small reactors to market, we are supporting significant environmental and economic benefits, including generating energy with reduced emissions, highly skilled job creation and Canadian intellectual property development," said Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains in a media statement.
Small modular reactors — SMRs — are smaller than a conventional nuclear power plant and can be built in one location before being transported and assembled elsewhere.
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited says it sees three major uses for SMRs in Canada:
Helping utilities replace energy capacity lost to closures of coal fired power plants.
Providing power and heat to off-grid industrial projects such as mines and oilsands developments.
Replacing diesel fuel as a source of energy and heat in remote communities.
Bains said nuclear energy is part of the energy mix Canada must have to reach its climate targets.
Another part of that mix, Bains said, was the recently announced $590 investment — split evenly between the Ontario and federal governments — to help the Ford Motor Company upgrade its assembly plant in Oakville and start making electric vehicles there
Bains said nuclear energy is part of the energy mix Canada must have to reach its climate targets.
Another part of that mix, Bains said, was the recently announced $590 investment — split evenly between the Ontario and federal governments — to help the Ford Motor Company upgrade its assembly plant in Oakville and start making electric vehicles there
.
© Tracy Fuller/CBC Small modular nuclear reactors could replace diesel generating facilities in remote communities across Canada, like this one in Fort Providence, NWT.
Recycling nuclear waste
Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan said the federal government is reviewing its radioactive waste program to ensure it adheres to the "highest international standards."
"We do have to make sure that Canadians trust the power system," O'Regan said. "SMR technology allows us to minimize the amount of waste and in some cases has the potential to recycle nuclear waste."
The federal government says that Terrestrial Energy has committed to creating and maintaining 186 jobs and creating 52 co-op placements nationally.
The government says the company also has promised to undertake gender equity and diversity initiatives to, among other things, boost the number of women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
No comments:
Post a Comment