Ryan Tumilty - Yesterday
National Post
Ontario's Pickering Nuclear Generating Station is set to close in 2025, but advocates would like to see the federal government help pay to refurbish it instead.
OTTAWA — Advocates say the federal budget is taking “baby steps” toward supporting nuclear power, but they argue the Liberals should be taking major leaps to ensure the industry can grow and reduce carbon emissions in Canada.
The budget last week earmarked $120.6 million for small modular reactors (SMRs), a new type of reactor that is designed to be easier to set up and run, produce less waste and potentially help small communities or mining operations end their reliance on diesel power.
The budget promises $69.9 million for research on waste and another $50.7 million for the nuclear safety commission to be able to regulate new reactor designs.
Dr. Christopher Keefer, president of Canadians for Nuclear Energy, said he was pleased to see a government, which has shown little interest in nuclear, come around.
“We’re seeing baby steps. I’m very optimistic because in my discussions with Conservative caucus members, Liberal caucus and cabinet ministers, there is a huge openness to nuclear in there,” he said. “They’re really coming around to understanding what an underappreciated technology it is and that it has to be a cornerstone of our clean energy transition.”
The government also announced in the budget funding for a new critical minerals strategy, which could lead to more uranium mining, and expanded the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s mandate to allow it to invest in nuclear projects.
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John Gorman, president and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association, said the industry was pleased to see the Liberals are prepared to help invest.
“It clearly indicated that nuclear is going to be an important part of the solution going forward and invested in various segments of the nuclear ecosystem,” he said. “It is a genuine commitment and I think the industry recognized that.”
The nuclear association is holding a sold-out conference in Ottawa this week and Gorman said there is a lot of excitement in the industry. He said they can see there is a clear path for growth from the budget.
“The federal government has recognized that nuclear is going to be needed along with the other clean electricity and energy sources as we go forward,” he said.
As part of Canada’s emissions reduction plans, the country will require significantly more electricity in years ahead to power electric vehicles and eventually heat homes. Gorman said the next step for the industry is a clear understanding of how the government expects to reach those goals and supply all that additional power.
“We’re missing that vision, that end state, of what the 2050 energy system looks like. And as a consequence, we don’t have the architecture of these clean energy sources that are going to have to be built,” he said.
Gorman said such a plan would give provinces and industry a sense of the long-term demands for power and a guide to new reactors that would meet Canada’s power needs. He said refurbishments of CANDU reactors underway in Ontario are teaching the industry a lot and those lessons could be applied to new projects.
Keefer said one sign he would love to see from the federal government is a commitment to help fund the refurbishment of the Pickering nuclear station in Ontario.
The station, just east of Toronto, is set to close in 2025. Keefer said that is a mistake that is only going to lead to the burning of natural gas to make up for the province’s energy demands.
“We’re actually about to lose a vital piece of Canadian clean energy infrastructure, which is the Pickering nuclear station. Its loss will add the equivalent of eight million transatlantic flights of CO2 to the atmosphere every single year,” he said.
Conservative MP Corey Tochor said the budget is just a drop in the bucket for an industry that should be getting much more support.
“This government will spend more on marketing and communication exercises, in this year coming up,” he said. “They’ll spend more money on that than actually on any of the research and development that needs to happen.”
Tochor said the government should be investing in nuclear as a technology that would reduce greenhouse gasses.
“We have a great record and a great story with a supply chain that helps our economy here in Canada, and there’s nothing to encourage more nuclear generation of power in this budget,” he said. “This government hasn’t shown any willingness to lead on this file and promote it. This is great technology that lowers emissions.”
• Email: rtumilty@postmedia.com | Twitter: ryantumilty
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