Canada is rapidly expanding its nuclear power sector, with plans to develop several new nuclear facilities and increase its uranium production.
The government is investing heavily in nuclear research and development, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
With a global uranium shortage and increasing demand for nuclear energy, Canada is poised to become a major player in the global nuclear market.
Alongside several other major world powers developing new nuclear projects, Canada plans to rapidly expand its nuclear power sector to contribute heavily to the country’s energy demand. Nuclear power contributes around 15 percent of Canada’s energy at present. However, with plans to develop several new nuclear facilities, this figure is expected to grow significantly in the coming decades. The industry had stagnated for several decades due to public concerns around safety, as well as the high costs of building new nuclear plants, but a 2023 Ipsos poll showed that 55 percent of Canadians now support nuclear energy.
The 2023 Federal Budget showed strong support for nuclear power, including a refundable Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for clean electricity and a 30 percent ITC for clean technology manufacturing. The budget also backed nuclear power through several other initiatives, including an extension of reduced tax rates, funding from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, cash for the regulatory authority, and half a billion dollars in SMR project investment.
The province of Ontario announced plans in 2023 to develop Canada’s first Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project. The Darlington new nuclear site is expected to host four SMRs to provide a total output of 1,200 MW, enough to power around 1.2 million homes. Pending regulatory approval, Ontario Power Generation hopes construction will begin on its first SMR unit in early 2025, to become operational by 2029. OPG expects the other three SMRs to come online by the mid-2030s. The plan aligns with the government's aims to decarbonise the economy and increase the province’s green energy capacity, with plans under development to mandate a net-zero power grid nationwide by 2035.
Bruce Power also plans to expand its existing Ontario nuclear facility to become one of the largest in the world, adding 4.8 GW. The company submitted its initial project description in August, as part of its pre-development work for the proposed expansion. The Minister of Energy and Electrification Stephen Lecce stated, “As we look to expand energy generation, our government remains committed to nuclear refurbishments, a clean energy source that well positions Ontario as a clean energy leader in the world. Lecce added, “Ontario is forecast to double its electricity grid by 2050. Bruce Power plays a vital role in expanding our electricity system.”
There have been several other advancements in Canada’s nuclear power industry over the last year. The federal government announced an investment of $9.74 in nine SMR research projects in October. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan’s utility SaskPower created a nuclear subsidiary called SaskNuclear in September, aiming to advance the province’s SMR project through the regulatory and licensing process.
The U.S. has also announced big plans for its nuclear power industry in recent years, with several large-scale conventional and SMR developments. However, many of these projects have stalled due to the global shortage of enriched uranium. Nuclear energy-producing countries worldwide have long relied on Russia for the supply of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU). Until recently, TENEX, part of the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom, was the only company to sell HALEU commercially. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and subsequent sanctions on Russian energy, the U.S. established its own HALEU production industry, with Centrus Energy Corp producing the country’s first 20 kilos of the fuel in November 2023.
The Canadian energy firm NexGen is now developing a project that could make Canada the world’s biggest producer of uranium over the coming decade, knocking Kazakhstan off the top spot. Due to the shortage of uranium, several countries started looking for alternative suppliers of the power source to fuel the new nuclear era. NexGen’s mine in the uranium-rich Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan is now valued at almost $4 billion. The company hopes it will be operational by 2028. Other companies are also exploring the region, as well as reopening dormant mines, thanks to the revived interest in Canadian uranium.
Almost two dozen countries, including Canada, committed to tripling their nuclear energy output by 2050 at the COP28 climate summit last year, and Canada’s uranium could be key to achieving this. With COP29 currently underway, we can expect even more ambitious nuclear energy pledges from a range of countries. Canada is the world’s second-biggest producer of uranium at present, contributing around 13 percent of the global output. NexGen predicts that once its mine is operational, this figure will increase to 25 percent.
Thanks to the renewed public support for nuclear power, as well as pressure to support a green transition, Canada is currently seeing a nuclear resurgence. Several conventional and SMR developments are expected to be established across the country in the coming decades, supported by federal funding in SMR research and development. Meanwhile, thanks to the increase in nuclear development worldwide and a shortage of enriched uranium, Canada could soon overtake Kazakhstan to become the largest supplier of uranium globally.
Nov 24, 2024
By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com
Westinghouse and Core Power Partner for Floating Nuclear Power Plant
Westinghouse Electric Company, one of the leaders in nuclear power, and Core Power are launching a cooperation for the design and development of a floating nuclear power plant using a microreactor. According to the companies, by leveraging shipyard capabilities, it will be possible to deploy nuclear energy to islands, ports, coastal communities, and industry.
“There’s no net-zero without nuclear,” said Mikal Bøe, CEO of Core Power. “A long series of identical turnkey power plants using multiple installations of the Westinghouse eVinci microreactor delivered by sea creates a real opportunity to scale nuclear as the perfect solution to meet the rapidly growing demand for clean, flexible and reliable electricity delivered on time and on budget.”
The companies highlighted that floating nuclear power plants can be centrally manufactured and easily transported to operation sites, combining advanced nuclear technology with shipyard efficiency. As a highly transportable source of nuclear power, the eVinci microreactor they contend is perfectly suited to floating applications. The eVinci microreactor Westinghouse says requires minimal maintenance and can operate for eight years at full power before refueling, allowing for reliable long-term power generation at almost any location.
Westinghouse's microreactor would be the basis for the floating power concept (Westinghouse)
Under the agreement, Westinghouse and Core Power will advance the design of a Floating Nuclear Power Plant using the eVinci microreactor. They highlight that using heat pipe technology will improve reliability while providing a simple, non-pressurized method of passively transferring heat. Heat pipes in the eVinci microreactor transfer heat from the nuclear core to a power conversion system, eliminating the need for water cooling and the associated recirculation systems. In addition, the companies will collaborate to develop a regulatory approach to licensing floating systems.
Jon Ball, President of eVinci Technologies at Westinghouse highlights that it will provide “innovative use cases where power is needed in remote locations or in areas with land limitations.” It could be both a steady source of power as well as potentially a way for future disaster relief efforts.
The eVinci microreactor has very few moving parts, working essentially as a battery, providing the versatility for power systems ranging from several kilowatts to 5 megawatts of electricity says Westinghouse. It can run consistently for eight-plus years without refueling. It can also produce high-temperature heat suitable for industrial applications, including alternative fuel production such as hydrogen. The microreactor is factory-built and assembled before it is shipped in a container.
This is one of several projects looking at the concept of creating floating small-scale nuclear reactors to provide power to remote areas. Samsung is also working on a concept to use the next-generation molten salt reactor for a floating power plant.
Crowley also partnered with BWX Technologies, which for many years was part of the well-known Babcock & Wilcox Company. This project is also exploring the development of a power generation vessel concept using a microreactor.
There is an increasing focus on nuclear power as a part of the solution to decarbonization. The projects have projected by the 2030s it would be possible to begin to build and deploy floating reactors.
Denison collaborates on uranium exploration as Wheeler River environmental approval progresses
Denison Mines Corp has filed its final Environmental Impact Statement for the Wheeler River uranium project with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission following completion of the federal technical review. The company has also agreed to form three uranium exploration joint ventures in the eastern Athabasca Basin.
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Wheeler River is the largest undeveloped uranium project in the eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin, in northern Saskatchewan, and is host to the high-grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits.
Denison said the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) reflects many years of "considerable" effort since it began the federal Environmental Assessment approval process in 2019. The final EIS incorporates feedback received from multiple interested parties, including Indigenous nations and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's Federal Indigenous Review Team.
"The completion of the federal technical review and submission of the final EIS represents a notable milestone for Denison in our efforts to obtain regulatory approval for Wheeler River," Denison President and CEO David Cates said. "Owing, in large part, to the use of the In-Situ Recovery (ISR) mining method, the EIS evidences that the project can be constructed, operated, and decommissioned while achieving a superior standard of environmental sustainability when compared to conventional uranium mining operations … This accomplishment has brought us an important step closer to building Canada's next new uranium mine and first ISR uranium mining project."
In ISR - also known as in-situ leach, or ISL - minerals are recovered from ore in the ground by dissolving them in situ, using a mining solution injected into the orebody. The solution is then pumped to the surface, where the minerals are recovered from the uranium-bearing solution. More than half of the world's uranium production is now produced by such methods, although they have not yet been used in Canadian uranium mining operations.
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission staff will now review the final EIS submission and prepare their recommendations ahead of a public hearing, the date of which has yet to be set.
Denison has also completed the requirements of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission application to obtain a licence to prepare and construct a uranium mine and mill, which allows for the commission to make a licensing decision concurrently with the Environmental Assessment approval process, the company said.
The project is also undergoing a provincial Environmental Assessment process, for which Denison submitted a final EIS to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment in October. Denison opted to delay finalisation of the provincial Environmental Assessment approval in order to incorporate modifications resulting from the Federal technical review process. A public review period, for the provincial assessement began earlier this month and is expected to conclude in December.
Wheeler River is a joint venture between Denison (90% and operator) and JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited (10%).
Collaborative exploration
In a separate announcement, Denison said it has reached an agreement with Cosa Resources Corp to form three uranium exploration joint ventures in the eastern Athabasca Basin. The agreement will see Cosa acquire a 70% interest in Denison's 100%-owned Murphy Lake North, Darby and Packrat properties and commit to CAD6.5 million (USD4.6 million) of exploration expenditure at Murphy Lake North and Darby.
The transaction is structured to incentivise exploration activity, Denison said. Denison will retain a minimum 30% direct interest in the properties and will become Cosa's largest shareholder, while also securing strategic pre-emptive rights and a buydown right to increase its interest in the Darby property.
Cates said the "mutually beneficial" collaboration with Cosa "enhances our exposure to the potential discovery of a meaningful uranium deposit on the Properties and through Cosa's existing uranium exploration portfolio. With Denison focused on executing on our core mining and development-stage projects, we believe Cosa is an excellent partner to advance exploration of the Properties. The entire Cosa senior management team has worked with Denison previously, and have strong technical capabilities, plus a unique familiarity with the Properties and nearby discoveries."
Cosa President and CEO Keith Bodnarchuk described the announcement as "transformational" for the company, adding three strategically selected, discovery-ready exploration projects to Cosa's Athabasca Basin portfolio. "Opportunities to acquire these projects and bring in a supportive long-term shareholder of Denison’s quality are almost non-existent. This Transaction is expected to create a competitive advantage for Cosa and differentiate us from our peers," he said.
IAEA warns of impact on nuclear safety of attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that Ukraine's three operating nuclear power plants have had to reduce their electricity generation as a result of attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.
In the agency's latest update it said that the nuclear power plants - Khmelnitsky, Rivne and South Ukraine - had to lower their power levels on Thursday for the second time in two weeks as a precautionary safety step. The three plants have a total of nine reactors between them. One reactor at Rivne was disconnected from the grid and all three plants continued to receive off-site power, although Khmelnitsky lost connection to two of its power lines.
Grossi said: "Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is extremely fragile and vulnerable, putting nuclear safety at great risk. Once again, I call for maximum military restraint in areas with major nuclear energy facilities and other sites on which they depend."
IAEA teams visited seven substations located outside the nuclear power plants in Ukraine in September and October to assess the situation after strikes on the energy infrastructure in August. Grossi reported to the IAEA board of governors earlier this month that there had been "extensive damage" and concluded that the reliability of off-site supply to nuclear power plants had been "significantly reduced".
In his statement issued on Thursday, he said: "The IAEA will continue to assess the extent of damage to facilities and power lines that are essential for nuclear safety and security. The IAEA will continue to do everything in its power to reduce the risk of a nuclear incident during this tragic war."
The IAEA has had teams stationed at each of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, and it said there had been no reports of direct damage to nuclear power plants.
Nuclear power plants need to have an electricity supply to ensure necessary safety functions can take place as well as reactor cooling, and they also need reliable connections to the grid to be able to distribute the electricity they produce. In addition to Ukraine's three operating nuclear power plants, Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been under Russian military control since early March 2022. Its reactors are all shut down and it has had to rely on emergency diesel generators on occasions when it has lost all access to off-site power.
The IAEA has set out its seven rules for nuclear safety and security during the Russian-Ukraine conflict, which have been adopted by the United Nations Security Council. They include the core principles that no-one should fire at, or from a nuclear power plant, or use a nuclear power plant as a military base.
Go-ahead for expansion of Swedish repository
Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB can begin excavation works to extend the existing SFR final repository for low and intermediate-level waste at Forsmark following the approval of its safety report by Sweden's Radiation Safety Authority.
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The SFR repository is situated 60 metres below the bottom of the Baltic Sea and began operations in 1988. The facility comprises four 160-metre long rock vaults and a chamber in the bedrock with a 50-metre high concrete silo for the most radioactive waste. Two parallel kilometre-long access tunnels link the facility to the surface. The facility currently has a total final disposal capacity of about 63,000 cubic metres of waste.
Most of the short-lived waste deposited in the SFR comes from Swedish nuclear power plants, but radioactive waste from hospitals, veterinary medicine, research and industry is also deposited within it.
Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (SKB) applied in December 2014 to triple the size of the repository, to about 180,000 cubic metres. The application was submitted to the government by the Land and Environment Court and the Radiation Safety Authority in November 2019. In April 2021, the municipality of Östhammar, where the SFR is located, also approved the extension. Following a government decision in December 2021 to approve the application, the matter was referred back to SSM and the Court.
SKB received an environmental permit from the Land and Environment Court for the expansion in December 2022. That permit regulates, for example, noise and transport. In April 2023, SKB submitted a preliminary safety report to SSM on extending the SFR.
The Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) has now reviewed and approved SKB's preliminary safety report, enabling the construction of the expanded final repository to begin.
"What we have reviewed is that the facility can be built so that the requirements for radiation safety are met, both during the time the facility is in operation and after the closure of the final repository," said Anki Hägg, an investigator at the unit for permit review of nuclear facilities at the SSM. "It is the long-term radiation safety that is in focus."
The SSM has issued permit conditions which mean that before the most qualified part of the repository can be built, SKB must submit a developed and detailed account of the construction. It must then be approved by the authority. The company must also present a plan of what measures will be taken during construction, and the plan must be updated every six months.
"Before the expanded facility can be put into trial operation, a renewed safety report needs to be reviewed and approved by the Radiation Safety Authority," Hägg said.
SKB CEO Stefan Engdahl said: "It is an important step for SKB. We are happy that the announcement has come so that we can now start the next phase in the expansion of SFR. We now have all the permits in place to expand the facility so that we can receive our owners' operational and demolition waste. We look forward to starting rock work in mid-December."
The plan is that the repository, when extended, will have six new rock vaults, 240-275 metres long. The intention is to construct the extension at a depth of 120-140 metres, level with the lowest part of the current SFR repository.
Expanding the SFR will take about six years - three years of rock work and three years of installation work, SKB said.
LANL researchers complete HALEU criticality experiment
The Deimos experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory is the first criticality experiment using high assay low-enriched uranium fuel to be carried out in the USA in more than 20 years, and will help to develop public data and criticality benchmarks for the material.
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Criticality benchmarks are essential to nuclear design and safety evaluations required by the industry and regulatory bodies, but there are very few benchmarks that use high assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). The US Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission are collaborating on the development of criticality data for HALEU: in August, the DOE awarded USD17 million of funding to 16 projects to help develop public data and criticality benchmarks related to the use, storage, and transportation of HALEU fuels.
The Deimos criticality demonstration, funded by Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development programme, took place at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center at the Nevada National Security Site. The centre has four critical experiment machines and is the only general-purpose critical experiments facility in the USA equipped to conduct experiments on fissionable material at or near criticality.
One of the critical assembly machines at the centre was modified to accommodate a new graphite core and 'cups' to hold HALEU-based fuel pellets containing TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) fuel particles. After demonstrating criticality of the system, the experiment was then measured at room temperature and heated to more than 200° Fahrenheit (93.3° Celsius) to generate new criticality safety data on HALEU fuel.
Assembling the Deimos experiment (Image: Department of Energy (DOE))
"The Deimos experiment is an important step towards deploying HALEU-fuelled nuclear reactors," said Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Programme Manager for Nuclear Energy Chris Stanek said. "We are excited and proud to make use of unique LANL capabilities to advance the nation's advanced reactor goals, and we look forward to future experiments that Deimos enables."
Many advanced reactors will require HALEU to achieve smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over existing nuclear technologies. Data developed from the projects funded through the DOE and Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Criticality Benchmarking solicitation will be made publicly available to enable efficient future design and safety reviews and help the nuclear industry develop new and novel solutions to address data gaps.
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