Ottawa also targets first microreactor for remote community
Canada has unveiled a strategy to accelerate the development of nuclear power, setting out a goal of building up to 10 new large-scale reactors and streamlining approvals for future projects.
The strategy, announced on 22 June by Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, calls for construction to start on two new large-scale reactors by 2035, for five more to be planned or under development by 2040 and for at least one reactor to be under construction outside Ontario by 2035.
It also calls for a Canadian-made microreactor to be finalised by 2035 and deployed to a remote community by the late 2030s.
The strategy does not include details of new funding, but the government said it will release a policy by April 2027 outlining conditions for federal support and the financing tools available for new nuclear projects.
Hodgson called the strategy a plan for a “new civilian nuclear renaissance” as the federal government looks to double the capacity of the country's electrical grid by 2050.
“If our goal is to double our grid and build a low-carbon economy in less than 25 years, there is no credible plan to do that without nuclear energy and the clean, reliable baseload power it provides,” Hodgson said.
“There is no credible plan for Canada to become an energy superpower if we choose not to build upon one of the strongest energy advantages we have.”
The government said the strategy sets out how it will strengthen energy affordability, security and sustainability at home and abroad by “building big” – from new reactors to uranium development and beyond.
“We will start by building on what we have, including Candu reactor technology, world-class uranium deposits in Saskatchewan, a top-tier Canadian nuclear workforce and supply chain, proven refurbishment expertise, medical isotopes and other nuclear innovations,” the government said.
Nuclear power generates approximately 13% of Canada’s electricity from 17 Candu reactors in Ontario and New Brunswick.
Background: Reactor Technology And Uranium
Canada’s Candu technology is also used around the world, powering a total of 26 reactors across six countries, including 17 at home and nine in South Korea, China, Romania, Argentina and India.
With an endowment of the world’s highest-grade uranium, and as the world’s second-largest producer, Canada produced roughly 24% of total global uranium output in 2024. About 90% is exported to other countries, where it is used as fuel in nuclear power plants.
Canada has been bullish about the prospects for nuclear energy, including large-scale units and small modular reactors (SMRs).
In May the government of Ontario said it was moving ahead with plans to build the province’s first large-scale nuclear power generation project in three decades with four new reactors at the Bruce nuclear power station.
Meanwhile, Ontario Power Generation is building the first unit of the Darlington BWRX-300 SMR project in Canada. Darlington is being developed as a four-unit SMR site to provide low-carbon electricity and support growing demand in Ontario, said OPG.
Other provinces, including Saskatchewan, have also said they are considering the possibility of deploying nuclear plants.
Nuclear refurbishments at the Bruce and Darlington nuclear stations have been delivered ahead of schedule and on budget, with Darlington-4 completed four months early and CAD150m (€92m, $105) under budget, concluding the world’s largest completed nuclear refurbishment.
A Cameco uranium facility in Canada. Courtesy Cameco.
