MOU includes supply chains and security of fuel supply
The governments of Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada have signed an additional memorandum of understanding to advance the development and deployment of nuclear power plants as they look for ways to secure a supply of reliable and sustainable electricity generation by 2050.
The two provinces said the MOU will support collaboration and information sharing on key areas of nuclear power generation, including nuclear supply chains and workforce development, the security of fuel supply and the development and regulation of nuclear reactor technologies – including small modular reactors.
The provinces will also work to advance industrial decarbonisation and improve grid capabilities, a statement said.
In 2019, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick signed an MOU to advance SMRs in Canada, with Alberta formally joining the MOU in 2021.
A plan for the development of SMRs, developed by the four MOU provinces, was released in March 2022.
The new, bilateral MOU between Saskatchewan and Alberta has additional areas of interest such as industrial decarbonisation and grid reliability.
Canada is bullish about the prospects for nuclear energy, including SMRs. It has a fleet of 19 large-scale commercial nuclear power plants that provide about 14% of its electricity generation. Major projects have begun to extend the lifetime of reactors at the Bruce, Darlington and Pickering stations.
In August 2023, Canada approved up to CAD74m (€50m, $54m) in federal funding for SMR development in Saskatchewan with potential deployment of a first plant in the mid-2030s and more units to follow.
Ontario Power Generation is planning to build up to four new General Electric Hitachi BWRX‑300 plants at the existing Darlington nuclear site in Ontario. Early site work for that project has begun and the first unit could go online by 2028.
Utility SaskPower has already chosen the BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment in Saskatchewan, subject to a decision to build expected in 2029.
