Nuclear

Canada invests $13.6M to advance small modular reactor research

The funding went to nine research projects intended to promote the commercial development of small modular reactors (SMRs)
Canada invests $13.6M to advance small modular reactor research
The AP300 Small Modular Reactor (Photo: Business Wire)

The Canadian government has announced funding of $13.6 million from National Resources Canada’s Enabling Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Program for nine research projects intended to promote the commercial development of small modular reactors (SMRs).

It’s just the latest effort in the country to advance SMR research. Last year, Canada launched a $29.6 million SMR funding program meant to develop supply chains for SMR manufacturing and fuel supply and security. The country provided $74 million in federal funding for small modular reactor (SMR) development in Saskatchewan, to be led by SaskPower, among other funding programs.

The projects from this latest allocation are:

  • $935,542 to Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, to study fuel dry storage and to conduct a techno-gap / life-cycle assessment to enable the effective deployment of SMRs.
  • $2,131,000 to Chemetics in Pickering, Ontario, to support the research and development of SMR fabrication. This project will enable Chemetics to develop, test and qualify new fabrication technologies for SMR components.
  • $2,750,000 to Prodigy Clean Energy Ltd in Montreal, Quebec, to support research and development to enable transportable nuclear power plants as part of the SMR supply chain.
  • $3,750,000 to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization in Toronto, Ontario, to enhance the compatibility of the NWMO’s current Adaptive Phased Management program with the upcoming deployment of SMRs.
  • $261,535 to Calian Ltd. in Ottawa, Ontario, to provide a guidance document to SMR vendors and planned owners or operators in Canada that outlines the characterization of radiological elements in building materials for the construction of new SMR facilities.
  • $543,000 to the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries in Pickering, Ontario, to develop a National Ready4SMR program to identify procurement risks due to technological gaps in Canada’s SMR projects and subsequently develop supply strategies for at-risk parts and components.
  • $126,475 to Kinectrics in Etobicoke, Ontario, to investigate the feasibility of disposing the isotope carbon-14 by recovering it from radioactive wastes and to engage with stakeholders to identify a route to divert waste streams from disposal.
  • $2,070,336 to North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council in Eel Ground, New Brunswick, to study and develop robust supply chains in Canada for SMR manufacturing while anchoring elements in New Brunswick with First Nations ownership.
  • $1,094,850 to Opportunities New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick, to provide a research and development life-cycle framework and roadmap for the manufacturing of cost-effective modularized SMR technology to enhance the development and deployment of SMRs within Canada.

“Developing next-generation nuclear technologies, like small modular reactors, will be essential as Canada faces growing energy demands and is called upon to export our clean technologies to partners around the world,” said Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “Our nuclear sector is poised to be a leader in an emerging global SMR market that some estimate to be worth up to $150 billion a year by 2040.”

Canada’s 2022 budget allocated $29.6 million to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) over four years for research and development to support the conditions and frameworks necessary for SMRs to displace fossil fuels and contribute to climate change mitigation. NRCan introduced the Enabling Small Modular Reactors Program in 2023 to support the development of supply chains for SMR manufacturing and fuel and to fund research on SMR waste management solutions to ensure that SMRs and the waste they generate can be safely managed, now and into the future.

The Enabling SMR Program has announced $3.5 million to date for projects being led by the Canadian Standards Association, the University of Alberta and the University of Regina.

Canada is targeting a net-zero electric grid by 2035, and has been financially supportive of deploying new nuclear as it works to significantly increase carbon-free power. In January 2023 GE Hitachi (GEH), Ontario Power Generation (OPG), SNC-Lavalin and Aecon inked a commercial contract for a 300 MW SMR at OPG’s Darlington new nuclear site. The reactor would be Canada’s first SMR. A few months prior to the contract signing, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) committed C$970 million ($708 million) in debt financing toward the Darlington SMR. This was the bank’s largest investment in clean power to date.