Today Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan launched Canada's Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Action Plan. This plan compiles more than 100 chapters written by industry and government leaders, outlining 450 concrete actions to be taken to advance the deployment of SMRs in Canada.
The level of commitment in the document demonstrates the growing momentum around the technology and the opportunity that exists for Canada to be a global leader in this next generation innovation.
Small modular reactors are compact nuclear generators that hold the potential to provide safe, clean nuclear power distributed across the country to where it’s needed most. They can provide electricity and heat to industrial sites, remote communities, and even to the grid—all emissions free.
SMR technology has been advancing quickly in recent years, with NII’s Bruce Power Centre for Next Generation Nuclear steering committee members like Bruce Power, Terrestrial Energy, BWXT Canada, Kinectrics Inc., Westinghouse Electric Canada, and Mining Innovation Rehabilitation & Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO) contributing to made-in-Canada technology. Click each NII partner’s name to view their chapter and specific commitments in the Action Plan.
From Minister O'Regan: “SMRs offer the next great opportunity for Canada. This work is enabling us to double down on our common mission: a net-zero economy by 2050; a global economy that continues to grow; a strong path for reconciliation with Indigenous peoples; and an energy future that leaves no one behind.”
“Canada is recognized as a global leader in nuclear technologies and SMRs provide an exciting opportunity to reduce carbon emissions in areas such as industrial processing, powering remote locations, and producing clean hydrogen,” says the NII’s Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Eric Johnston.
Learn more about the SMR Action Plan at SMRactionplan.ca.
Video courtesy of Natural Resources Canada.