SaskPower looking to bring large nuclear reactors to Saskatchewan

As work to get small modular nuclear reactors online continues, the province is doubling down on nuclear power. Keenan Sorokan reports.

Saskatchewan is thinking big for its nuclear future.

The province and SaskPower are looking at bringing large nuclear reactor technology for use in Saskatchewan.

“By taking the time now to carefully assess large reactor technologies, SaskPower is ensuring Saskatchewan has the information needed to make informed decisions about the future of power for all of us,” CEO Rupen Pandya said when formally announcing the plans Wednesday.

The lengthy process of exploring large-scale nuclear reactor implementation will begin with selecting the technology.

Two sites near Estevan have previously been identified by the province as sites for Saskatchewan’s first small modular nuclear reactor, and SaskPower says this work will continue in parallel with the large reactor evaluation.

Whether it’s securing Saskatchewan’s energy future, modernizing its grid or selling power beyond its borders, the minister responsible for SaskPower says nuclear power is a big opportunity for Saskatchewan.

“The home of over a quarter of the world’s uranium supply is here in this province,” Jeremy Harrison said. “We want to see value added to that commodity, from that mine site to the reactor that’s actually going to be producing power. And I think there’s enormous, enormous opportunity for Saskatchewan.”

• Get the latest news from Saskatoon, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Picking a technology will happen before a location is found during the decades-long process. Pandya says getting a large reactor online will take roughly 20 years or longer after clearing all the necessary regulatory hurdles — something Harrison hopes will change in the coming years.

“We need to work with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the Government of Canada to abridge those timelines, because it is too long to get to the point of power generation,” Harrison said.

Harrison hints three designs have been shortlisted, ranging from 650- to 1400-megawatt capacity. Some of the examples Harrison listed have been built or are concept designs.

He says despite the federal government investing in CANDU (Canada deuterium uranium) technology, there hasn’t been any pressure for Saskatchewan to implement that specific design.

“I think this is really an area that doesn’t push us apart. I think nuclear is something that really could bring us together as a country,” Harrison said.

Harrison says site selection could happen alongside the two SMR sites - one in the RM of Estevan and the other in the RM of Cambria — but there are many milestones to accomplish before then and additional sites could be identified as well.

Saskatchewan is planning to transition its baseload power from natural gas and coal to nuclear power by 2050. The Canadian Nuclear Association estimates electricity demand could double or triple over the next 25 years.