OTTAWA – Following successful meetings with officials and nuclear industry leaders at the Canadian Nuclear Association’s annual conference, Greg Rickford, Ontario Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, issued the following statement:
“I would like to thank the Canadian Nuclear Association for hosting an exciting and productive conference. CNA2020 Nuclear Now: Achieving Our Clean Energy Future provided an important forum that showcased Ontario’s nuclear advantage and continued important discussions about our commitment to developing small modular reactor (SMR) technology. This follows the December 2019 agreement between Ontario, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan to collaborate on the development and deployment of SMRs through a Memorandum of Understanding.
I was pleased to join Dustin Duncan, Saskatchewan Minister of Environment, and senior officials from New Brunswick’s Department of Energy and Resource Development, in a panel discussion providing provincial perspectives on SMRs.
Ontario, in partnership with Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, is proud to lead the way on SMR development in Canada. SMRs have the potential to generate clean, low-cost and reliable energy and Ontario is fortunate to be home to a world-class nuclear industry to leverage as we lead the development of this innovative technology.
Following productive conversations, Ontario Power Generation and Bruce Power will continue working closely with SaskPower and NB Power to develop a feasibility report and business case for SMR development and deployment in their provinces. This work will include identifying viable technologies for near-term and longer-term SMR deployment in the three provinces and providing full market analysis for those technologies.
I was also pleased to deliver the conference’s closing remarks to reiterate the importance of nuclear power generation in our province. Nuclear energy serves as the backbone of our electricity system, providing more than 60 per cent of Ontario’s power. Ontario’s nuclear industry is also a major world supplier of medical isotopes that are used to sterilize medical equipment and treat diseases.
Our nuclear industry, with its extensive expertise, technology and infrastructure, will support the development of next-generation technologies and the creation of new opportunities for growth and jobs.
Ontario’s robust nuclear supply chain and experienced nuclear workers are uniquely positioned to support SMR development and deployment in Ontario, Canada and globally. Together with our partners, we’re working to ensure that Canada remains at the forefront of nuclear innovation.”
