The Canadian province of Ontario should consider developing and executing a plan for new large-scale Candu nuclear power plants alongside a planned BWRX-300 small modular reactor at the Darlington site, where an existing site licence would speed up timelines by nearly a decade, a pro-nuclear group has said in a report.
Canadians for Nuclear Energy said site development to support 10 new Candu reactors is a “no regret action” that should begin promptly. Once firm plans are in place at the provincial level, nuclear operators and Energy Ministry could approach the federal government to discuss avenues of support, including funding for Candu modernisations, heavy water production and expedited licensing for new sites.
The report said Candu, Canada’s homegrown reactor technology, is far ahead of other options in terms of local economic benefit, fuel security, project risk mitigation and a proven track record of success.