The door is open for a national discussion on small modular reactor (SMR) technology in Canada, as the Canadian National Laboratories (CNL) on Friday announced the kick off of a “Request for Expressions of Interest on SMRs,” which would run from 1 June to 31 July.
CNL expects contributions to come from a wide range of shareholders, including SMR technology developers, potential end users “and any other interested parties and stakeholders, including potential host communities, unions, the nuclear supply chain and research and academic institutions.”
On conceptual merits alone, the SMR option has great appeal to countries like Canada. While some envision SMR facilities to include multiple, factory-built small reactors running in the same site, which would add up to the same capacity as a moderate or even a large reactor, there are some who see specific use reactors deployed by themselves in more isolated settings.
“This clean energy technology holds opportunities for Canada,” the CNL said, “particularly for remote communities or industrial sites.”
Small size and factory-assembled reactors means an affordable price tag for individual units. As such, “SMRs may offer several advantages over traditional technologies, notably the ability to purchase and construct in a modular way, decreasing up-front capital costs through simpler, less complex plants and reduced staff complement.,” CNL noted.
Deployment could be targeted for specific uses, such as heat generation, co-generation, energy storage, desalination or hydrogen production. SMR technology also lends itself to the possibility of powering remote communities, especially those with industrial needs, such as remote communities involved in mining, fishing or other industrial factors that require a stable energy supply.
Friday's Request for Expressions of Interest is intended as "an open discussion with industry and the public on how or where they see SMRs fitting within the larger energy picture in this country. This is an opportunity for anyone to share their views, raise their questions and suggest potential applications for this technology,” said Mark Lesinski, president and chief executive officer of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
Said Kathryn McCarthy, vice-president, Research & Development, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, "We intend to begin the generic site selection and licensing process for the first demonstration or prototype reactor later this year. At this preliminary stage, these activities will be technology neutral, and inclusive of all potential technologies. We need to hear from the broader SMR development community, to ensure that their needs are being captured."