The federal government has issued the notice of commencement of an environmental assessment (EA) for a small modular reactor project proposed by Global First Power (GFP) with support from nuclear-technology-innovator Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) and Ontario Power Generation (OPG).
“OPG is proud to be working with GFP and USNC on this ‘first-of-a-kind in Canada’ opportunity. Our advances to date are the result of a shared vision on the role that SMRs and nuclear energy can play in meeting climate change commitments, while also providing environmental and social benefits,” said Dominique Minière, president of nuclear at Ontario Power Generation.
GFP, USNC, and OPG propose to construct and operate a 15-megawatt (MW) thermal (approximately 5 MW electrical) Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) plant at the Chalk River Laboratories, owned by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and operated by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL).
With the commencement of the EA, detailed studies will begin. In parallel, GFP will provide CNL with the required information as they continue their proponent selection process, and provide the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) with information to support the licence application process.
“Our MMR technology is designed with a great many safety, environmental, and operational innovations and this project will allow us to demonstrate how our advanced technology can be essential in helping Canada meet its energy, environmental and climate goals,” said Francesco Venneri, CEO of Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation.
If approved, the project would serve as a model for future SMR deployments that could support remote industrial applications and provide a viable option to displace fossil fuel use. Ultimately, the MMR model could be a key contributor to an important solution for all of Canada: meeting energy needs while enabling other renewable energy sources and helping to achieve environment and climate change goals.
Read more about Global First Power’s proposed project at the Chalk River site.
