A strategic plan on the use of small modular reactors (SMRs) was released today by the governments of New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

A Strategic Plan for the Deployment of Small Modular Reactors highlights how SMRs could provide safe, reliable and zero-emissions energy to power the Canadian economy and create new opportunities to export Canadian knowledge and expertise around the world.

New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan have been working together since December 2019 to advance SMRs in Canada through a memorandum of understanding, which Alberta joined in April 2021.

This report builds on the provincial power utilities’ SMR feasibility study, which concluded that SMR development would support domestic energy needs, curb greenhouse gas emissions, and position Canada as a global leader in clean technologies and the fight against climate change.

The report identifies five priority areas for SMR development and deployment:

• Positioning Canada as a global SMR technology hub by propelling three separate streams of SMR development, covering both on-grid and off-grid applications.
• Promoting a solid nuclear regulatory framework that focuses on the health and safety of the public and the environment while ensuring reasonable costs and timelines.
• Securing federal government commitments on financial and policy support for new SMR technologies that could lead to vast economic benefits across the country and help meet emissions reduction targets.
• Creating opportunities for participation from Indigenous communities and public engagement.
• Working with the federal government and nuclear operators on a robust nuclear waste management plan for SMRs.

SMRs are nuclear reactors that produce 300 megawatts of electricity or less. They can support large established grids, small grids, remote off-grid communities and resource projects.