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Public acceptance of nuclear power has waned since the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 and the Fukushima accident in 2011. But there is a new kid on the block: the small modular reactor (SMR). Designed to be inherently safe, SMRs shut down if the reactor heats up too much. They can also be manufactured off-site in a standardized module that can be shipped and assembled on site, which greatly reduces construction cost, time and uncertainties. SMRs are small in capacity, 300 megawatt or less, making it easier to integrate them into existing electric grids or even off-grid.

Realizing the potential benefits of “going small” with SMRs, Canadian provincial and territorial governments and power utilities recently issued “A Call to Action: A Canadian Roadmap for Small Modular Reactors”. This “roadmap” explains how SMRs will not only enable Canada to deliver on its climate change commitment, but also offer regional development opportunities and allow a “constructive dialogue with northern and Indigenous communities on remote energy issues”.

New Brunswick has invested in an SMR nuclear research cluster, and Saskatchewan’s Premier Scott Moe recently stated that the province is “beginning to have conversations with other provinces, such as Ontario and New Brunswick, on small modular reactors as that technology is coming forward.” The call to action is beginning to be heard.

Canada has a great opportunity to take the lead and be among the first to demonstrate the SMR technology. Canadians have the know-how gained in designing and safely operating CANDU reactors for decades. We have a sound regulatory regime, and a supply chain capable of manufacturing nuclear-quality components for SMRs. In fact, Canada has built and operated small reactors such as the 135-megawatt NRU reactor at Chalk River, which produced medical radioisotopes for more than 60 years.