The Saskatchewan government has announced funding for the province’s first nuclear microreactor. The project is expected to be up and running by 2029 and is expected to transform the province’s economy and energy industry.
Premier Scott Moe said the government has put $80 million into the project, which will be run by the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC).
“This is a very important day … from the province’s perspective on where we are going over the next three, five, and 10 years, not only for our own electricity production, but how we are making every effort to be at the centre of really a global shift. A global shift to cleaner nuclear power in many, many countries around the world,” Mr. Moe told reporters following the announcement.
“At the end of the day, there’s going to be, yes renewables, and there’s going to be nuclear power.”
The machine will be built by Westinghouse Electric Company, which is partially owned by Saskatchewan-based Cameco.
“Our vision is to see the first eVinci microreactor in an industrial application and lay the groundwork for many more projects in the future,” SRC president and CEO Mike Crabtree said in a government news release. “What we learn through this project will prepare SRC to assist communities and industries in future projects.”
The eVinci microreactor will be able to produce five megawatts of electricity with over 13 megawatts of high-temperature heat, according to the Westinghouse website.
The microreactor infrastructure is less than two-thirds the size of a hockey rink and is estimated to prevent 55,000 tons of C02 emissions annually.
