$74 million announced for small nuclear reactor project in Saskatchewan

Federal Minister of Energy and National Resources Jonathan Wilkinson announced $74 million in funding for Saskatchewan on Saturday to support the development of a small nuclear reactor in the province.

“We are investing in non-emitting nuclear technologies to power us forward — a future that leverages Saskatchewan’s world-leading production of uranium to create jobs and help create non-emitting, reliable and affordable power to Saskatchewanians across this province,” Wilkinson said during a press conference at the University of Saskatchewan.

No one from the Saskatchewan government attended the Saturday announcement.

The money is to go towards the possible construction of a small nuclear reactor (SMR) to support decarbonization.

The project was announced by SaskPower in June 2022, when it selected the GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 reactor for the project.

SMRs are scalable and versatile nuclear reactors that typically produce 300 megawatts of electricity or less. They can support large established grids, small grids, remote off-grid communities and resource projects, according to the provincial government.

The province said a 300-megawatt SMR could generate enough clean electricity each year to power 300,000 homes.

The new funds announced by the federal government includes $50 million from Natural Resources Canada and $24 million from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

While the federal government has set the goal of creating a net-zero power grid by 2035, the Saskatchewan government has set its own goal of 2050.

The location of the proposed reactor has not been chosen, and the Saskatchewan government isn’t scheduled to make a final decision on the project until 2029.