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Boundary Dam and Rafferty Reservoir both remain in the running for Saskatchewan’s first nuclear reactor.
SaskPower has confirmed the purchase of land near Rafferty Reservoir, marking a significant step forward in the selection process for Saskatchewan’s first small modular nuclear reactor, but the utility says no final decision has yet been made.
In an email to Discover Estevan, SaskPower’s Joel Cherry explained that the land purchase is meant to preserve Rafferty as a viable option.
“SaskPower’s land option agreement at Rafferty is set to expire before we are in a position to select a site,” Cherry wrote. “By purchasing the land, we can continue to study the suitability of the Rafferty site as well as the Boundary Dam site so that they are both available for potential development.”
Should the Boundary Dam site be chosen instead, SaskPower says the Rafferty land could be sold or leased.
According to publicly available Orders-in-Council and real estate data published by the Government of Saskatchewan, SaskPower spent just over $3.1 million on five parcels of land near the Rafferty Reservoir, located due south of Macoun. The purchases include four full quarter sections priced at $600,000 each, and a 12-acre parcel valued at $790,000.
The official land transaction summaries, including legal descriptions, parcel numbers, and sellers, can be found through the province’s Comparable Land Sales Database at saskatchewan.ca/comparablelandsales.
The other potential reactor location under consideration is east of Boundary Dam Reservoir, just south of Woodlawn Regional Park and north of Estevan’s residential neighborhoods.
Both sites were announced by SaskPower in a May 31, 2024 news release as part of the utility’s next phase of small modular reactor (SMR) planning. The company selected the Estevan region following a year of technical analysis and public, Indigenous, and stakeholder engagement, narrowing the options from a broader study that also included the Elbow area.
“The Estevan region offers many benefits, including proximity to the City of Estevan to access existing services, a skilled workforce, accommodations and emergency services, as well as infrastructure, roads and transmission,” said SaskPower President and CEO Rupen Pandya. “Selecting a site for the first SMR facility will allow us to proceed with the many regulatory processes which are site-specific and critical to the project moving forward.”
Final Site Coming in 2025
Throughout 2024, SaskPower is conducting detailed geotechnical, groundwater, and environmental assessments at both sites. The goal is to finalize the chosen location in early 2025, with a decision on whether to proceed with reactor construction expected in 2029.
If approved, the first 315-megawatt unit could be in service by 2034, with the potential for a second reactor to follow. SaskPower continues to seek federal regulatory approval for the project from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
The land purchases and site assessments come as the province signals growing support for nuclear power in the face of a transitioning energy grid. SaskPower has committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and views nuclear as a critical part of that future.
To learn more about SaskPower’s SMR development, visit saskpower.com/nuclear. For more on the land transactions related to the project, including maps and purchase details, visit the Comparable Land Sales Database at saskatchewan.ca/comparablelandsales.