Saskatchewan residents wanting to learn more about the future of nuclear power in the provinces were able to take part in a call-in event hosted by SaskPower last week.
The event updated residents about the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) development project. The two study areas for an SMR are Elbow, near Lake Diefenbaker, and Estevan, near the Rafferty and Boundary Reservoirs.
“So, Lake Diefenbaker scores really high, as does the Estevan area, based on when we talk about that regional criteria factor, the technical requirements of the plant with the cooling water needed. We also looked at the environmental points within those regions as well as the social indications,” explained SaskPower supply chain engineer Sarah Klein Bentley.
According to SaskPower, nuclear power would provide the province with emissions-free, base-load power.
SMRs are scaled-down versions of large nuclear reactors. Darcy Holderness, project manager for SMR development, said large reactors can produce around 1,000 megawatts per unit. However, Saskatchewan’s grid is only 5,000 megawatts. He said putting such a large reactor on such a small grid is putting “too many eggs in one basket.”
SaskPower is looking at deploying a GE Hitachi BWRX-300 boiling water reactor that would produce 300 megawatts of power. In comparison, the Chinook Power Plant in Swift Current and the Great Plains Power Plant being built in Moose Jaw generate about 350 megawatts of power, while the Poplar River coal power station in Coronach generates 200 to 300 megawatts.
Each nuclear power plant would have a lifespan of about 60 years and would be fueled by uranium sources from Saskatchewan.
There was a question about why SaskPower is not using the Canadian-designed Cando reactor. Holderness said Cando only produces large reactors that would be too big for Saskatchewan’s grid.
Holderness added that there are safety regulations when it comes to the health of those living within close proximity to a nuclear power plant.
“The CNSC, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, their mandate is to ensure all nuclear activity, be it mining, power reactors, research reactors or waste management, that people and the environment are kept safe,” he said.
According to the CNSC, living within proximity to a nuclear power plant is about one-fifth of a dental x-ray for one year. Holderness said SaskPower will make sure to educate people about how nuclear energy works and how it is managed. He also recommended people learn more on the CNSC website.
The disposal of all nuclear waste is mandated through the Nuclear Waste Management Organization.
As for the location, SaskPower is looking to narrow it down to two half-sections of land by the end of this year and will then look at safety and technical, environmental, social and cultural, and economic factors.
“No site is perfect. There are tradeoffs and evaluating most tradeoffs is what we are doing over the next few months while we narrow it down to two half sections,” Klein Bentley said.
A question was posed about the thermal effect a nuclear power plant would have on Lake Diefenbaker.
“We are studying the thermal effects on all three reservoirs at the moment and should have an idea of what those impacts will be. We’re expecting them to be minimal, but we are looking at what will be the thermal impacts, water levels and, when we look forward into the climate models, how it will affect those water bodies into the future,” Klein Bentley said.
SaskPower’s timeline is that they are still in the study and planning phase. A decision on whether or not to build an SMR will be made by the end of 2029.
If the project moves ahead, construction would begin in 2030 and would be operational by 2035.
You can learn more about the project on SaskPower's website.