Government funding for Saskatchewan SMR test facility

The facility - the SMR-SLT - will be located at the Innovation Saskatchewan Research and Technology Park. It will house two test loops that simulate a part of a small modular reactor (SMR), modelling water-cooled systems using electrical heat, allowing researchers to test components under conditions similar to those in operating reactors.

The funding was announced by Buckley Belanger, Canada's Secretary of State (Rural Development), on behalf of Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada Eleanor Olszewski. The federal government is investing CAD1.96 million (USD1.4 million) in the SMR-SLT through Olszewski's department, PrairiesCan - a federal government department supporting business growth, innovation and community economic development across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Provincial government support for the project is through SaskPower, the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan, and a Crown Corporation - a commercial entity owned by the Government of Saskatchewan. It will be investing CAD4 million in the SMR-LT.

"Small modular nuclear reactors represent a fantastic opportunity for clean, low-emitting power, for good jobs, and for long-term economic growth right across the nuclear supply chain and across Saskatchewan," Belanger said. "Our province is already home to some of the largest uranium reserves on the planet, and Saskatchewan has huge potential to establish itself as a leader in Canadian nuclear power - but none of that happens unless we get the first step right. Making sure nuclear development can happen safely, responsibly, and under strong regulation is essential, and that's exactly what this investment in the University of Regina's SMR Safety, Licensing and Testing centre is all about."

"The Testing Centre will help to further establish Saskatchewan as a hub for nuclear excellence, advancing nuclear research, and supporting a local nuclear workforce and supply chain," said Jeremy Harrison, Minister Responsible for SaskPower. "Nuclear power is central to our Government's energy security strategy, which is why we are making the necessary investments to support industry readiness in the province."

Innovation Saskatchewan is contributing CAD1 million plus an in-kind contribution of the leased space at the Innovation Saskatchewan R+T Park for the first three years of operation. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) will also provide in-kind design support. The centre will be led by University of Regina researchers, with the Global Institute for Energy, Minerals and Society (GIEMS) partnership between the University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic playing a key role to ensure all three institutions have access to the test loops for training and research, SaskPower said.

The government of Saskatchewan signalled its commitment to incorporating nuclear capacity into its provincial electricity system in a long-term policy document released last year. SaskPower has previously selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment in the province in the mid-2030s and has identified two potential sites for SMR deployment, both in the Estevan area in the south-east of the province.

According to PrairiesCan, the new test centre project will create 18 direct jobs, support 10 small businesses, and train a highly skilled workforce, while advancing Saskatchewan's preparation for the estimated 2,500 to 3,500 jobs required to build and operate nuclear power plants by the mid-2030s.

Arthur Situm, Canada Research Chair in SMR Safety and Licensing at the University of Regina, said the facility will help train the next generation of nuclear professionals by providing hands-on experience with safety systems and processes that define modern nuclear technology.

"Together, this work positions the University of Regina and Saskatchewan as a leader in safe, responsible, small modular reactor research with a global impact," he said on YouTube.