Tracy Primeau Past Shift Manager, Bruce Power & Board Member, WiN Canada
The nuclear industry is currently going through a renaissance and change, innovation, and growth in the industry are only going to be successful if we have diverse teams. We need people from different backgrounds who look different, think different, and have different experience.
John Gorman President & CEO, Canadian Nuclear Association
We’re seeing a broader benefit of our strong nuclear industrial supply base who are collaborating with pharmaceutical innovators and partnering with nuclear energy power producers to design, develop, manufacture, and install systems that will allow for large scale harvesting and processing of medical isotopes, saving tens of thousands of lives.
We’re seeing an international awakening around nuclear, with countries increasingly building out this clean energy source. We’re going to need a lot of nuclear, both conventional and small modular reactors, going forward. If Canada aligns its policy and investment support for nuclear, then I think we’re going to be able to achieve our net zero and energy security goals, and benefit from it economically as well.
One of our greatest challenges in the nuclear industry is the very lean representation of women, who represent only about 22 per cent of the workforce. The fact of the matter is, diversity brings improved operational and financial performance, greater innovation, better group performance, and an enhanced reputation for the company.
Creating Clean Energy for the Future with Engineering Leader Hatch
If Canada wants to achieve its net-zero targets, decarbonizing the electricity and industrial sectors are an essential step — and nuclear energy is an essential part of the solution. Nuclear provides a non-emitting source of energy that is safe, reliable, and cost-competitive, to help facilitate the transition to a low-carbon and net-zero future.
Lisa McBride President, WiN Canada & Country Leader, Small Modular Reactors, GEH
Emily Whetung Chief Emeritus, Curve Lake First Nation
The possibility of an energy grid based only on wind and solar isn’t currently viable. Anishinaabe teachings focus on balance and I’ve come to believe we need an energy grid based on a balance of a stable nuclear baseload that’s supplemented by wind and solar technology.
There’s been an overall trend in recognizing that nuclear will play a significant role in reducing our GHG emissions and its role in combating climate change. Young Canadians want actual change and not just greenwashing.
Matthew Mairinger Vice-President, NAYGN & Business Analyst, Ontario Power Generation
Bill Walker President & CEO, Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries
There’s the energy side of nuclear, but there’s also the health care side that impacts lives every day. Isotopes will truly have a game-changing impact, and Canada is already positioned to continue leading the medical isotope sector.
“Public perception is that the technology is new, but we’ve been operating nuclear safely and responsibly in Canada for over 60 years,” says Mario Pieries, Director of Nuclear Business Development and Strategy at Hatch, a global multidisciplinary management, engineering, and development consultancy headquartered in Mississauga, Ont.
As global energy consumption continues to increase, a sustainable energy mix is the only solution. That means nuclear complemented by other clean sources of energy. And we’ll only get there if we continue to invest in technology and innovation. Unlocking the potential of nuclear energy will not only meet the challenges of today but can also ensure a healthier planet and livelihood for future generations.
Nuclear offers us clean air, a cooler climate, and life-saving medical isotopes. With a supply chain that’s 96 per cent made in Canada and high-quality jobs, we can achieve our environmental goals, a healthy economy, and a truly just transition for Canadian workers.
Dr. Chris Keefer, M.D. President, Canadians for Nuclear Energy & Emergency Physician
Companies like Hatch are leading the way in helping us to harness nuclear energy’s immense power and transition to a low-carbon economy.
Tania Amardeil
Mario Pieries Director of Nuclear Business Development & Strategy, Hatch
Nuclear Has a Waste Solution, Not a Waste Problem
Managing highly radioactive nuclear waste presents a unique challenge. Canada is up to the task and is moving forward to protect people and the environment for the long-term.
D.F. McCourt
Canada has been one of the great pioneers and early adopters of nuclear power. That history has left us with a legacy of clean energy to power our homes and businesses, it has driven incredible innovation in the medical sciences, and it has employed thousands in a rich ecosystem of scientific, industrial, and extractive research and insight that continues to provide vast economic benefit to this country. But it has also thrust upon us the necessity of becoming pioneers once again, this time in tackling nuclear power’s greatest challenge: the safe management and storage of highly radioactive waste products.
Canada’s used nuclear fuel is a stable solid material in the form of a fuel bundle. The current inventory of used nuclear fuel from six decades of using nuclear power is approximately 3 million fuel bundles – about enough to fill eight hockey rinks from the ice surface to the top of the boards. It is presently stored at secure facilities in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Manitoba. An additional 90,000 fuel bundles are added to that count each year. Though our existing approach is safe and effective, it has always been understood that it is not a permanent solution.
Planning today for the good of tomorrow In 2002, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) was created as a national not-for-profit organization tasked with the safe, long-term management of Canada’s used nuclear fuel in a manner that protects people and the environment for generations to come. “When the NWMO was created, we started by talking to Canadians and Indigenous Peoples, about how they wanted to see used nuclear fuel managed,” says Laurie Swami, President and CEO of NWMO. “Overwhelmingly, we heard that we must take responsibility for nuclear waste now, in this generation, rather than passing that burden on to our children and grandchildren. Decades of international research have provided a scientific consensus that deep geological repositories are the best way to do that.”
A deep geological repository — in which used nuclear fuel is stored more than half a kilometre underground, beneath a natural shield of solid rock, augmented by five layers of engineered barriers — has long been hailed as a theoretically ideal solution to nuclear waste. Today, it’s no longer theoretical, with projects moving forward in many countries with commercial nuclear energy programs. Canada is building upon decades of international co-operation, research, and development to pioneer the benchmark
example of responsible nuclear waste management. Swami notes, “This is a multi-generational project implemented over 175 years and will be one of the largest national environmental infrastructure projects in Canada’s history. We’re going to get it right.”
Choosing a home for a legacy of proactive responsibility
Getting it right means securing support from the stewards of the land where such a project might be located. “Canada’s plan can only proceed in an area where the municipality, First Nations, and Métis communities, and others in the area, are working together to implement it. In fact, the NWMO has only worked in regions where a community has voluntarily expressed interest in exploring their potential to host the project,” says Swami.
Progressive rounds of detailed social and technical studies have narrowed the potential sites from 22 to two locations: the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area in northwestern Ontario and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area in southern Ontario. Final site selection is expected to take place in 2024. The selected site will become home to a Centre of Expertise, a world-class destination for knowledge-sharing, technical and social research and a technology demonstration program, involving scientists and experts from a wide variety of disciplines.
Throughout this process and in the years of construction to come, the project will continue to combine cutting-edge science with Indigenous knowledge to ensure that used nuclear fuel is safely contained and isolated for the very long term, completing the circle in Canada’s journey as an innovator in clean and safe nuclear energy.
Laurie Swami President & CEO, Nuclear Waste Management Organization
Overwhelmingly, we heard that we must take responsibility for nuclear waste now, in this generation, rather than passing that burden on to our children and grandchildren.
Delve into the future of nuclear waste storage at nwmo.ca
This article was sponsored by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization
Embracing Nuclear Energy Is Key to Canada’s Success and Goals
If Canada wants to achieve energy security, create jobs, boost our economy, and reach our ambitious net-zero goals, we must support nuclear.
Tania Amardeil
Nuclear power is playing an increasingly vital role in Canada’s energy security, economy, and net-zero goals. However, the topic of nuclear energy brings up strong opinions and emotions, both for and against its development and widespread use. Concerns abound about nuclear power’s safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness. Given nuclear power’s potential to contribute substantially to Canada’s energy security and to help us reach our net-zero goals, however, it’s time to clear up some facts.
Addressing common misconceptions
Anti-nuclear discourse often centers on myths and fears based on simple misconceptions. A major concern that many Canadians hold is nuclear energy’s safety. And with everything that’s going on in the world today — including Russia’s war on Ukraine and emerging superpowers China and Russia starting to lead new nuclear reactor builds — many are understandably hesitant to embrace nuclear energy.
“The more that people understand the real effects behind nuclear, the more supportive they are,” says John Gorman, President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association, an organization that has been the national voice of the Canadian nuclear industry since 1960. Nuclear is proven, safe technology, and Canada has a long history — seven decades — of innovation in nuclear research and technologies. It’s also the perfect time for nuclear. The war against Ukraine has demonstrated how important it is for countries to have energy security, and nuclear power provides dispatchable, reliable, and economical energy.
However, despite Canada’s longstanding leadership in nuclear research and technology, we’ve been losing market control over the past two decades due to a lack of investment and unfavourable policy environments. Since 2017, 87 per cent of the new reactors that have broken ground use Russian and Chinese designs — and it’s essential that Canada re-establish our leadership in the global civil nuclear power export market, both to secure jobs and revenue and for national security purposes.
“Energy security has been highlighted recently with world developments and in today’s context of our global energy crisis, with sky-rocketing fuel prices, energy security
challenges, and our ambitious climate commitments,” says Gorman. “Nuclear is an accessible, affordable, clean, and reliable source of energy for countries looking to transition away from fossil fuels and to secure energy independence.”
Understanding the true benefits Canadians also have concerns about the high costs and long build times involved with constructing nuclear power plants. Some argue that Canada should be refocusing capital and time on building renewables instead, and that renewables are a superior source of energy because they’re low-maintenance and safe. However, nuclear has advantages over renewables in terms of reliability, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, waste, and its ability to supply baseload energy. “And while the initial cost is high, a nuclear power plant can run for 30 to 60 years, with low operating costs that offset the initial capital investment,” says Gorman.
Further, proponents of nuclear point out that nuclear was never intended to exist in a vacuum. Rather, nuclear should work together with renewables as one of the many tools needed to solve the big problem of climate change.
Working to reach net zero
Despite the misinformation and outdated ideologies creating gaps and inaccuracies in how Canadians perceive nuclear energy, we’re also seeing increasing interest in nuclear as more and more people wake up to the realities of climate change. Climate change is a serious issue, and it makes sense to support nuclear as it’s a powerful low-carbon energy that can help Canada reach our net-zero goals.
Canada’s new federal emissions reduction plan aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. The years are dwindling while our energy demands are growing annually. It’s an equation that simply doesn’t work without nuclear energy. Reaching these targets will require a full decarbonization plan for every industry, and nuclear is well-positioned to facilitate the transformation. For example, one of the challenges of decarbonizing certain sectors is the industries’ need for high-temperature heat, which is typically only achievable through burning fossil fuels. “Nuclear power can produce both high-temperature heat and electricity,” explains
Nuclear is an accessible, affordable, clean, and reliable source of energy for countries looking to transition away from fossil fuels and to secure energy independence.
Gorman. Given the tight time frame we’re working within, it makes sense to use every tool in our arsenal to solve the pressing climate change problem.
From environmental goals to energy security goals and beyond, the benefits of nuclear are impressive. It’s time we fully embrace and understand this powerful energy source.
John Gorman President & CEO, Canadian Nuclear Association Learn more about the advantages of nuclear at cna.ca Follow the CNA on Twitter @CanadaNuclear or connect on LinkedIn.
Ontario’s Nuclear Expertise Is the Key to a Clean Energy Future
Greening Ontario’s energy portfolio is essential, but renewables aren’t enough. Experts in Ontario’s energy sector offer a vision of a green energy future with a robust nuclear foundation.
D.F. McCourt
There are a lot of voices offering a lot of opinions on Canada’s ongoing green energy transition. In Ontario, though, you would be hard-pressed to find a better-informed perspective than that put forward by the electricity workers themselves — those who have kept the energy sector thriving for decades.
The Society of United Professionals (SUP), founded more than 70 years ago by a collective of working engineers, today represents more than 8,000 professionals across the province of Ontario, predominantly in the electricity sector. “About 35 to 40 per cent of the workers we represent work in the nuclear sector,” says Michelle Johnston, President of the SUP. “The nuclear portfolio is extremely important, especially when we talk about climate change. We need to minimize fossil fuel use and eventually phase it out completely. Of course, hydro and renewables will have to play as big of a role as possible, but we have little room to grow on hydroelectric. So, when you look at the generation of baseload power — that always-on power — only nuclear can provide that backbone while still meeting climate targets. Nuclear is the only path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.”
No green Ontario without nuclear
As Ontario struggles to formulate a solid plan to meet emissions targets while satisfying growing energy demand, Johnston is convinced that the province’s longstanding expertise in nuclear generation provides an opportunity as fossil fuel generation is phased out. “We know we need to phase out fossil fuels in order to achieve climate goals. Those folks that are working in that sector, we can provide them
with a just transition into the nuclear sector,” says Johnston. “The skills those workers have are transferable. Nobody needs to be left behind from a labour perspective. Nuclear means good, unionized jobs. These are jobs that pay well, provide benefits, provide a pension, and give people the ability to have a comfortable life and contribute back to the economy.”
Growing the nuclear sector in Ontario responsibly will require leaning on new technologies like small modular reactors. Still, Johnston holds that it must also include revisiting plans to decommission existing facilities like the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, which currently provides 3,100 megawatts of clean power. “We’re simply making it clear to the government that we really only have three options to meet our growing electricity needs: refurbish Pickering, build a new nuclear station, or become more reliant on gas power and the emissions that come with that,” Johnston says. “It was a long time ago when they first did the number crunching to see whether they should refurbish Pickering. With gas prices rising significantly since then, there is likely now an economic case for refurbishing Pickering to go along with the moral and environmental case for stopping catastrophic climate change.”
Modern nuclear facilities inspire pride
Even as new energy technologies provide fresh hope for a green future, our existing nuclear facilities have grown ever greener and more modern. “We tour MPs and MPPs through the Bruce Power plant and then we take them up the street to Ontario Power Generation’s waste storage facilities, and you can see the look on their faces change,” she recounts. “They’re so used to thinking of nuclear in terms of these huge yellow
barrels with green goo coming out of them. But then the waste storage facility is actually the cleanest place they’ve ever walked into. And all of the workers there, you can see the pride on their faces whenever a tour goes through.”
And those workers aren’t just engineers and nuclear operators. A nuclear power plant is a massive and complex operation which demands a robust and diverse combination of skills from scientists to lawyers to software developers to security personnel. These are all good, unionized green jobs that already provide billions of dollars in economic benefits to Ontario communities. “There are a lot of people who are hesitant about nuclear in their area,” says Johnston, who herself lives minutes from the Pickering plant. “But once you start to educate people on the value it can bring, from a jobs perspective, from an economic perspective, and from the perspective of simply making the world a better place, those concerns tend to quickly go away.”
We all have skin in the game when it comes to climate change and energy security — two of the biggest issues facing Canada and the world today. When Ontario’s nuclear workers speak up on what they hope the future will look like, it behooves us to listen closely.
Ontario’s green energy future begins at thesociety.ca
Michelle Johnston President, Society of United Professionals
PHOTO COURTESY OF IESO
Society members at work in the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) control room.
Environmentally Elite Saskatchewan Uranium Project Could Unlock a Carbon-Free Global Future
The climate crisis is here, and it has brought an energy crisis with it. Canada’s uranium reserves can provide a way forward.
D.F. McCourt
The future of Canada, and the future of the world, depend on clean energy. Countries around the world are struggling to wean themselves from carbon-intensive fossil fuel energy in the midst of a climate crisis, even while the simultaneous electrification of transportation and heating drives up the already booming demand for electricity. Renewable generation capacity like wind and solar is being built out as quickly as possible but, in any honest assessment of the situation, there remains a huge gulf between our needs and what renewables can provide. And the most pragmatic solution is buried in Saskatchewan.
Canada’s wealth in nuclear fuel is incredible, and NexGen Energy’s Arrow Deposit in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin alone contains over 100 million kilograms of uranium. Canadian mined and milled uranium is already helping to offset 300 to 500 megatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually,
and the development of the Arrow Deposit through NexGen’s proposed Rook I Project that’s currently undergoing provincial and federal regulatory review, could dramatically increase that, reaffirming Canada as a world leader in clean energy fuel production. All that is needed is the will to embrace nuclear energy as a powerful tool in meeting global climate and energy goals.
Why nuclear?
“There’s clearly an ongoing climate crisis, but there’s also an energy crisis unfolding here, full stop,” says Leigh Curyer, President and CEO of NexGen Energy. “There are two key issues. First, the actual provision of electricity. Secondly, addressing the climate crisis by making that energy from non-carbonemitting electrical sources. Government policies around the world are transitioning to electric vehicles, which is going to create even greater electrical demand at the back end of this decade and throughout the future. Wind
and solar don’t yet have the capability to provide baseload power 24/7. Sometimes the sun’s not shining and the wind’s not blowing. Wind and solar are excellent contributors, but the world simply needs nuclear. There’s no greater source of power that's more reliable and efficient than nuclear energy, and it's carbon-free as well. If the question is around the sensible provision of power and generating carbon-free emissions, the science supporting nuclear energy is indisputable.”
Anti-nuclear ideologies have waxed and waned over the decades, and Canada’s contribution to global uranium production has dropped from 22 per cent to 8 per cent since 2016. But, in today’s climate of practical, scientifically driven solutions, new nuclear generation capacity is being recognized as
Leigh Curyer President & CEO, NexGen Energy
an essential part of our climate plan, and that means it’s time to revitalize our uranium mining capacity. NexGen’s proposed Rook I Project on the Arrow Deposit would provide a massive new inflow of processed uranium concentrate on a time scale capable of supporting the 80 per cent increase in global nuclear power production needed by 2040 to meet Paris Agreement targets.
Why Saskatchewan?
The global need for uranium to power the new nuclear generation required to address the climate and energy crisis is clear. But, it makes sense to ask, why should Canada be the one to provide it? And why Saskatchewan specifically? The truth is that the geology of Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin, home to the Arrow Deposit, is truly unique. There’s nothing else in the world like it.
“The deposits in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin are typically very high tonnage with the majority hosting extremely high grades compared to the rest of the world’s known deposits,” says Curyer. “Arrow is unique in this setting in that it will employ very conventional mining extraction and processing due to its competent ground characteristics and clean metallurgy.”
made the Rook I Project popular among local stakeholders and Indigenous Groups.
“Going back to before we even drilled the first exploration hole, our process has been incredibly inclusive of all stakeholders,” says Curyer. “We went and introduced ourselves and built a phenomenal relationship with our community as evidenced by the three Benefit Agreements that we’ve signed with First Nations groups in the local project area. This is a relationship that has been built by our actions and the dedication of local leadership, and it’s just getting stronger and stronger. I think that's purely a function of our approach and our genuineness toward incorporating all stakeholders and being incredibly transparent with respect to that process.”
If the question is around the sensible provision of power and generating carbon-free emissions, the science supporting nuclear energy is indisputable.
Why now?
The need for uranium is urgent and global, and the supply is incredibly local. With initiatives like NexGen’s Rook I Project, Canada is powerfully positioned to reap significant economic benefit while stepping up to a role of leadership on the world stage in practical solutions to the energy and climate crises.
Anticipated Economic Benefits of NexGen’s Rook I Project
Employment Opportunities
350 workers during peak workforce
490 positions during peak employment
Income Opportunities
$384 million in construction labour costs
$55 million in operations direct labour spending
This means that time and resources invested mining uranium in Saskatchewan have an outsized economic return for the country and community. And the geology of the Rook I Property, with well-defined vertical deposits, also allows the mine to have an exceptionally small footprint, minimizing surface-level impacts. The combination of a rigorous environmental impact assessment and a comprehensive economic assessment, entailing considerable new infrastructure and the creation of hundreds of direct jobs, has
“The Rook I Project is not only environmentally elite, but it also has the ability to return Canada to being the number one global provider of clean air energy fuel,” says Curyer. “The opportunity for Saskatchewan and Canada is incredible on that basis alone.”
To learn more about generational benefits for Canada and clean energy solutions for the global environment, visit nexgenenergy.ca and saskatchewanuranium.ca
This
Broader Economic Benefits
$289 million in direct payments to government during an operating year for Saskatchewan
$104 million in direct payments to government during an operating year for Canada
Enhancement Measures
Commitments made in Benefit Agreements with primary Indigenous Groups Programs developed and implemented between NexGen and local communities, enhancing training, education, and income opportunities for locals
article was sponsored by NexGen Energy
McMaster Is Leading the Way in Nuclear Energy Innovations
McMaster University’s pioneering nuclear research and small modular reactor innovations will help Canada meet its net-zero target.
Tania
Canada has a history of innovation in the nuclear space, and McMaster University ranks high among the nation’s key leaders. Located in Hamilton, Ont., the university is recognized as the go-to place for nuclear research, training, technology, and innovation.
for construction, SMRs will be especially useful in areas where a full-scale grid-sized nuclear reactor isn’t practical,” says Dave Tucker, Assistant Vice-President, Nuclear at McMaster University.
As the country looks toward a low-carbon future, McMaster’s nuclear experts are driving research on small modular reactors (SMRs) — a new class of nuclear reactors with the potential to change the future of clean energy production in Canada and around the world.
Tucker Assistant Vice-President, Nuclear, McMaster University
“The significant benefit of SMRs is that they can be installed more quickly and in more flexible ways — and with lower capital investment and shorter timelines
The university is currently conducting a feasibility study to explore the potential of establishing an SMR on-campus or off-campus. In partnership with Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation and Global First Power — and in consultation with the community, business, and government stakeholders, including Indigenous communities and municipal councils — the study builds on McMaster’s expertise in SMR technology validation, nuclear safety, waste reduction, nuclear security and site monitoring, and integrated urban energy systems.
Dave Novog, an engineering physics professor and expert in nuclear safety, is leading McMaster’s Small Modular Advanced Reactor Training program, preparing the next generation of leaders in SMR research, safety, and deployment.
“It’s our vision to establish a micro-community of the future with an SMR at the heart of a renewable energy grid — using state-ofthe-art McMaster technology to capture every drop of usable energy to support livable spaces, food security, water purification, recreation, and industry,” says Tucker. “McMaster’s SMR will provide an opportunity for communities and industries to see the technology at work and help them make decisions about their own energy future.”
Canada’s Green Future Brings a New Twist on the Country’s Storied Nuclear Legacy
Shepherding Canada into a clean energy tomorrow will require various green technologies working in harmony. The advent of SMRs is prompting a re-evaluation of the role nuclear could play in that plan.
D.F. McCourt
In today’s high-tech energy landscape, much value and hope are placed on the idea of new energy technology. With the spectre of climate change ever present, advancements in renewables like wind, solar, and geothermal are heralded as potential saviours. But, to truly address our energy issues in a timely fashion, we must also look to innovations in our more established clean energy technologies like nuclear.
Nuclear technology has hardly been sitting still in the half-century since the first CANDU reactors entered operation. Today’s advanced nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors (SMRs), offer safer and cleaner ways to efficiently and cost-competitively generate green energy. “Our scalable power plant solutions incorporate enhanced safety, improved affordability, and extended flexibility for diverse electrical and process heat applications,” says Clayton Scott, Executive Vice-President of Business Development for SMR provider NuScale
Power. “NuScale’s technology is not just capable of producing reliable baseload electricity, but is also designed for flexible operations that complement renewable energy generation sources, like wind and solar.”
Imagining nuclear solutions in new contexts
The size and portability of SMRs open opportunities for their use in many remote and specialized environments that have previously remained dependent on fossil fuels. NuScale’s SMRs have an incredible safety record in Canada and the United States. Their VOYGR™ SMR power plant is currently the only U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-approved design that’s near-term deployable and commercially viable. “Our unparalleled safety case justifies a reduced emergency planning zone, allowing our VOYGRTM power plants to be sited in close proximity to process heat off-takers and to repower retiring coal stations,” says Scott.
Given Canada’s long history as a nuclear power innovator and global leader, new nuclear technologies like these are a natural inclusion in our clean energy transformation plans. Scott puts the ultimate case for new nuclear technology quite succinctly: “Achieving climate goals simply cannot be done without nuclear energy as part of the equation.”
To learn more, visit nuscalepower.com
Clayton Scott Executive Vice-President of Business Development, NuScale Power
This article was sponsored by NuScale Power
Amardeil
This article was sponsored by McMaster University
Dave
PHOTO COURTESY OF M c MASTER UNIVERSITY
McMaster University — home to Canada’s most powerful nuclear research reactor – is advancing research in small modular reactor (SMR) design, deployment and safety.
Could Actinium-225 Transform Cancer Treatment? CNL Plans to Find Out
Actinium-225, one of the most sought-after isotopes in the world, is being studied and produced in Canada’s national nuclear laboratories.
Joe McBrearty
If you haven’t heard of Actinium-225, it’s for good reason. Even with an army of nuclear scientists, you’d be hard-pressed to find more than a trace of the isotope anywhere on Earth. Actinium-225 is so rare that the annual global production is less than a grain of sand, which is why it has been dubbed ‘the rarest drug on Earth.’ Today, the unique properties of Actinium-225 have also made it one of the most sought-after isotopes in the world by the medical community. The material made headlines in 2016 when a German patient suffering from terminal cancer was treated with a novel therapy enabled by the rare isotope. Eight months later, the tumours had largely disappeared, the patient was still alive, and international researchers were clamouring for more Actinium-225.
Further studies have shown just as much promise, but the limited supply of Actinium-225 has hampered international efforts to advance research related to the isotope. That’s where Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) comes in.
A proud history in medical isotopes
CNL operates the Chalk River Laboratories, which is owned by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). Chalk River once produced more than half the world’s supply of Molybdenum-99, a key isotope used for cancer diagnostic procedures, and it’s estimated that isotopes produced in Chalk River have been used in over one billion medical procedures. CNL still fulfills a vital role as a national research laboratory.
With the growing interest in Actinium-225, we recognized that we were one of a handful of companies in the world that could not only produce research quantities of the rare material but study it as well.
CNL not only has all of the health science laboratories, equipment, and expertise to conduct research programs based on Actinium-225, but we also have the nuclear materials needed to produce more of this rare isotope. Over the past three years, CNL has developed a small-scale generator that produces enough Actinium-225 for our research and meaningful quantities
that we provide to our strategic partners advancing research in treatment safety and efficacy.
The ‘goldilocks’ isotope
How does the new treatment work, exactly? Actinium-225 is attached to a targeting molecule that’s designed to seek out and bind with cancer cells. Then, as the isotope decays, it emits high-energy alpha particles that effectively kill cancer cells, leaving nearby healthy cells virtually unharmed. With a half-life of 10 days, Actinium-225 lasts long enough to do its job in fighting cancer but doesn’t harmfully linger in the body. This is why it’s seen as a “goldilocks” isotope in nuclear medicine.
This treatment is collectively known as targeted alpha therapy (TAT), and CNL is positioning itself as an international hub for this type of research in the future. In addition to radioisotope production, CNL also maintains capabilities to conduct biological research at its Biological Research Facility, a unique facility that can perform TAT-related research and development for universities and innovative companies.
McBrearty President & CEO, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
A promising future
But even bigger plans are in the works. CNL sees an opportunity to build on its legacy in isotope production and processing and is exploring the construction of new facilities on the Chalk River campus that would establish a stable, commercial-scale supply chain for Actinium-225. In pursuit of that goal, CNL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ITM Isotope Technologies Munich, a leading radiopharmaceutical biotech company based out of Germany. It’s all very exciting for a Canadian science institution that once transformed the way the world fights cancer. With Actinium-225, we plan to do it again.
Joe
PHOTO COURTESY OF
This article was sponsored by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
Researchers at the Chalk River Laboratories are working hard to unlock the potential of Actinium-225, a promising new weapon in the fight against cancer.
Preparing Climate Leaders of the Future In Nuclear Energy
Nuclear is not only a means to help Canada reach net-zero carbon but also a dynamic and exciting career choice.
Anne Papmehl
Nuclear power has been integral to Ontario’s energy landscape for years. “It has contributed to Ontario having among the lowest greenhouse gas emissions from electricity in the world,” says Dr. Markus Piro, Canada Research Chair in Nuclear Fuels and Materials, and Chair of Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ontario Tech University. Going forward, nuclear energy is expected to play a key role in helping Canada meet its net-zero carbon target.
Ontario Tech University has nuclear in its DNA
Located in Durham Region, Ontario Tech is a major supplier of talent to the nuclear industry. Since its inception, Engineering at Ontario Tech has provided nuclear industries with highly qualified graduates to satisfy industry demand. We offer the only accredited undergraduate nuclear engineering program.
“A large number of our faculty have worked in the industry and are currently conducting related research, so they’re able to connect the classroom experience and course content directly to what the industry needs,” says Dr. Piro.
In addition to undergraduate and graduate programs, Ontario Tech offers continuous learning through customized programs for industry. A key research focus for Ontario Tech is energy. “We have a number of energy-related projects and direct collaborations with industry, as well as a number of research facilities that are distinct to the university, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency Collaborating Centre, the Brilliant Energy Institute, and the Clean Energy Research Lab, a leading hydrogen-related research facility,” says Dr. Piro.
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Ontario Tech University
high-quality education to the students and highly qualified personnel to our industry stakeholders,” says Dr. Piro.
Students considering a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) career may want to consider the nuclear industry and Ontario Tech. “The nuclear industry is very strong, stable, and growing, and Ontario Tech’s close ties with the industry enable us to provide
A Novel Micro Reactor Is Unleashing the Power of Human Ingenuity
The new eVinci™ microreactor is delivering the next generation of nuclear reactor technology for decentralized energy applications.
Tania Amardeil
Nuclear power is gaining momentum worldwide as countries look to fight climate change and achieve energy sovereignty, but until recently, nuclear power plants have been fiscally and operationally intensive. Fortunately, a new generation of nuclear reactor technology is changing the game, and Westinghouse Electric Company — a global supplier of safe, innovative nuclear technology — is leading the way in Canada. Westinghouse is currently developing the eVinci™ microreactor, a next-generation, very small modular reactor for decentralized remote applications that creates cost-competitive and resilient power with superior reliability and requires minimal maintenance.
An innovative new reactor
“Traditionally, Westinghouse has been focused on larger commercial nuclear system designs, but our engineers saw a need for very small reactors for decentralized applications, for example, industrial mines and remote communities across northern Canada,” says Eddie Saab, President of Westinghouse Electric Canada.
The result is the in-development eVinci™ microreactor. It’s small, easily transportable, can run for eight years before refuelling and is capable of delivering combined heat and power without burning fossil fuels or the need for external water sources. It’s also helping to keep top Canadian talent employed. Tied to an investment of about $27 million that Westinghouse received from the Government of
Canada Strategic Innovation Fund, the company is committed to further job creation and expanded recruitment from local universities. The eVinci™ microreactor is perfectly designed to contribute meaningfully to Canada’s goal of achieving net zero by 2050.
Learn more about the eVinci™ microreactor through Westinghouse’s immersive experience at westinghousenuclear.com
This article was sponsored by Westinghouse
Dr. Markus Piro Chair, Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering,
This article was sponsored by Ontario Tech University
more clean energy in more places, Small Modular Reactors are a big step towards a carbon-free Ontario.
