What transformative potential do small modular reactors (SMRs) hold for clean energy, and how might they revolutionize the industry?
SMRs will make nuclear power more accessible to all kinds of different communities, enabling us to power remote communities currently powered by diesel. Unlike diesel generators, SMRs generate excess steam, which can be used to heat buildings, schools, and hospitals, or to grow fresh plants and vegetables in a greenhouse. This improves sustainability on multiple levels.
Canadian SMR companies are also looking for partnerships with Indigenous communities, which is a great opportunity for economic reconciliation and for Indigenous communities to get in on the ground floor with these new builds and be equity partners.
What advantages do you anticipate arising from the new large-scale nuclear build for both the energy industry and Canada as a whole?
It’ll provide clarity around our large-scale baseload energy supply with some predictability and confidence to meet our climate goals.
Look at climate change, for example. The warmer we get, the more air conditioning demand there is, and the more energy that’s going to be required for addressing the impacts of climate change environmentally, and within buildings, homes, and so on.
The large-scale nuclear build gives Canada that stepwise levelling up of low-carbon, reliable, baseload power provision so there’s one less question mark and less uncertainty about what’s going to give us that reliable base load supply mix 10 or 15 years from now.
Hatch's Women in Power, Leading Transformational and Complex Projects
With an inclusive team, positive change and many strong empowered women, Hatch is powering Canada's future.
HWhy nuclear energy?
Nuclear ticks all of the boxes we should care about in our modern world. It’s an environmentalist’s dream because there’s no air pollution, and you can produce an astounding amount of energy with the least possible mining and the smallest land footprint. Nuclear uses a fraction of the concrete, steel, and rare earth minerals compared to other low-carbon sources like wind and solar, which means the lowest disturbance to our natural world.
Nuclear power also provides Canada with an incredible economic advantage. Canada has innovated its own nuclear technology and design — the CANDU reactor — with a 96 per cent made in Canada supply chain. This gives us complete energy security and an incredible economic multiplier effect.
What is the positive impact and significance of nuclear within our society?
The role of nuclear energy in Canada is critical to our success in reaching our net-zero carbon goals by 2050. Canada’s nuclear industry makes an important contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and its carbon-free power delivers safe, reliable, and low-cost electricity.
How can embracing diversity lead to innovation and improved outcomes for the industry?
One of our greatest challenges in the industry is the very lean representation of women in the employee population. This challenge isn’t just about an equal seat at the table for women. It’s about the fact that women hold critical roles to make the industry successful. Diversity brings improved operational, group, and financial performance, greater innovation, and an enhanced reputation for the company.
atch, a global engineering, project management, and professional services firm is passionately committed to the pursuit of a better world through positive change. Employee-owned and independent, they have a reputation for attracting exceptional, diverse teams, as this helps to foster a plurality of thought and perspectives that tackle the world’s toughest challenges — the company’s specialty. But while Hatch is working toward having 40 per cent women representation at the company and putting considerable effort into maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture that attracts and retains the best people, it’s also a company that values talent — they simply hire the best of the best.
Who better than the best to tackle the tough? Hatch is deeply engaged in the energy transformation. This includes power generation, storage, and transmission to new technology development, and applications in both the public and industrial sectors. Globally, this consultancy knows it will take all kinds to achieve our net-zero goals.
Encouraging women in power
We sat down with two leading women in power to learn more. “I don’t often think about the fact that I’m a woman while at work,” says Sujin Wren, Hydrogen Technologies Lead, Climate Change at Hatch. “I’m
treated like an expert. That says a lot about the type of company we are. Hatch values talent and hard work. If you perform well, you’re ambitious and you have passion, you’ll be encouraged and successful here.”
“Hatch has encouraged me by providing challenging opportunities throughout my career, like being part of the energy transformation,” says Patricia Lai, Associate and Project Manager, Power, who has been with the company for 18 years and started the Women in Power initiative to further support Hatch’s female employees. “And like Sujin said, I don’t think it mattered that I was a woman. I was considered an expert. I’m good at my job and because of that, I have been asked to lead complex and interesting energy projects around the world.”
Women are powering Canada’s future Wren and Lai have led a number of innovative projects, specifically in power, hydrogen and nuclear, respectively.
“Our current project that both Patricia and I are involved in is very innovative and happens to be heavily women-led,” says Wren. This is the work that Hatch is doing with Atura Power on the Halton Hills Generating Station — a first-of-its-kind, technically challenging project involving hydrogen blending
and co-firing. The project has several female leads, including the sponsor, project manager (Lai), technical manager (Wren), and project engineer. “It’s just amazing!” says Wren. “You don’t see this very often in engineering.”
This is obviously a source of pride for these two women, and for Hatch.
Hatch also works on innovative projects in the nuclear space, collaborating with companies like General Fusion, Laurentis Energy Partners, and X-Energy, to name a few, all in an effort to develop new technologies that will help us shift to less carbon-intensive forms of energy.
“Diversity, regardless of gender, is important in leadership in general,” adds Lai. “It provides a different way of thinking about things and fosters an inclusive, creative environment. An environment that’s necessary to achieve anything regarding the net-zero challenge.”
Hatch’s pioneering leadership is driving the energy transformation that the world needs for a positive future, and it’s in no small part thanks to its approach to building diverse and innovative teams. The best and brightest minds are needed to tackle the world’s toughest challenges head on — and Hatch clearly recognizes and embraces the fact that the strongest teams are those that bring together diverse perspectives, skills, and experiences.
Dr. Chris Keefer, M.D. President, Canadians for Nuclear Energy & Emergency Physician
Lisa McBride President of Women in Nuclear (WiN) Canada and Country Leader, GE Hitachi Small Modular Reactors, Canada
Tania Amardeil
The Innovative New Approach Redefining Uranium Mining in Canada
Denison Mines’ innovative new approach to uranium mining is providing fuel to power Canada’s nuclear renaissance.
About 15 per cent of Canada’s electricity currently comes from nuclear power and provinces across the country — including Ontario — are pushing to increase their nuclear capacity.
Nuclear power plants are essentially pollution free and are fueled by uranium, making this natural resource particularly essential. With significant growth expected in nuclear energy, companies like Denison Mines are working hard to modernize uranium mining, making it more sustainable and efficient than ever.
Redefining mining
Canada is home to some of the richest uranium deposits in the world, which are located in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan. In this very region, Denison is advancing its 95 per cent owned Wheeler River Project, which is particularly notable because it’s expected to be developed using the in-situ recovery (ISR) mining method — a bold step that could change the future of Canadian uranium mining.
ISR mining involves the controlled injection of a liquid mining solution underground through a series of wells. The mining solution is moved through the ore body using low levels of pumping pressure, dissolving uranium along the way. Then the solution and the dissolved uranium are pulled back up to surface for processing. ISR is different
from other mining methods because all the activity is managed from the surface and it doesn’t create conventional tailings.
While ISR mining is widely used outside of Canada, the Wheeler River Project marks the first time this method will be used for uranium mining in Canada. With no conventional tailings, no large waste rock piles, and no open pits or major earthworks — making it much easier to reclaim the site when the operation is finished — ISR mining is progressive and environmentally responsible.
Setting a new standard
The ISR method is expected to reduce the footprint and intensity of mining – helping to maintain natural habitats, which is good news for all Denison’s partners, including local Indigenous communities. The Wheeler River Project is located within the traditional
With significant growth expected in nuclear energy, companies like Denison Mines are working hard to modernize uranium mining...
territory and/or Ancestral Lands of several Indigenous Peoples, with whom Denison Mines is working closely to establish a positive legacy through the development of the project. The Project is also highly economical, with the ISR mining method helping to deliver economics that are projected to rival the lowest-cost uranium mines in the world. Through this exciting project — which has a projected completion date in the middle of the second half of the decade — Denison is setting a superior standard for environmental sustainability for uranium mining in Canada and helping to power our mining industry to sustainably provide fuel for a growing global fleet of pollution-free nuclear power plants. Uranium mining in Canada contributes to the global fight against climate change, and has a bright, sustainable future thanks to this innovative company.
Taking Innovative Nuclear Power Solutions Where the Grid Can’t Go
Canada’s energy needs extend to many off-grid communities which have traditionally been reliant on transported diesel. The eVinci™ microreactor is their new net-zero solution.
D.F. McCourt
We stand at a crucial crossroads in Canada’s journey towards a truly net-zero energy supply. Great strides have been made in curtailing our use of fossil fuels for on-grid power generation, particularly coal, but a whole host of new generation capacity — both renewable and nuclear — will still need to be brought online to get us across the finish line. And that’s just the grid. What of our remote communities? What of our offgrid and edge-of-grid industrial operations, particularly in the resource sector?
Because Canada is so geographically immense, a great deal of energy is consumed in places far removed from traditional energy grids. Historically, this has meant a heavy reliance on transported diesel. Today, a new high-tech solution is presenting itself, drawing on Canada’s legacy as a global leader
in nuclear innovation. Westinghouse Electric Canada is developing a first-of-its-kind nuclear microreactor so self-contained and easy-to-operate that they dub it a nuclear battery. It is called eVinci.
“The eVinci™ microreactor is Westinghouse's answer to the off-grid need for power,” says Eddie Saab, President of Westinghouse Electric Canada. “This is a 5 megawatts electrical — about 13.5 megawatts thermal — nuclear reactor based on technology that was licensed from Los Alamos (National Lab). We started with a 5 MW version because it’s a nice balance between maintaining the transportability we wanted and the output we needed. eVinci can be shipped to a site in four shipping con-
tainers and installed on a simple concrete slab. Once operational, it outputs enough electricity to power about 3,000 homes.”
When an eVinci reactor arrives in a community, or at an industrial site, it will come prefueled with enough fissile material to operate for 8 to 10 years. And unlike a traditional reactor, the sodium heat pipe design requires no heavy water or other outside materials. It just works.
A well-marked path to a micronuclear future
The eVinci project is still in development, but the milestones are being reached quickly. The electrical demonstration unit (EDU) passed all benchmarks with flying colours two years ago, and a 1MW scale unit will be tested at the Idaho National Lab in 2025 and 2026.
“The goal is to have the technology commercially available by 2028,” says Saab. “In terms of first applications, the government of Saskatchewan has announced an investment into Saskatchewan Research Council for $80 million to advance eVinci, with an aim towards bringing the technology into Saskatchewan by 2029.”
As exciting as the promise of this technology is for the future of Canadian communities, it’s also providing real benefits to these communities even as development continues. The Westinghouse Canada team represents about 250 high-quality Canadian jobs, including those at Burlington and Peterborough sites with manufacturing and testing capabilities, many of whom will be supporting this technology. There’s real economic growth potential within communities where the revitalization is very welcome.
There’s real economic growth potential within communities where the revitalization is very welcome.
Achieving a carbonneutral energy supply for Canada will not be easy and it will not happen overnight. Moving forward from this crossroads will require us to walk several paths at once as we invest in both renewables and new nuclear innovation. Fortunately, projects like eVinci are showing us that our destination is indeed reachable, and that the road there can be a rewarding and prosperous one.
Eddie Saab President, Westinghouse Electric Canada
Tania Amardeil
David Cates President & CEO, Denison Mines
Canada’s Plan is Ready for the Future
As Canada increasingly relies on nuclear to meet our net-zero goals, ensuring the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel is critical.
Jennifer Rankin
Hardly a day goes by without a story about advances in Canada’s nuclear energy sector. Fueled in part by a demand for clean energy sources that will help Canada reach its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, Canada’s nuclear resurgence is supported by governments across the country who are investing in new technologies and considering what more can be done to meet the growing electricity demand.
In Canada, nuclear power is already responsible for 15 per cent of electricity generation. On par with wind, nuclear energy is the lowest-emitting technology, and the Government of Canada has been clear it will play an essential role in decarbonization. Fortunately, Canada is also leading by example when it comes to the responsible long-term management of the country’s used nuclear fuel.
Protecting people and the environment
(APM), which will safely contain and isolate used nuclear fuel inside a deep geological repository.
Leading with experience
A deep geological repository uses a combination of engineered and natural barriers to safely contain and isolate used nuclear fuel. This approach is the culmination of decades of research, development, and demonstration of technologies and techniques. It is consistent with best practices around the world.
With new nuclear projects moving forward, the public wants to know how the waste will be managed. The good news is that when it comes to used nuclear fuel, Canada doesn’t have a nuclear waste problem, it has a nuclear waste solution.
Established more than 20 years ago, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is a not-for-profit organization that is responsible for managing Canada’s used nuclear fuel and making sure it’s safely contained and isolated in a way that protects people and the environment for generations to come.
“With new nuclear projects moving forward, the public wants to know how the waste will be managed. The good news is that when it comes to used nuclear fuel, Canada doesn’t have a nuclear waste problem, it has a nuclear waste solution,” says Laurie Swami, President and CEO of the NWMO.
Currently, Canada’s used nuclear fuel is safely managed in facilities licensed for interim storage. This approach is safe, but it’s not a permanent solution because it requires ongoing maintenance and management. People across the country have agreed that we need to take responsible and long-term action now and that we cannot leave it for the next generation.
That’s why the NWMO is moving forward with Canada’s plan, also known as Adaptive Phased Management
“More than 20 years of experience have brought us to the point where we are today, as we prepare to select a site for the deep geological repository in 2024,” says Swami.
Canada’s plan will only proceed in an area with informed and willing hosts, where the municipality, First Nations, and others in the area are working together to implement it.
“Of the 22 communities that initially expressed interest in learning about the project and exploring their potential to host it, we’ve now narrowed our focus to two potential sites,” says Swami. One site is in the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area in northwestern Ontario and the other is in the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area in southern Ontario. The communities and First Nations in the area will be part of the decision-making process.
Ready for the future
Recent announcements about investments in nuclear technology — including small modular reactors (SMRs), the possible expansion of the Bruce Power nuclear generating station, potential refurbishment of the Pickering, Ont. generating station — highlight the ongoing need and responsibility we all have to secure a safe, longterm facility to store Canada’s used nuclear fuel. New nuclear is likely to be a reality in Canada as government looks for solutions to reach net zero and meet the rising demand for electricity.
Canada’s plan for used nuclear fuel is well underway and ready to adjust to that new reality.
Laurie Swami President & CEO, NWMO
WELCOME CANDU® MONARK™:
The 1000 MW Future of CANDU Technology
Canada’s international nuclear reputation is synonymous with the CANDU reactor technology. And because innovation is part of AtkinsRéalis’ DNA, the company recently unveiled the CANDU MONARK, more powerful and more advanced than any previous reactor in the line. Frank Campagna
On the global energy stage, Canada’s name is synonymous with nuclear power and our legacy in nuclear innovation is driven by CANDU technology. The CANDU reactor has been a workhorse of the world’s clean energy supply for more than half a century, but this proven design continues to be refined and modernized with every new generation of the technology.
Introducing the CANDU MONARK
In a sector where safety and reliability are paramount, it’s significant when a new reactor design is unveiled. And so, all eyes were on the World Nuclear Exhibition (Paris, November 2023) when AtkinsRéalis introduced the new 1000MW CANDU MONARK reactor, with the highest energy output of any CANDU technology on the market today.
"Our nuclear business in Canada, initially with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, has been at the forefront of innovation for over 70 years and introducing the development of the latest reactor design continues this distinguished legacy," says Ian L. Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer, AtkinsRéalis. "We’re the current original equipment manufacturer and steward of CANDU technology; these modern large-scale reactors will play a critical role in producing the quantum of additional electricity supply that's required to power the energy transition, providing energy security and reliable, clean power for millions of people."
The CANDU MONARK leverages the existing strengths of the proven CANDU blueprint, while also boasting a longer operating life and a futureproof suite of integration capabilities, which includes the use of digital technology, allowing it to fit seamlessly within the most advanced and flexible electricity grids of today and tomorrow. The CANDU MONARK also incorporates a module-based design that reduces construction time, making it easier to build than any previous CANDU reactor.
International opportunities power domestic economic growth
The CANDU supply chain within Canada consists of over 250 companies and 76,000 employees, and the introduction of the CANDU MONARK reactor will not only sustain but increase job opportunities for well-paying, strategic roles in the Canadian economy for generations to come, including engineers, scientists, manufacturers, and constructors.
“Ultimately, the success of the CANDU MONARK with its world-beating Canadian IP and existing madein-Canada nuclear supply chain, will guarantee not just low-carbon energy independence, but will also ensure future generations of unionized Canadian jobs that will
continue to support our families, our communities, and our economy,” says Michelle Johnston, President of the Society of United Professionals.
AtkinsRéalis, which specializes in delivering nuclear technology products and full-service solutions to energy providers around the globe, will now shepherd this opportunity into reality. The company’s expertise covers the whole life cycle of nuclear power assets as well as advanced research in spaces such as legacy nuclear waste management and support for the development of medical radioisotopes for cancer research. They’re very much Canada’s emissary to the world in the realm of large-scale nuclear reactors like the CANDU MONARK.
Solutions at scale for a clean energy future
In the face of climate change and the accelerated electrification of infrastructure, global clean electricity demand is forecast to rise and rise and rise in the coming years. The Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator has projected that the province of Ontario alone will need to build another 18 GW of nuclear power by 2050. The life extension work that AtkinsRéalis is undertaking on the ten CANDU reactors at Darlington and Bruce Power is a major component of the plan to meet this need. In addition to the current life extension work, more needs to be done to support the energy transition and the journey to net zero 2050. This is where large nuclear reactors come in as part of the solution, ensuring energy security by providing emissions-free, baseload power.
Ultimately, the success of the CANDU MONARK with its worldbeating Canadian IP and existing madein-Canada nuclear supply chain, will guarantee not just low-carbon energy independence, but will also ensure future generations of unionized Canadian jobs that will continue to support our families, our communities, and our economy.
Internationally, utilities and governments are also seeking new large-scale nuclear reactors like the CANDU MONARK as they look to increase energy security and decarbonize their power grids with stable green baseload power. Most recently, in September of 2023, the Canadian government agreed to provide export financing to support two additional CANDU reactors in Romania.
“CANDU reactors are synonymous with Canada," says Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development for Canada. "The new CANDU MONARK reactor design will ensure CANDU technology remains front and centre amid growing interest in nuclear energy around the world as part of the clean energy transition.”
Canada has a longstanding and well-deserved reputation for doing things right when it comes to nuclear power.
With the advent of the CANDU MONARK, AtkinsRéalis is building on the reliability of that legacy, while updating it to the needs of the 2020s and beyond.
