Photo: Minister Responsible for SaskPower Jeremy Harrison

In addition to the small modular reactors that Saskatchewan is in the process of establishing in the p, SaskPower and the Province are also starting to evaluate large-scale nuclear technology options in their most recent step towards embracing nuclear power.  

SaskPower CEO Rupen Pandya made the announcement at Innovation Place Wednesday afternoon, stating that implementing this technology can take between 15 and 20 years, and that means we need to start now. The Province is looking at several large reactor options, such as the Westinghouse AP-1000, EDF’s EPR1400, and the CANDU Monark or 650. 

Pandya says the technology evaluation process will be based on lessons learned from the recent SMR evaluation process, safety, cost, technical fit, and proven project delivery. 

He says the team hopes to identify a preferred reactor design by later this year, followed by several years of siting and engagement before construction begins. The total project cost forecast is still unknown. 

 Pandya wants the public to understand that “This work is happening alongside SaskPower’s existing small modular reactor project, not instead of it.” The province hopes to choose an SMR site near Estevan this year to undergo further detailed evaluation.  

At a recent energy and utilities seminar in Florida, Cameco CEO Grant Isaac said, “If Canada wants to build gigawatt-scale reactors and it wants to deploy them right now, it has to go with the AP-1000.” He explains that’s because there are currently no functioning generation III CANDU reactors, only designs, and developing one would take nearly two decades.