USNC-Power encouraged to develop Canada’s first small modular reactor

Cecilia Jamasmie | December 19, 2020 | 5:01 am Energy News Canada Uranium 
USNC-Power encouraged to develop Canada’s first small modular reactor
Autunite, frequently used as uranium ore. (Reference image by Parent Géry, Wikimedia Commons).

Following the release of the Small Modular Reactor Action Plan by the Justin Trudeau administration last week, USNC-Power announced that it is continuing with its project to develop the first-ever SMR in Canada.

The company, a subsidiary of Seattle-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, took the opportunity to create an advisory board consisting of industry experts such as Michael Binder, former president and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and Ken Petrunik, who held leadership positions for 35 years at Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.

The Micro Modular Reactor is expected to generate five megawatts of electricity or 15 megawatts of thermal power

The board will oversee and advise USNC-Power’s plan to fabricate and implement what the company has called a “Micro Modular Reactor.” 

Dubbed the “MMR,” the reactor is expected to generate five megawatts of electricity or 15 megawatts of thermal power, thus reducing the use of fossil fuels while addressing challenges associated with intermittent wind and solar energy production and storage. 

Together with Ontario Power Generation, USNC-Power has formed the Global First Power partnership, which will use the MMR as part of the Chalk River Demonstration Project, a commercial-scale project to license, construct and operate Canada’s first MMR.

“Canada’s SMR Action Plan provides concrete steps to help achieve its 2030 climate reduction targets under the Paris Agreement, and overall goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 using nuclear energy to get there,” USNC-Power said in a media statement. “USNC-Power’s advisory board announcement shows strong commitment to reaching these goals and will help keep the organization on track toward bringing the first technology of its kind to market.” 

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