Canadian nuclear regulators approved the request of an Ontario to create a single small modular reactor (SMR), the first license to be published in the country.
However, it is best to get the news with a pile of salt with the selected design that has not yet been operated anywhere in the world. And we are not talking about the molten fuel/cooling salt.
Canadian Nuclear Security Commission on Friday (CNSC) privileged Ontario Energy Production (OPG) is a single GE Hitachi BWRX-300 SMR on the Darlington new nuclear project site in Clarington, Ontario just east of Toronto.
Darlington is already home to an atomic power plant renovation The four -pressure heavy water has been allocated for new nuclear development to extend the life of the fission reactor. OPG has been preparing the site for a while, service lines are already running, and a manufacturing facility is still being built.
Although the current license includes only the construction of a unit, OPG’s long-term plan requires up to four BWRX-300 reactor on the field. Each unit is expected to generate electricity up to 300 megawatts, and if the OPG is built, the facility can strengthen 1.2 million houses.
BWRX-300 is a fission reactor boiling water design This is based on the natural circulation that reduces the need for pumps, at least providing more passive safety properties on paper.
“The Commission concluded that OPG is qualified to build the reactor and will do it in a way to maintain the health and security of the environment and the environment.” He said.
The construction license granted by CNSC authorizes OPG to create only one of the four small modular reactors recommended in the Darlington region, CNSC. remarkableAnd it does not allow the unit to work.
“The reactor operating authority will be subject to a future commission licensing hearing and decision, OPG must come to the fore with a license application to do so,” CNSC said. He said.
In addition to the lack of operational approval, the license includes several regulatory waiting points – essentially compulsory control points – which requires OPG to sign CNSC before moving to the basic stages of construction.
OPG said he expected the first unit to be completed by 2028 and expects electricity deliveries to be completed starting from 2029. The construction of additional reactors, assuming that they are always licensed, according to auxiliary programs.
Ambitious
If – and really – really – if Canada is building and running this SMR, it will be the first person to be deployed outside China or Russia, which will not be a little success. However, as most things, like a nuclear, the gap between a construction license and turning the key on a network reactor is wide, wrapping and filled with bureaucratic and technical pits.
One of the largest: GE Hitachi’s Bwrx-300 was not built anywhere without fire. Although more than some paper software reactors, the compact design did not receive a full regulatory certificate in the USA and Canada’s own associate licensing review – CNSC’s seller design review – Only Did this As of 2023, phase 1 and 2. This means that CNSC has not seen any shows in principle, but is still not a design certified reactor.
In the US, the only SMR design that cleans regulatory barriers is Nuscale’s 50 MW model. approved In 2022 by the US nuclear regulation commission. However, No commercial project Based on this, it has been successfully deployed.
We asked GE an update about SMR’s regulatory approval.
In other words, it continues to see if OPG will be successful. Delays may cause OPG’s project to monitor Michigan’s Palisades initiative. reign A nuclear power plant extracted from service. Also, Holtec International to do Two SMR reactors in the Palisades field targeted 2030. However, Holtec’s SMR design has not yet received a complete regulatory approval.
It is also worth questioning, President Trump Sweeper Tariffs It will upset the project. Canadian firms are involved in the construction of BWRX-300 reactors, while design and fuel supply is managed by US-based GE Hitachi nuclear energy. In response to these tariffs, China borders Some of them are on the export of rare soil minerals with neutron absorbs used in fission control sticks.
This confidence in US technology and enriched fuels, especially Darlington’s existing pressurized heavy water reactors based on Canadian design and uses natural uranium -based natural uranium without the need to enrich foreigners, led to controversy about energy sovereignty.
As with most SMR projects, there are many unanswered questions. We have reached OPG to get some answers. ®
