The Canadian government plans to unveil a new energy strategy centered around bolstering its domestic nuclear industry, according to an April 29 press release.
The new plan, Nuclear Energy Strategy for Canada, will be released by the end of this year. Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson made the announcement during the Canadian Nuclear Association Conference in Ottawa, Canada, which took place from April 28-30.
The new initiative will focus on building up the Canadian industry to “achieve energy affordability and security at home while seizing the global opportunity of a global industry that is expected to grow by up to [CAN] $200 billion [US$146 billion] per year by 2030,” according to the release. The nuclear industry adds (CAN) $22 billion (US$16 billion) annually to the Canadian economy, the Canadian government said.
According to the release, the strategy will build on Canadian-made nuclear innovation, such as the Canadian deuterium uranium reactor – known as the CANDU reactor, uranium resources and workforce. It will be structured around four main areas:
- Enabling new reactor builds across Canada.
- Being a global supplier and exporter of choice.
- Expanding uranium production and nuclear fuel opportunities.
- Developing new Canadian nuclear innovations, including fission and fusion technologies.
“Canada has long been a nuclear leader — but we will not remain one by standing still,” Hodgson said. “We must move urgently and strategically to remain at the forefront of innovation, working shoulder to shoulder with key partners to bring clean electricity, affordable bills and economic growth and security to all Canadians.”
On the back end of the fuel cycle, Canada has already started the process of reviewing its first nuclear waste repository for used nuclear fuel after implementing its own version of the consent-based siting process.