Ontario, Saskatchewan Collaborate on Small Modular Reactor Development
November 22, 2023
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and its subsidiary, Laurentis Energy Partners (LEP), will collaborate with SaskPower to advance Saskatchewan’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) development project.
SaskPower, LEP, and OPG, along with Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith and Saskatchewan Minister Responsible for SaskPower Dustin Duncan, gathered in Regina today to announce details of a Master Services Agreement to further Canadian deployment of SMR technology, signed earlier this year.
The LEP-SaskPower agreement, which runs for up to five years, builds on a strong relationship between Ontario and Saskatchewan and serves as a foundation for a long-term strategic partnership to streamline SMR development in Saskatchewan. Under this agreement, LEP will focus on program management, licensing, and operational readiness activities.
Earlier this year, SaskPower and OPG renewed an agreement to continue working together on new nuclear development, including SMRs, in both Saskatchewan and Ontario. Under the agreement, the utilities will provide mutual support by sharing lessons learned, technical resources and expertise, best practices, and operating experience. The two companies will also consider opportunities for future collaboration in other areas, including project development and plant operations.
Key facts
- Through these agreements, the companies will coordinate and enable industry suppliers in Ontario and in Saskatchewan to support a Canadian fleet of SMRs.
- OPG, SaskPower and Laurentis will work with post-secondary institutions in both provinces to enable and bolster applied research and skills capacity.
- OPG and SaskPower have selected the GE Hitachi BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment in their provinces.
- OPG is building North America’s first fleet of SMRs at its Darlington New Nuclear site. The first of four SMRs will be completed by the end of 2028, and online by the end of 2029.
- SaskPower has begun the work of identifying suitable sites for a nuclear facility to potentially add the province’s first SMR to the Saskatchewan electricity supply mix in the mid-2030s. Saskatchewan will decide whether to proceed in 2029.
