REGINA - Representatives from SaskPower and GE Vernova’s nuclear business, GE Hitachi (GEH), met in Regina on Jan. 30 to sign an agreement to advance small modular reactor (SMR) development in Saskatchewan.
The agreement will enable SaskPower and GEH to collaborate on project planning and facilitate the sharing of expertise related to the design, fuel sourcing and fabrication for the BWRX-300 small modular reactor.
It will also support workforce and supply chain planning needed for a Saskatchewan-based SMR deployment.
“Gaining detailed technical specifications, requirements and designs to the BWRX-300 is necessary for our planning work and license applications,” said SaskPower president and CEO Rupen Pandya. “Leveraging experience and expertise from our colleagues in the nuclear industry is an important part of our planning work.”
In June 2022, SaskPower selected the GE Hitachi BWRX-300 as the technology to be used in its SMR development work. The BWRX-300 was also selected by Ontario Power Generation for its Darlington New Nuclear Project and is a boiling water reactor that produces about 300 MW from one single unit.
This innovative SMR is based on similar large scale nuclear power plants that have been in operation globally for decades.
“This agreement is another important step in our efforts to support Saskatchewan’s workers, businesses and clean energy goals,” said Lisa McBride, GEH Canada country leader. “The BWRX-300 reimagines what is possible when it comes to generating reliable, carbon-free energy.”
GE Vernova’s Nuclear business, through its global alliance with Hitachi, is a world-leading provider of nuclear fuel bundles, services and advanced nuclear reactor designs. This agreement will streamline SaskPower’s planning and licensing work to inform its decision in 2029 whether to proceed with nuclear power in Saskatchewan.
A decision on the proposed site of Saskatchewan's first SMR is expected later this year. The Estevan area and the Elbow region are the two candidates.
