If Small Modular Reactors are approved in Saskatchewan, SaskPower will be going with a GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 SMR, which is the same technology that Ontario Power Generation has chosen.
If all the boxes are checked, OPG could potentially have an SMR in production in 2028. SaskPower’s interim President and CEO, Troy King, says in Saskatchewan, if the SMR technology proceeds, it would go into production around 2034.
He says the decision to choose this design included safety, technology readiness, generation size, fuel type and the expected cost of electricity. The decision on whether to proceed with SMRs won’t be made until 2029, after a number of regulatory measures and assessments are made. This includes site evaluations and public consultation. He adds that because OPG could be in production by 2028, if the technology is approved, Saskatchewan would be able to learn from their experience.
He estimates the total cost for the project is around 3 to 4-billion dollars. King says the idea is that with each facility built, there would be new things learned, bringing the costs down, and learning from OPG’s first few years would also help with that.
Minister responsible for SaskPower, Don Morgan notes that the mid 2030s is the estimated time for the proposed project because several years of complex project development, licensing and regulatory work is required. SaskPower’s budget for this project between now and 2029 is about $140-million.
(CJWW)
