SaskPower to formally evaluate large-scale nuclear technology for use in Saskatchewan

In addition to its plans around small, modular nuclear reactors, SaskPower is also beginning the formal process to evaluate large reactors for use in Saskatchewan.

The provincial government said nuclear power is safe, reliable and does not emit greenhouse gasses, offering “a solution to reliably meet Saskatchewan’s growing electricity demand” in the years ahead.

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Jeremy Harrison, the minister responsible for SaskPower, said the province’s energy security strategy lays out a path to nuclear power through both small and large reactors, which will be powered by uranium sourced from within the province.

“Together with expanded intertie capacity, nuclear power will make Saskatchewan an export powerhouse and safeguard Saskatchewan’s energy security far into the future,” Harrison said in a statement.

Jeremy Harrison, the minister responsible for SaskPower, made the announcement at the University of Saskatchewan’s campus in Saskatoon on Wednesday afternoon. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)

Rupen Pandya, the Crown power company’s president and CEO, said SaskPower will leverage its partnerships with operators of nuclear technology and will engage with businesses, communities and First Nations as it considers the potential to deploy large reactors in the province.

“Potentially bringing a large reactor online will take at least 15 to 20 years,” Pandya said, “which is why we need to start this process now.”

The provincial government noted that “significant” regulatory, siting and engagement work must be completed before construction can begin on any nuclear projects.

Meanwhile, the government noted, SaskPower’s small, modular reactor project is ongoing, with the announcement of a site for construction of Saskatchewan’s first small, modular reactor in the Estevan area expected later in 2026.

Earlier this month, the provincial and federal governments jointly announced funding for the University of Regina to construct a licensing and testing centre for small, modular reactors.

The province is providing $4 million through SaskPower, while the Government of Canada is providing $1.96 million through PrairiesCan. Innovation Saskatchewan is also providing $1 million to the project.

Little known about funding

Funding for the project is still being discussed, but Harrison said there could be creative ways apart from government funding to cover the large reactors.

“I don’t think that there should be an assumption that the government is going to pay for every dollar of a nuclear reactor,” Harrison said, referencing a reactor being built presently in the U.K. that has three-quarters of its funding covered by non-government organizations.

Harrison said it’s also important to him and the government that there is an Indigenous ownership component to this project.

Speaking to the recent power Saskatchewan has been exporting to neighbouring countries like the U.S., Harrison said those recent challenges highlight the importance of this energy development for the province.

“It really does underline the effectiveness of the energy security plan that we have going forward, which is prioritizing the reliability and affordability of our power grid and making those investments into transmission, and making those investments into making sure we continue to have one of the most reliable grids in the entirety of North America and beyond.”

Harrison called the opportunities for economic growth and development “exciting.”

– with files from 980 CJME’s Daniel Reech