SaskPower signs agreement with Ontario power company on full-size nuclear reactor

SaskPower has signed an agreement with Bruce Power to explore large-scale nuclear technology, expanding beyond small modular reactors.

SaskPower has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bruce Power on large reactor nuclear technology, Canada’s only private sector nuclear power operator which produces 30 per cent of Ontario’s power yearly.

The government and SaskPower had previously announced that in addition to small modular reactors, Saskatchewan is also exploring large reactor technology for the future of its power grid. Both explorations will happen alongside each other.

“Saskatchewan’s Energy Security Strategy sets out a pathway to nuclear power generation from both SMRs and large nuclear reactors to prepare for rising electricity demand and future export opportunities, including electricity and critical minerals such as potash and uranium,” Minister Responsible for SaskPower Jeremy Harrison said in a news release from Bruce Power.

The majority of Canada’s nuclear energy is currently produced in Ontario, and Bruce Power said this will formalize information sharing while aligning the two corporations on federal and provincial nuclear strategy.

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Bruce Power’s chief operating officer and executive vice president says as a result of the heavy nuclear presence in Ontario, the company is uniquely set up for the partnership.

“We will share what we’ve learned in 25 years of operating the Bruce site and in planning projects and planning for new nuclear,” said James Scongack.

“The growing demands for reliable, baseload power, not just in Saskatchewan, but across the country, reinforce the vital role that nuclear power will play in the years ahead,” said Rupen Pandya, president and CEO of SaskPower.

In addition to sharing details on its existing Bruce sites, the company said SaskPower will also benefit from seeing the approval process playout for the proposed Bruce C Project, a major expansion with four or five additional reactors at its existing compound.

A deadline on whether or not to proceed with that project is expected to be made by the end of the year.

• Late 2026 marked deadline to decide fate of Bruce C project

The current Bruce Power site was home to Canada’s first commercial reactor, Douglas Point, which operated from 1967 to 1984, and its current fleet of eight Candu pressurized heavy water reactors.

Its current fleet of reactors are renewed to operate for several decades prior to the potential Bruce C project.