On Wednesday, Canada’s Ontario Power Generation (OPG), the province’s largest electricity generator, released the results of a feasibility study it conducted with the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and MIRARCO (Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation, and Applied Research Corporation) the non-profit research arm of Canada’s Laurentian University, detailing a promising use case for very small modular nuclear reactors (vSMRs) to power mining operations in Canada’s Far North.
The study concluded that optimal use of vSMR energy for heat and electricity was 90 percent of required baseload power, using traditional diesel generation only for periods of peak demand. At this optimal level, the study found, carbon emissions were reduced by 85 percent, and could be lowered further by adding other renewables to the mix (decreasing the diesel component) at slightly higher cost.
“Nuclear power and SMRs play an enormous and critical role in meeting Canada’s climate change goals,” said Robin Manley, Vice-President of New Nuclear Development at OPG. “This study demonstrates that not only can a vSMR dramatically reduce emissions in an industry that currently relies heavily on diesel, but it can do it in a cost-effective way.”
OPG notes that small modular reactors (SMR’s) are more flexible than conventional nuclear reactors, making them better suited to work within a diverse energy grid alongside intermittent technologies such as solar or wind. They can also be used for applications like process heat or hydrogen production, enabling further industrial sector decarbonization.
The study pointed to several advantages of vSMR’s (which produce less than 10MW of power, as opposed to SMR’s which produce up to 300 MW): notably, their small size, making them easy to transport and install in remote areas, and scalable to meet changing requirements; short installation period due to modular construction and factory fabrication; safety and reliability; and long operating life without the need to maintain onsite fuel inventory.
Canadian milestone
Last month, Global First Power (GFP), a vSMR joint venture between OPG and Seattle-based nuclear energy developer USNC-Power, announced that it has received historic approval from Canadian nuclear authorities to move forward with the formal technical licensing process involved in owning, building and operating Canada’s first vSMR, the Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) at Ontario’s Chalk River Laboratories. Global First Power is aiming to be operational by 2026.
“This study paves the way for the future of mining: not only does it show that vSMRs could provide a cost-effective and reliable energy source, it demonstrates that vSMRs are a long-term solution that can help diversify and intensify a mining operation while also providing a surplus that will benefit communities in the area,” said François Caron, Director of the Energy Center and Bruce Power Chair for Sustainable Energy Solutions, MIRARCO, Mining Innovation.
“Small modular reactors hold great potential in helping not just the mining sector, but Canada, move closer to a low-carbon future,” said Dr. Jeff Griffin, Vice-President, Research & Development, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. “CNL, through the SMR invitation and siting process, coupled with the world-class research and development conducted at the laboratories, is working to unlock that potential.”
