SMRs could be key weapon in climate-change battle, engineer says

The development of small modular reactors could be a key tool in fighting climate change and moving the country away from fossil fuels, a Saskatchewan engineer says.

Esam Hussein, the dean of engineering and applied science at the University of Regina and a member of the Canadian Nuclear Society, told Information Morning Saint John the country is facing a "huge challenge" when it comes to climate change.

He said while renewables are a key factor in the future of energy, they cannot be counted on to solve the problem yet.

He said renewable energy is generally only available 30 per cent of the time, while nuclear power is available over 90 per cent of the time, which could assist in the development of renewable energy.

"I see that having a baseload — clean, no greenhouse gas emission baseload — will actually encourage more development and more use of renewables because now you have the backup," said Hussein.

Collaborative plan

Earlier this week the province released a joint strategic plan with Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta to expand the use of nuclear power using small modular reactors.

The plan calls for continued support to develop three types of SMRs, a regulatory framework, a waste management plan, opportunities for Indigenous participation and public engagement and cooperation with federal authorities.

SMRs could provide economic opportunities and safe, reliable energy, said provincial Natural Resources and Energy Development Minister Mike Holland.

Holland said he would never advocate for shortcutting safety checks, but he's confident they'll be ready and approved before the Belledune coal-fired station must shut down in 2030.

"We're not trying to come up with a eureka moment," said Holland, noting ARC Clean Energy's project involves scaling up a model that was used for 30 years in Illinois.

"You'll see us be able to meet goals and targets," he said.

Opposition concerns

Liberal energy critic René Legacy says he's still very concerned about the timing.

Every step in the SMR development process has taken longer than anticipated, he said.

For example, this development plan was supposed to be released in the fall of 2020.

"We are on a clock," said Legacy, and will need 500 MW of carbon emission-free power to replace Belledune.

Delays in government funding commitments, he added, have allowed SMR developers in other provinces to surpass those in New Brunswick.

ARC Clean Energy and Moltex Energy are building SMR demonstration units at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station site, said a release from the province.

The ARC 100 MW liquid sodium-cooled fast reactor is expected to be operational by 2029.

The Moltex 300 MW Stable Salt Reactor-Wasteburner and spent fuel recovery system are expected to be operational by the early 2030s.

Holland says an SMR might be deployed in northern New Brunswick as well.

Small package, big power

It's estimated the transport truck trailer sized 300 MW reactor would be able to generate enough electricity to power about 300,000 homes --- supporting grids, off-grid communities, and resource projects.

Holland says oil sands companies might be interested in 50 or 60 of them.

The province has given tens of millions of dollars to ARC and Moltex.

The private sector has more than matched that, said Holland, and the investment of taxpayer money has already paid off in the form of university research funding, design improvements and jobs.

"We're pleased with the progress we're seeing," he said. 

New Brunswick Green Party Leader David Coon says the SMR plan is largely a public relations document.

There's more "meat" about energy options for the future, he said, in a document released earlier this month by the federal government called "A Clean Power Roadmap for Atlantic Canada."

The Atlantic Clean Power Planning Committee, made up of all four Atlantic provinces and their electrical utilities, ran a bunch of scenarios, said Coon.

His preference would be to increase the use of hydro power from Quebec, Labrador, and in-province, and develop more in-province solar and wind energy generation and storage.

Renewable push

The energy development minister concurred that other forms of carbon-free energy besides SMRs need to be developed as well.

But N.B. Power management seems to be stuck on promoting nuclear, said Coon. 

The Green leader disputed Holland's assertion that SMRs are proven safe and reliable.

"They have no idea," he said. "The ones they looked at in Canada remain as a design concept. They have no track record."

The American reactor that one of the new models is based on mostly provided heat, not electricity, said Coon, and was never commercialized.

Holland said SMRs will generate much less nuclear waste than traditional nuclear plants and will recycle a lot of old waste.

Coon said they'll still be producing "extremely hazardous" waste that "will have to be isolated from nature and people in perpetuity." 

And it will be in liquid form, he noted, which we haven't had to deal with before and will be "much more difficult to contain."

However, Hussein said the impact of the waste should be manageable.

"It's a small volume, it is manageable," said Hussein. 

"The truth is that whatever source of power we're going to use, there will be waste. Radioactive waste at least decays. Other waste, chemical waste, doesn't."

Holland said the first SMR built will be the most expensive, but the unit cost will be lower than the $5 billion cited by an official in Saskatchewan.

Hussein said it's not possible to determine how much that first unit will cost, since it's never been built before, but suspects the costs would reduce as more units are built

Hydro and other renewables would be much less expensive, said Coon, suggesting the provincial government is enamoured with the dream of New Brunswick becoming a manufacturer of SMRs for export.

Coon feels that would be bad for the province and the planet.

It would elevate the risk of nuclear proliferation dramatically, he said, at a time of decreased global stability.

"The last thing you want to see is more nuclear weapons in the hands of actors that don't have them."