Saskatchewan is a province in Canada where all of Canada’s uranium is produced but Saskatchewan has never had a nuclear power plant. Ontario has 18 of Canada’s 19 operating nuclear reactors.
Saskatchewan will finally embrace nuclear power by planning to build a small modular reactor by early to mid-2030s.
Saskatchewan’s new 2019 growth plan is to use nuclear power through Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) into Saskatchewan’s energy mix could provide SaskPower with the ability to generate up to 80 percent of the province’s electricity through zero-emission sources, when combined with renewable power sources.
Brian Wang of Nextbigfuture was born in Saskatchewan and went to University in Saskatchewan. Over 30 years ago, Brian wrote a letter to the local newspaper that Saskatchewan should build nuclear reactors to power the province and to export power to nearby provinces and states. Previously, Saskatchewan could have embraced nuclear energy and been given the Canadian nuclear energy research center. This would have provided 5000 top research and engineering jobs. The new provincial growth plans are better late than never.
Saskatchewan has loads of uranium. Using its own uranium to export power would generate more money than just selling uranium. A one-gigawatt nuclear reactor could generate 8 terawatt-hours of power every year. 8 billion kwh of electricity sold at 10 cents per kwh would be $800 million per year.
SMRs are the next generation of nuclear reactors that are smaller and better suited to meeting Saskatchewan’s power needs compared to larger older reactors. SMRs could replace aging baseload power generation in the province and provide a new GHG emission-free source of power fueled by Saskatchewan uranium.
To ensure SMRs are an option for Saskatchewan’s power future, the Government of Saskatchewan will partner with New Brunswick and Ontario to continue research and evaluation of SMRs as a new source of electricity production in Canada.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
Using sled dogs as the source of power to drive electrical generators is one option, but the extra demand for dog food would probably make it uneconomical.
Might not be a bad place for one, since it is one of the most sparsely populated regions on the globe.
Saskatchewan has the area of Ukraine and the population of Delaware. They probably have a peak demand of 5GWe. Deployment in “mid-2030s” may as well be never.
Go Huskies!!!
They could have just done CANDU’s right now, rather than waiting for SMR’s.
The mean temperature in Saskatoon is well below freezing for five months of the year, so I don’t think there will be much water flow for your small hydro. Biomass is just like burning fossil fuels – carbohydrates from plants go into the furnace/engine, CO2 comes out. The difference is the fuel costs more, since you have to gather it from all over, and it’s lower grade, so you burn more for the same power; you tie up a lot of land area that could be for food or wildlife ; and proponents claim it will be carbon neutral eventually. That is doubtful, certainly in the short term, when we’re supposed to be stopping runaway climate change.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/congress-says-biomass-is-carbon-neutral-but-scientists-disagree/
Biomass, Wind, and small Hydro can expand like there is no tomorrow in Canada, Where did I write that Solar is the only choice everywhere?
Peak power use in Canada is during WINTER, where the days are short and solar power just isn’t there for long or much. Solar in Canada produces just 20% as much power in winter than in summer. Useless.
Wind is growing. Solar not so much. There has to be production that can very with demand. Your choices are: coal, natural gas, oil, wood, or nuclear. Hydroelectric can do this but can’t be expanded much so can’t fill the role. Geothermal can produce steadily but can’t quickly adjust to changes and does give off gasses that are not environmentally friendly.
There are energy storage options that can respond to load changes but they produce nothing so just add to the cost of wind and solar.
And while the US has not quickly gotten onboard, nuclear is being built all over the world.
I hope they can order an MSR by then.
Some places are less conducive to solar than others. Saskatchewan is a better place for solar than, say, Germany, but still a really bad place for solar.
The wave of nuclear power that you are trying to make everyone believe is simply not there, what is coming is more renewable energy everywhere, especially solar.