Fossil fuels will still make up more than 60% of Canada's fuel mix in 2050 without an accelerated energy transition, a new report from the Canada Energy Regulator has found. The report is the first in CER's Energy Futures series to extend the projection period to 2050 and introduces a new scenario to complement the series' traditional baseline projection.

Advanced Reactor Concepts, New Brunswick Power and Moltex Energy have agreed to set up a small modular reactor vendor cluster in New Brunswick. Meanwhile, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories has issued a call for proposals for the second round of a programme to accelerate the deployment of SMRs in Canada.
 

The Canadian government has launched an engagement process to "modernise" the country's radioactive waste policy. At the same time, it has asked the Nuclear Waste Management Organisation to lead a dialogue to develop an integrated strategy for Canada's radioactive waste.

Ontario Power Generation has announced it is resuming planning activities for building new nuclear generating capacity at its Darlington site in Ontario. However, it is now considering the construction of a small modular reactor rather than a large conventional reactor, as previously envisaged.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories has completed the excavation and transfer of historic low-level radioactive waste away from the Lake Ontario shoreline to a new long-term waste management facility. The waste removal marks a milestone for the Port Hope Area Initiative, which CNL is implementing through its Historic Waste Program Management Office on behalf of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global uranium production, adding to supply curtailments that have occurred in the industry for many years, Cameco said in its quarterly update yesterday. The risk to uranium supply is greater than the risk to demand that over time is expected to create a renewed focus on security of supply, the company said.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) has been awarded a contract by Transport Canada to develop an assessment tool to examine clean technologies that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the release of other pollutants from marine vessels. CNL scientists will also examine different technologies that can be used for the production, storage and handling of hydrogen for marine vessels.

Ontario Power Generation has officially opened its Centre for Canadian Nuclear Sustainability Innovation and Collaboration Space in Pickering in Ontario's Durham Region. The regional hub will integrate collaboration and research to strengthen Ontario's supply chain for nuclear decommissioning.

After leaving the Iter project in 2003, Canada has now signed a cooperation agreement with the ITER Organisation for the transfer of Canadian-supplied tritium, and tritium-related equipment and technology. The agreement follows the signing in April 2018 of a Memorandum of Understanding to explore how Canada could participate in the project to construct the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor.

The Canadian government is investing CAD20 million (USD15 million) of federal funds to accelerate development of Terrestrial Energy's Integral Molten Salt Reactor power plant. Small modular reactors are expected to play a key role in the country's efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and in providing economic benefits as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organisation has shared a map showing the potential deep geological repository site in South Bruce, Ontario. The organisation has now secured just over 1500 acres (600 hectares) of land to conduct its studies.

Bruce Power and Westinghouse Electric Company have agreed to pursue applications of Westinghouse's eVinci micro reactor programme within Canada. The companies said the agreement supports efforts by the federal and provincial governments to study applications for nuclear technology to reach their goal of a Net Zero Canada by 2050.