The province will spend $10 million to help develop a nuclear research cluster in New Brunswick.
The focus will be researching and developing technology for small modular reactors, or SMRs, which are much smaller than conventional reactors like Point Lepreau.
Energy and Resource Development Minister Rick Doucet says New Brunswick is well-placed to play a role in the growth of this sector.
“We have great companies in New Brunswick that can develop the products that we need,” says Doucet.
SMRs can be built at a plant and brought to a site to be fully constructed, which officials say cuts costs and reduce on-site construction times.
#NewBrunswick announces $10 million to develop a nuclear research cluster in the province. Here’s Energy and Resource Development Minister Rick Doucet. pic.twitter.com/GDSuEEkKiM
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) June 26, 2018
Willy Cook and his team at the Centre for Nuclear Energy Research at UNB will be part of the project.
“The funding will be used to help set up the laboratory space that is required to investigate and research the new technologies that are out there,” says Cook.
NB Power CEO Gaetan Thomas says as New Brunswick companies develop these technologies, there will be a wide range of export possibilities.
“That’s the beauty of those plants,” says Thomas, “They are small, you can put them on the rails, you can ship them.”
NB Power CEO Gaëtan Thomas calls this a great day for #NewBrunswick, saying nuclear is “here to stay.” pic.twitter.com/aOGVYUO4b1
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) June 26, 2018
The province’s long-term vision is to build a commercial demonstration SMR plant at Point Lepreau, which would create thousands of construction jobs, according to Doucet.
He expects the cluster will lead to $20 million in research that will employ dozens of people, and there will be some private sector investors announced very soon.
