Those poor fossils.
The Future Of The Nuclear Sector In Canada: Industry And Government In Unison Once Again - Energy and Natural Resources - Canada
In the past decade, cutbacks, the disposition of the Government of Canada's (the "Government") nuclear assets, and privatization of government owned-nuclear companies, as well as the absence of a clear, long-term strategy for nuclear in Canada, indicated a lack of real support by the Government for our nuclear industry.[1] This lack of interest and support, and its impact, reverberated throughout Canada's nuclear supply chain. The tide is turning, based on a number factors, particularly the planned activities at the Chalk River Laboratories in respect of small modular and advanced nuclear reactors. The nuclear industry was unanimous earlier this month in its positive reception of the Government's long-awaited response to the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources (the "Committee") submitted by James Maloney, federal Member of Parliament and Chair of the Committee, this past June. In its report, "The Nuclear Sector at a Crossroads" (the "Report"), the Committee focused on research and innovation, regulatory and safety practices, leadership in nuclear power generation, and the development and commercialization of nuclear technologies.
The Government's response reaffirms its renewed support for nuclear energy and reflects positively on the future of the Canadian nuclear sector. In the response, the Government agreed with all seven recommendations, as further detailed below, proposed by the Committee, and the Government committed itself to providing greater stewardship to support a strong and safe nuclear sector. Citing the importance of a low-carbon future, the response recognized that nuclear energy is an important part of Canada's clean energy mix.
Standing Committee on Natural Resources' Report
The Committee's findings are based on evidence from a wide range of experts from industry, government, academia, and civil society.[2] The Report is organized according to the following four themes, briefly summarized:
1. Governance, Safety, Waste Management
The focus was areas of improvement for Canadian Nuclear Laboratories ("CNL"), updates on security and safety measures for nuclear power plants, and ongoing waste management projects within the sector.[3]
2. The State of the Nuclear Energy Industry in Canada and Abroad
The importance of Canada's nuclear power generation to the country's domestic electricity mix was a key highlight, noting that strategic investments will create thousands of new jobs over the next couple decades. Discussing public confidence in nuclear energy, note was made that the vast majority of citizens have little interest in nuclear matters. Reactor technologies, both new and next generation, and their potential benefits for Canada were outlined.[4]
3. The Future of Canadian Nuclear Research and Development
The challenges facing Canadian research and development ("R&D") were detailed, primarily based on the impending closure of one of the country's large research reactors in 2018 — the nearly 60-year-old National Research Universal ("NRU"). Industry experts impressed the need for long-term investment in nuclear R&D and presented several proposals to supplant the closure of the NRU next year.[5]
The Future Of The Nuclear Sector In Canada: Industry And Government In Unison Once Again - Energy and Natural Resources - Canada
The Future Of The Nuclear Sector In Canada: Industry And Government In Unison Once Again - Energy and Natural Resources - Canada
In the past decade, cutbacks, the disposition of the Government of Canada's (the "Government") nuclear assets, and privatization of government owned-nuclear companies, as well as the absence of a clear, long-term strategy for nuclear in Canada, indicated a lack of real support by the Government for our nuclear industry.[1] This lack of interest and support, and its impact, reverberated throughout Canada's nuclear supply chain. The tide is turning, based on a number factors, particularly the planned activities at the Chalk River Laboratories in respect of small modular and advanced nuclear reactors. The nuclear industry was unanimous earlier this month in its positive reception of the Government's long-awaited response to the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources (the "Committee") submitted by James Maloney, federal Member of Parliament and Chair of the Committee, this past June. In its report, "The Nuclear Sector at a Crossroads" (the "Report"), the Committee focused on research and innovation, regulatory and safety practices, leadership in nuclear power generation, and the development and commercialization of nuclear technologies.
The Government's response reaffirms its renewed support for nuclear energy and reflects positively on the future of the Canadian nuclear sector. In the response, the Government agreed with all seven recommendations, as further detailed below, proposed by the Committee, and the Government committed itself to providing greater stewardship to support a strong and safe nuclear sector. Citing the importance of a low-carbon future, the response recognized that nuclear energy is an important part of Canada's clean energy mix.
Standing Committee on Natural Resources' Report
The Committee's findings are based on evidence from a wide range of experts from industry, government, academia, and civil society.[2] The Report is organized according to the following four themes, briefly summarized:
1. Governance, Safety, Waste Management
The focus was areas of improvement for Canadian Nuclear Laboratories ("CNL"), updates on security and safety measures for nuclear power plants, and ongoing waste management projects within the sector.[3]
2. The State of the Nuclear Energy Industry in Canada and Abroad
The importance of Canada's nuclear power generation to the country's domestic electricity mix was a key highlight, noting that strategic investments will create thousands of new jobs over the next couple decades. Discussing public confidence in nuclear energy, note was made that the vast majority of citizens have little interest in nuclear matters. Reactor technologies, both new and next generation, and their potential benefits for Canada were outlined.[4]
3. The Future of Canadian Nuclear Research and Development
The challenges facing Canadian research and development ("R&D") were detailed, primarily based on the impending closure of one of the country's large research reactors in 2018 — the nearly 60-year-old National Research Universal ("NRU"). Industry experts impressed the need for long-term investment in nuclear R&D and presented several proposals to supplant the closure of the NRU next year.[5]
The Future Of The Nuclear Sector In Canada: Industry And Government In Unison Once Again - Energy and Natural Resources - Canada
