The status of the Canadian nuclear power program and possible future strategies

The present Canadian nuclear power program based on the CANDU-PHW reactor, future commitments, and the status of heavy water production, are discussed, together with short term prospects over the next 20 years. The longer term favours fuels with higher fissile content than natural uranium. Possible future strategies are discussed, which include consideration of a number of different fuel cycles for the different types of CANDU reactor, i.e. CANDU-PHW, CANDU-BLW, CANDU-PLW and CANDU-OCR. It is concluded that: CANDU-PHW reactor is fully reliable and competative; organic and boiling water cooled variations promise savings of 15 to 20% in both capital and unit energy costs; the CANDU concept offers the opportunity for large improvements in uranium conservation whilst remaining economically competitive, by use of plutonium recycle and/or thorium; using the CANDU concept with thorium it is possible to limit the total uranium requirement for a given nuclear power capacity; and finally a system based on CANDU-PHW reactors could introduce FBR reactors more quickly and efficiently than one based on LWR reactors. (U.K.)