Collaborating to advance small modular reactor technology deployment in Canada

Deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the Canadian marketplace has continued to gain momentum, and has garnered the attention of potential owner/operators, technology developers, as well as the federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada. Interested parties are dedicating additional resources to explore the feasibility, benefits, and challenges of deploying new innovative reactor technology in Canada. For each of the contending SMR technologies, there are unique complexities including those in the areas of technical design, commercial models, and policy application. In addition to the unique challenges, there are also common challenges that are faced by the industry. In response to this, the CANDU Owners Group (COG) has launched collaborative initiatives in areas of mutual interest to its Members, as well as SMR technology developers, enabling each to capitalize on collective effort and reach common goals. Through cooperation, key objectives have been identified, and work is underway, to support stakeholders in successfully establishing SMRs in Canada. This paper provides an overview of some of the work currently underway at COG. (author)