SMR feasibility study
In January 2024, Capital Power and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) announced a commitment agreement to jointly assess the potential to pursue deployment of grid-scale small modular reactors (SMRs) as a reliable, safe, and clean energy solution for Alberta.
The study will explore a number of issues relevant to the potential feasibility of SMR deployment in Alberta. A key focus will be engaging with Indigenous communities and local stakeholders to support the assessment of potential locations for a potential SMR facility.
Other aspects of the study will include technology evaluation, licensing and permitting, and economic evaluation.
Feasibility focus areas
Engagement
Indigenous communities and local stakeholders are central to the study. Engagement efforts are underway to understand community interests, perspectives and potential concerns with potential SMR development.
Technology
The study is evaluating which SMR technology would be appropriate for deployment in Alberta.
Licensing & permitting
The study is developing a roadmap for the various regulatory licenses and permits that would be required to develop SMRs in Alberta.
Commercial
The study is assessing the potential economics of SMR deployment and potential approaches and structures to support its development.
Where we are now
The roadmap for taking early exploration of SMR feasibility to deployment is an ongoing journey of listening, learning and understanding. The starting point is to gather insights gained through focused analysis and early engagement before potentially progressing to a subsequent phase.
Exploring potential host sites
Capital Power and OPG are evaluating the suitability of three potential locations in north-central Alberta to host an SMR facility in the future.
To start the siting process, we’ve narrowed our search for potential locations down to three broad regions within a 150 km radius of Edmonton that could meet the requirements to host an SMR facility.
Ecological resources, cultural heritage and traditional land and resource use, geology, and existing infrastructure are among the many considerations assessed early in the site scoping and selection phase.
Alberta Industrial Heartland near Fort Saskatchewan
Some of the considerations for siting an SMR facility include interconnection availability and access to Alberta’s transmission system to carry the electricity to major load centers, access to highways for transportation and specific criteria as set out in the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) guidelines, and access and proximity to water for cooling.
Woodlands County
Some of the considerations for siting an SMR facility include interconnection availability and access to Alberta’s transmission system to carry the electricity to major load centers, access to highways for transportation and specific criteria as set out in the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) guidelines, and access and proximity to water for cooling.
Leduc County
Some of the considerations for siting an SMR facility include interconnection availability and access to Alberta’s transmission system to carry the electricity to major load centers, access to highways for transportation and specific criteria as set out in the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) guidelines, and access and proximity to water for cooling.
