The possibility of a nuclear reactor being built in Sas-katchewan will be examined by provincial utility SaskPower Corp. and federal agency Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL).
The province and Ottawa recently signed an agreement to pursue the development of nuclear technology, including electrical generation, in Saskatchewan.
The prairie province is Canada’s major producer of uranium and should continue to be so with the decline of uranium output in Ontario. Canada is the leading producer-exporter of uranium in the world.
George Hill, president of SaskPower, said the memorandum of understanding does not commit the utility to building a Candu 3 generating unit. “Both parties acknowledge that strong consideration will be given to various public consultation programs,” Hill said. “We’re certainly not about to make any final decisions until the Saskatchewan electrical energy options review panel submits its report to SaskPower this fall.”
He also said that the agreement is subject to all appropriate environmental reviews and approvals.
A new corporation will be established, owned jointly by SaskPower and AECL, which will each contribute $25 million to complete the design of the Candu 3 reactor and other joint projects. Within one year, 170 jobs are expected to be created in the province.
Hill said a 450-megawatt unit could be incorporated into his utility’s grid system. Future load growth forecasts anticipate the need for an extra 500 megawatts of capacity by the year 2000.
Other opportunities that may come about because of the agreement include an accelerator technology centre with manufacturing and marketing capability, a nuclear simulator and training facility, and a laser research and technology program.
According to Energy Mines and Resources Canada, the nation’s uranium output in 1990 amounted to about 8,730 tonnes, with total shipments approaching 9,500 tonnes. (The excess over production was drawn from inventories.) As of Jan. 1, total recoverable known uranium reserves in Canada were estimated to be 594,000 tonnes, up from 544,000 tonnes two years ago (when the last full assessment was completed). Recently discovered deposits in northern Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories have added significantly to the total.
About 80% of Canada’s current annual uranium output is exported to electrical utilities, mainly in the U.S., Japan and western Europe.
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