CLARINGTON, ONT. — Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) have announced they are collaborating to develop small modular reactor (SMR) technology.
Former OPG and current TVA president and CEO Jeff Lyash recently met with OPG president Ken Hartwick at Darlington Nuclear, the future home of Canada’s first grid-scale SMR, to discuss the plan, a release stated.
The Darlington site is the only location in Canada licensed for new nuclear construction with an approved environmental assessment. OPG recently announced a contract with ES Fox to proceed with early site work, including water, electrical power, information technology and roads. The work will begin when permits and regulatory approvals are in place.
OPG announced plans last year to collaborate with GE Hitachi on SMR engineering, design, planning, preparing the licensing and permitting materials, and performing site preparation activities at the Darlington New Nuclear site.
OPG also recently announced plans to work with X-energy to pursue opportunities to deploy Xe-100 SMRs to decarbonize heavy industry applications in Canada.
In addition, Global First Power, a company jointly owned by OPG and USNC-Power, is working toward constructing a Micro Modular Reactor as a demonstration project at Chalk River in Ontario. This reactor is suitable for off-grid use and could be used for remote or northern power production.
The TVA currently holds the U.S.’s only Nuclear Regulatory Commission Early Site Permit for SMR deployment at its Clinch River Nuclear site near Oak Ridge, Tenn.
The two companies agreed earlier this year to work together to mitigate the financial risk that comes with development of the new technology, as well as future deployment costs.
“Reaching net-zero will require all the tools in the toolbox, and that includes safe, carbon-free nuclear power,” said Hartwick. “Working together, OPG and TVA are demonstrating environmental leadership while leveraging our extensive expertise in safely producing the electricity needed in our jurisdictions to advance new nuclear technology and cleanly power the future.”
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