It has been a defining month for nuclear power s role in a net zero world. On the second day of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA announced its landmark Statement on Nuclear Power. This was the first time such an IAEA statement was issued. The Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy by 2050, endorsed by Canada and 21 other countries, was also launched at COP28.
In 2016, the Province of Alberta passed the Renewable Electricity Act, cementing its commitment to increasing the amount of green energy produced in Alberta, with a goal of 30 percent of Alberta s electricity coming from renewable sources by 2030. Since that time, the number and size of renewables projects in Alberta, particularly utility-scale wind and solar projects, have grown rapidly. In 2022, Alberta accounted for over three-quarters of all new wind and solar capacity growth in Canada, and the Alberta Electric System Operator AESO has projected that renewables will account for 30 percent of the Province s generation by 2026.
The concept of deploying nuclear reactors as a carbon-free source of energy is gaining momentum in Alberta and elsewhere in Canada. This article explores recent promising developments in this space and discusses some of the challenges that lay ahead for those seeking to develop small modular reactors SMRs in Canada.