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Saskatchewan’s future power generation will include nuclear energy, with an announcement on plans and the location of potential reactors expected Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking to reporters at the Oil and Gas Show in Lloydminster on Sept. 17, Premier Scott Moe confirmed the province is considering potential nuclear power sites along the North Saskatchewan River.
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The work is being done in anticipation of growth in the heavy oil and mining industries.
“All of that is going to need power, as are the families that live here today and the families that are going to come here to help us build the economy of tomorrow,” Moe said.
Moe said work conducted more than a decade ago examined various sites and the province is now “reviving some of that information” as it considers how to move forward with a western nuclear site.
Moe stopped short of announcing a project. He did not identify a specific site, reactor capacity, cost estimate or construction schedule. He said SaskPower would ultimately determine how many reactors the province needs and can operate.
“This isn’t going to happen overnight. However, we would hope that it happens in the next few years,” Moe said.
If a western nuclear project proceeds, Moe said it would involve significant local procurement alongside modularized procurement intended to keep costs affordable. He said Saskatchewan could use its own reactor development to help provincial supply-chain companies expand and secure work on nuclear projects elsewhere.
“That is going to open up a whole new industry of opportunity in the supply chain, in the jobs and careers that are available in Lloydminster, North Battleford and everywhere in between,” Moe said.
The plan expected Tuesday will also include developments in the Estevan area that have long been under consideration. Moe said the options there could include two small modular reactors or a shift toward large-scale units, which he described as less expensive per megawatt.
The announcement is being held at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
This is not the first time the government has invested in nuclear technology.
In 2023, Moe announced an $80-million investment in the Saskatchewan Research Council to demonstrate microreactor technology in the province.
