The Saskatchewan government is funding the province’s first nuclear microreactor, which is projected to be operational by 2029. Premier Scott Moe announced that the government is investing $80 million into the project, which will be overseen by the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC). Mr. Moe expressed that the project could be a transformative force for the province’s economy and energy industry.
The microreactor will be constructed by Westinghouse Electric Company, a business partially owned by Saskatchewan-based Cameco, with the capacity to produce five megawatts of electricity and over 13 megawatts of high temperature heat. The infrastructure is estimated to prevent 55,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. WESTUS President Patrick Fragman mentioned that the eVinci battery technology is the right fit for Saskatchewan owing to its portability, carbon-free electricity and heat capabilities, absence of water usage, and potential for complete removal from the site after operating for eight years or more.
Notably, Premier Scott Moe’s government has been engaged in a dispute with the federal government over clean energy regulations and the carbon tax. The premier and other provincial leaders have lobbied Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to eliminate the carbon tax from all forms of home heating, arguing that it is essential for federal policies and programs to treat all Canadians fairly and equally.
Part of Mr. Moe’s government’s stand in the matter is the introduction of a legislative bill that would let the government cease collection of the carbon tax on home heating. The bill would set the provincial government as the sole distributor of natural gas in Saskatchewan, effectively protecting the Crown corporation SaskEnergy and its affiliates from any legal implications of not remitting the carbon tax. The move has received opposition support, with the NDP Leader Carla Beck advocating it as a justified measure to restore fairness.