CONFERENCE REPORT | CANADIAN NUCLEAR ASSOCIATION
Canada’s nuclear emergence
The annual Canadian Nuclear Association conference was held from 12-14 April. “Together for Net Zero,” landed on the heels of a federal commitment to radical decarbonisation and a budget that recognised the need for nuclear integration deeper within Canada’s energy strategy. It’s opening the door to a national nuclear opportunity, NEI contributor, Jacquie Hoornweg reports
ON 31 MARCH, 2022, CANADA’S Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act was published and with it, a federal commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Act includes aggressive 2030 milestone targets that call for emissions reductions of 40-45% from 2005 levels. The following week, the government answered their
Jacquie Hoornweg
Executive Director, Brilliant Energy Institute and Canadian Global Affairs Institute Fellow
own call to action, in part, with a budget that included the most bullish language on nuclear energy in more than a generation. Key nuclear planks included funding for small modular reactor (SMR) deployment and evolution of the country’s regulatory framework to support it. A few days later, as the industry gathered at the 2022
Canadian Nuclear Association Conference, in-person for the first time in more than two years, there was palpable excitement. The industry feels itself sitting on the cusp of unprecedented growth, tempered only by the speed, scale, and fortitude required to land this expansion opportunity. There are technical challenges to be sure, and added
to that, the daunting statistics concerning the required workforce during a time of high demand for talent. Certainly, young engineers in attendance had full dance cards. Larger still is the challenge to build literacy and earn trust with the public and stakeholders in greenfield communities and more generally, across the country. Then there are the new levels of collaboration required
with cross-sector partners to secure new horizons of nuclear integrated with renewables, hydrogen, and as
a clean energy source to power remote communities, decarbonise mining, oil, gas, agriculture, and emissions- heavy industry. The scale and speed of change would be head-spinning at any time; as the world carefully emerges from its COVID cocoon it is even more so. Hence the conference theme, “Together for Net
Zero,” which was reflected in panels, speakers, and the composition of participants. In attendance was a wide- ranging mix of nuclear industry, digital technology vendors, municipal government, indigenous community leaders, public policy makers, and universities, in addition to the traditional utility and supply chain more commonly found at sector conferences. Increasingly, there is political agreement that to achieve decarbonisation ambitions, it will be exceedingly difficult without nuclear in the mix, not only for traditional electricity uses but integrated into electrification and feedstock for clean fuels to decarbonise civil infrastructure like transportation, built spaces and heavy industry. Nuclear’s role will be pivotal if net zero is to be achieved without drastic structural changes to economies and lifestyle. For Canada, there is plenty to celebrate in this. Nuclear is
already the primary source of electricity for almost 40% of Canadians and where it is used, there is general support for it. But that statistic is not as visible as the number suggests. Nuclear electricity generation is centred in just two
Above: The Innovation panel explored the growth opportunities for Canada’s nuclear industry in the drive to net zero by 2050 Photo credit: Jacquie Hoornweg 32 | June 2022 |
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