Canadian Nuclear Association Conference in Ottawa

The Canadian nuclear industry is picking up speed. New projects are planned, public support is growing, and political leaders understand the significant role nuclear  plays when it comes to decarbonization and clean energy.  
 
Therefore, the Canadian Nuclear Association Conference (#CNA2023) in Ottawa from 22nd to 24th of February was the perfect opportunity to meet face-to-face and participate in high-level discussions with relevant stakeholders driving the development of the nuclear industry in Canada to the next level. As expected, Small Modular Reactors were a huge topic, and we had the possibility of getting first-hand information about SMR projects and their licensing process in Canada and the USA. Considering the nature of some of the technologies to be used in SMR projects, there are still questions regarding safety and technology that will need to be answered before granting operating licenses to such facilities. It seems that the licensing of SMR projects using light water reactors are one step further compared to other technologies and will be the first to be licensed, constructed and hopefully commissioned and put into operation.  

European countries like for example Poland, Romania or the United Kingdom are also planning SMR projects and in many cases will rely on technology vendors from North America. Therefore, the current undergoing licensing activities in Canada and USA are also of high interest in Europe as in many cases is setting the basis for the future deployment of SMR around the globe. It is very important to transfer the lessons learned from North America to Europe, but also to increase the efforts to harmonize regulations and standards. Otherwise, the plans of many European countries to successfully execute SMR projects will face delays and the established targets related to the decarbonization of power generation and to minimize CO₂ emissions in Europe will be compromised.  

Despite all challenges, I am convinced that the current positive momentum of the nuclear industry worldwide will contribute extensively to the decarbonization of the planet in the next years. International cooperation between companies working in the nuclear industry around the globe will be crucial to optimize resources and execute projects more efficiently. We at TÜV SÜD support our customers worldwide, and of course - also in Canada and in the US and are proud of being an active member contributing with our know-how to the nuclear projects not only in Europe, but also around the globe. Thanks to the Canadian Nuclear Association for organizing a perfect #CNA2023 event, uniting us to promote an even closer collaboration so that we can master the challenges together.