Canadian Nuclear Society conference comes to Saint John

The 47th annual Canadian Nuclear Society conference was hosted at the Saint John Trade & Convention Centre from June 4 to June 7, 2023. (Avery MacRae/CTV Atlantic)

The 47th annual Canadian Nuclear Society conference is underway in Saint John, N.B.

Hosted at the Saint John Trade & Convention Centre, the four-day event is bringing together the nation’s top professionals in the field.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are among the most popular topics, with their development a part of the province’s clean energy vision.

“They are just nuclear reactors but scaled down,” says Fawn Zeuchner with ARC Clean Technology. “By definition, SMRs are 300 megawatts and less, and they are modular.”

A pair of companies in the province have already committed to building the reactors.

“The province of New Brunswick has two of them to send already,” says Canadian Nuclear Society incoming president Doddy Kastanya. “ARC, which is a fast reactor, as well as the Moltex.”

The SMRs can range from water-based to high temperate gas reactors, and are smaller than the average Costco building.

“Nuclear already has a high capacity factor,” says Zeuchner. “A lot of energy for the small footprint it has, now we just improve upon that.”

The development and deployment of the reactors in New Brunswick will not only boost economic growth, according to advocates, but will serve as an important step of achieving net-zero electricity emissions.

“You’re aware of the target of reach net zero by 2050,” says Kastanya. “SMRs are one of the vehicles that will help us reach that point.”

The conference follows Premier Blaine Higgs’ trip to the Netherlands last month for the World Hydrogen Summit where he promoted New Brunswick being open for business in the energy game.

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