SaskPower selects areas near Estevan, Elbow as potential sites for a nuclear reactor
CBC
A small, modular nuclear reactor could be located in the Estevan area or Elbow near Lake Diefenbaker, SaskPower says.
On Tuesday the Crown corporation made the latest announcement regarding the use of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the province by narrowing the site down to two potential areas.
One is near Estevan — specifically, two sites around Boundary Dam, Rafferty Dam, and another around the Grant Devine Dam.
The other area under consideration is near Elbow around Lake Diefenbaker, from Gardiner Dam to the Diefenbaker Dam.
"The Estevan area has been a very important part of SaskPower's history. Through the Boundary Dam, Shand power station producing stable, reliable baseload power for decades, to the hundreds of employees that call Estevan home," SaskPower president Rupen Pandya said
"By identifying the Estevan study region, the opportunity to continue this history is exciting.
"SaskPower has evaluated nuclear power for a long time and throughout all of these studies Lake Diefenbaker has been always been at the top of the list as one of the most technically suitable locations to potentially to host a nuclear facility."
In 2020, the Saskatchewan government announced a $4-billion plan out of the Lake Diefenbaker reservoir.
Pandya says the entire province was looked at before the decision was made.
However, the two areas needed to meet certain criteria, including proximity to a water source, existing power transmission infrastructure and the ability to support a workforce.
"SMRs are new to Saskatchewan and before SaskPower makes a decision on how to deploy this new energy force we must have an open and meaningful dialogue with the people of Saskatchewan," Pandya said.
A small modular reactor typically produces 300 megawatts of electricity or less — enough electricity to power 300,000 homes each year, according to the province.
Pandya says that dialogue will include consultation with local leadership, non-governmental organizations and the public.
"Engagement and consultation with Indigenous Rights holders and the public is critical to this project," he said, "and I encourage the people of Saskatchewan to reach out and engage with us on this important project."
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