The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) will now serve as the primary organization responsible for micro-Small Modular Reactor (microreactor) development in the province. The SRC will also be the sole organization authorized to hold the regulatory licenses and be the licensed operator of microreactors in the province, while the sector is in the early stages of commercial development.
The SRC will now provide full life cycle, integrated services, on a commercial basis to industry and communities looking to establish microreactor operations to support their business and economic development. The SRC process will be designed to reduce the risks and costs for industrial and community users, while providing consistency in: safety practices, reactor operations, licensing, and public engagement for all microreactor users within the province.
“The goal is to safely accelerate the commercial adoption of microreactors within the province over the next five to 10 years, positioning Saskatchewan as a global leader in the nuclear microreactor supply chain,” Minister Responsible for SRC Jeremy Harrison said. “These deployments will create economic development opportunities and jobs.”
In November 2023, the Government of Saskatchewan announced $80 million in funding for SRC to pursue the demonstration of a microreactor in Saskatchewan. SRC will apply the research and knowledge gained from the licensing and deployment of an initial microreactor to support the Saskatchewan nuclear industry to better understand this type of technology and the potential for future microreactor projects in the province.
“What we learn through the initial microreactor demonstration will help SRC provide a one-stop-shop for industrial companies and Indigenous communities looking to progress microreactor projects in the province, from early feasibility to full reactor operation,” SRC President and CEO Mike Crabtree said. “Microreactors will provide a custom solution as part of Saskatchewan’s future energy needs and this sector has the opportunity to be transformative for our economy, industry and communities.”
SRC is Canada’s second largest research and technology organization with 1,600 clients in 22 countries around the world. With nearly 350 employees and $232 million in annual revenue, SRC helps clients solve technology problems, make improvements, increase productivity and develop new markets. SRC safely operated a SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear research reactor for 38 years before decommissioning it in 2021. For more information, visit www.srcnuclear.ca.
SRC to advance processing and commercialization of rare earth elements
Saskatchewan is a mining powerhouse, providing potash for agriculture, uranium for clean fuel, helium for medical and industrial use, and now rare earth elements (REEs), which are used in electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines, everyday electronics, and industrial uses.
Thanks to leaders like the Saskatchewan Research Council, the province is going beyond mining and exploration, to processing and commercializing value-added products using REEs at the Rare Earth Processing Facility in Saskatoon, the first of its kind in Canada.
In Saskatoon recently, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister responsible for PrairiesCan, announced funding of $6 million to support the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) at their Rare Earth Processing Facility. This investment will help establish and commercialize a process to separate unrecovered rare earth oxides (REO) from radioactive monazite tailings that would have otherwise been disposed of, resulting in additional rare earths sufficient to manufacture up to 65,000 EVs per year. The funding also helps to develop an automated metal smelting process to produce commercial grade rare earth element metals. The investment is being made through PrairiesCan to support economic development and diversification and help build a stronger Prairies economy.
The funding builds on earlier support from PrairiesCan of $2.5 million in interest-free repayable funding for SRC to purchase equipment needed to establish the Rare Earth Processing Facility and a recent investment of almost $5 million from Natural Resources Canada through the Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration program.
The Government of Canada, through the Critical Minerals Strategy, is making crucial investments in critical minerals, and the foundation of a greener and more sustainable economy for the future. These investments are examples of the greater collaboration called for in the new Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy. The Framework was launched in December 2023 as a long-term commitment to better coordination between federal departments, driving strategic investments across the Prairies, and greater collaboration with other levels of government and Prairie partners. It aims to support economic growth across the Prairies that leaves no one behind and creates good-paying jobs.