Jobs, Nuclear Energy Bolstered in Canada

Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

With unemployment running at around 7%, nuclear energy could be supportive of the Canadian economy. Canada has developed its own type of reactor called Canada Deuterium Uranium.

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Alberta Mulling Nuclear Power

While boasting of job creation during tough economic times, the provincial government of Alberta said it was mulling the prospects of expanded nuclear energy.

The provincial government said it would host a series of public information sessions throughout December and January to review the potential for nuclear power to address future energy needs.

"Reliably meeting Alberta's growing electricity demands is critical to our province's success," Chantelle de Johne, the parliamentary secretary for utilities, said Friday. "The Nuclear Energy Engagement and Advisory Panel is excited to start meeting directly with Albertans and hear what they have to say about the role nuclear power could play in our energy future."

The first session was held on Monday.

Canada has developed its own type of reactor called Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU), a type of heavy-water reactor that relies on natural uranium rather than enriched uranium for fuel. Net-zero focused Energy Alberta (Calgary, Alberta) in April proposed a 4,800-megawatt (MW) nuclear power station in the Peace River area of northern Alberta that would utilize CANDU technology.

Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency has outlined 68 different designs for small modular reactors (SMR), and the Canadian government says it's behind at least seven of those.

The 300-MW Darlington facility was licensed in April and could be online by 2030, when it will become the first operational, commercial-scale facility of its kind in North America. In October, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney designated Darlington a national-priority project, part of a range of efforts to build up the national economy against U.S. tariff threats.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more about Darlington--including capacities, investment values and necessary equipment--from a detailed project report.

Federal Government on Board

Carney said his administration would back the development of four SMRs at the Darlington site with US$1.4 billion in federal investments. Situated in Ontario, Darlington would be a catalyst for new jobs, with Carney expecting to see 18,000 jobs created during the construction phase.

Facing pressure from an aggressive U.S. tariff policy, the Bank of Canada put the unemployment rate at 7.1% in September.

"For many months, we have been stressing that monetary policy cannot undo the damage caused by tariffs," Tiff Macklem, the head of the Bank of Canada, said last month. "Trade friction means our economy will work less efficiently, with higher costs and less income."

Energy-rich Alberta, however, claims it's making strides despite the headwinds. The provincial government said 28,700 jobs were added to private-sector payrolls last month, accounting for more than half of the total number of jobs created nationwide.

Joseph Schow, the provincial minister of jobs and the economy, said the latest data show Alberta's economy is resilient.

"Most notable is that since this time last year, Alberta has added more than 105,000 jobs, showing a positive trend that is catching up to our rapid population growth," he said.

Key Takeaways

• Nuclear power could help job growth.
• Canada already has its own unique reactor technology.
• The prime minister is on board.

By the Numbers

• US$1.4 billion: investment in SMRs at Darlington
• 28,700 jobs added to payrolls in Alberta last month
• 18,000 jobs created by SMRs in Ontario

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