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Canada's New Nuclear Reactors Will Rely on Foreign Fuel

Canada's New Nuclear Reactors Will Rely on Foreign Fuel

Canada's New Nuclear Reactors Will Rely on Foreign Fuel
Canada's new reactors will depend on foreign suppliers for fuel, despite Prime Minister Mark Carney's emphasis on Canadian energy sovereignty.
This is a big change from Canada's old reactor system, which used domestic fuel.
Ontario is building four new small reactors, which will use low-enriched uranium from foreign suppliers.
The first reactor is expected to be ready by 2030, and the other three by the mid-2030s.
A Canadian company will mine uranium, but it will be enriched in the US, France, or Britain.
Experts say this change goes against the original idea of Canada's nuclear program.
A 1993 report said Canada's old reactors were designed to use natural uranium to avoid relying on foreign fuel.
By using foreign fuel, Canada's new reactors may not be as independent as claimed.
An expert says relying on foreign fuel could disrupt Canada's energy supply during a political dispute.
What does 'energy sovereignty' mean for Canada?
Canada wants to build 10 new nuclear plants, but how will they be paid for?
An expert says the new reactors go against the original idea of Canada's nuclear program.
The company building the reactors says having multiple suppliers creates a stable fuel chain.
The provincial energy minister says Ontario chose a foreign reactor because no Canadian option was available.
The minister says the chosen reactor is the most advanced option and reduces risks.
Canada has a new domestic reactor in development, but it's not an option for Ontario's project.
The decision to use foreign fuel leaves Ontario dependent on other countries.
An expert says having multiple suppliers reduces the risk of disruption, but doesn't eliminate it.
The expert says the US could use its uranium supply for geopolitical leverage.
Even with backup suppliers, the risk of disruption remains.
The federal government says foreign enrichment doesn't pose a significant supply risk.
The government says the new reactors will require a small amount of enriched fuel.
The Darlington facility will be the first small reactor in the G7.
A professor says nuclear power is expensive and small reactors are even more costly.
Small reactors sacrifice the economies of scale of larger reactors.
A study suggests small reactors are more expensive unless savings from shared infrastructure can offset the disadvantage.
The reactor designer says smaller reactors can overcome some cost disadvantages.
The company says the new design reduces the amount of equipment needed.
However, the projected savings have not been demonstrated by a commercially operating unit.
Seven First Nations have signed a $715M nuclear reactor deal.
Canada needs its own uranium-enrichment industry to eliminate reliance on foreign suppliers.
The provincial energy minister says Ontario is open to discussions, but the decision rests with the federal government.
The federal government has made no decision on commercial enrichment, but plans to create a 'Nuclear Fuels Table'.
Ontario is the only province committed to building small reactors, but others are evaluating nuclear projects.
Canada remains opposed to nuclear weapons, but its path to the bomb is getting shorter.
A professor says Canada would need to enrich its own uranium to control the fuel chain, but it would be costly.
Building an enrichment facility would be uneconomical for Canada, given the small scale of the project.
The new reactors create another long-term liability, as Canada's nuclear waste plan was calculated around existing reactors.
New reactors could change the volume and type of spent fuel requiring disposal, but there is no cost estimate yet.