Staying competitive with R&D
Nuclear is very capital intensive compared to other energy sources but has one of the lowest operating costs. If we can reduce the capital costs and improve the economics, we have the opportunity to further reduce the overall cost of electricity.
who has recently joined Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) as VicePresident, Research & Development. . Dr. McCarthy is responsible for strategic planning and leadership of the science and technology activities at CNL.
WHAT FACTORS ARE DRIVING INNOVATIONS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY?
Nuclear energy is a mature, safe technology that is good for the environment, but we are asking: What can we do better? Much of the innovative research in Canada and internationally is investigating ways to lower the “cost of entry” and accelerate the time to market for nuclear energy.
Nuclear is very capital intensive compared to other energy sources but has one of the lowest operating costs. If we can reduce the capital costs and improve the economics, we have the opportunity to further reduce the overall cost of electricity.
DOES THIS R&D OFFER BENEFITS FOR EXISTING NUCLEAR PLANTS AS WELL AS NEW BUILDS?
Absolutely. For example, consider a component that is replaced periodically in a nuclear generating station. If a manufacturing technique is developed to improve the component’s operational characteristics, it will need to be replaced less frequently – and that will lower costs for existing plants and improve the cost-efficiency of future plants.
WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FOR CANADIAN INDUSTRY TO CONTRIBUTE TO NUCLEAR INNOVATION AND HOW DOES CNL SUPPORT INDUSTRY?
New nuclear plants are being built all over the world and at CNL, we want to enable Canadian industry to succeed in this arena. Our history prepares us to provide this support; this is where the CANDU reactor was developed – a successful Canadian-grown technology used in multiple countries.
Our scientists and engineers have a very good understanding of what it takes for something to be deployable. They can take their technical skills and apply them to developing something that is practical for industry – and I think that makes us a unique resource.
IF A COMPANY IS LOOKING TO DEVELOP A NEW NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY, WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FROM CNL?
CNL works within a world-recognized regulatory framework that is capable and approachable. We have an established site, with supporting infrastructure and services already in place.
That provides huge advantages over starting from scratch with a greenfield site. Nuclear fuels are at the heart of safety and economics in nuclear reactors. We have the capability to do fuel development and testing; we have “hot cell” facilities where we can examine irradiated nuclear fuels.
In addition, we have a long history of safety analysis and can offer industry that expertise.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SPECIFIC R&D AREAS THAT HOLD PROMISE FOR ENHANCING NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES?
CNL has the expertise and specialized facilities that support the nuclear science and technical priorities of the Canadian government. These include innovation for industry, safety, security, health, environmental and clean energy technologies.
With respect to the energy aspects of nuclear technology, there are a number of exciting areas of research that CNL has established as priorities. One area is life extension and the long-term reliability of existing reactors through materials and component research.
Another area is advanced fuel fabrication. Currently, we have to stop using nuclear fuel before all the fuel content is depleted – for example, when certain gases build up. We are looking at research to allow us to use up more of the fuel in the reactor – and that can have a big impact on the economics of nuclear energy.
Our priorities include research into small modular reactor (SMR) technology, which is an exciting and important area of interest in Canada and internationally.
WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF SMR TECHNOLOGY?
This technology is especially relevant to the “smaller cost of entry” for nuclear energy. Various vendors and startup companies are proposing different SMR designs and different sizes. One category is vSMRs – as in “very small” – which holds much promise for Canada. For example, this technology has the potential to support remote northern communities that are not part of the grid; in many cases today, they are running on diesel-generator fuel, which is not environmentally clean and is very expensive.
What remains to be proven is can you build small reactors and operate them so that the cost of electricity is acceptable?
We are excited to offer industry an opportunity to work with us to solve this challenge – a place where industry can test and build the business case for SMRs and other new technologies.