Bruce Power to study building nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan
An Ontario-based nuclear power company has turned up the heat on what's been a simmering debate recently in Saskatchewan, saying it will look at the feasibility of building a reactor in the province.
With two Saskatchewan cabinet ministers looking on, Bruce Power president Duncan Hawthorne announced in Saskatoon Tuesday the study would begin this summer and wrap up by the end of the year.
According to the company, the Saskatchewan 2020 study would look at potential locations, the economic impact and how to integrate nuclear power into Saskatchewan's other energy sources.
"I believe nuclear energy, when properly integrated with technologies such as hydrogen, would be a worthy addition to Saskatchewan's energy mix and look forward to exploring the potential further," Hawthorne said in a news release.
Bruce Power is currently looking at building multiple nuclear reactors at Peace River, Alta., in order to generate 4,000 megawatts.
However, earlier in 2008, the president of the Calgary-based pipeline company TransCanada, one of the owners of Bruce Power, said Saskatchewan might be a better bet as the site of Western Canada's first reactor.
Bruce Power said Tuesday that the Saskatchewan study "aligns" with the Alberta venture, as well as its activities in Ontario, where it operates several nuclear plants.
Saskatchewan Minister of Enterprise and Innovation Lyle Stewart said the government is in favour of a feasibility study, but cautioned it's just the first step in a long process.
"We'll, at some point, want to do our own review of any project, assuming that Bruce's review gives the project a green light," he said.
"After that, then, the environmental concerns both provincially and federally will have to be addressed, and public safety and water and all sorts of site-specific issues."
There will also be lots of opportunity for public feedback, Stewart said.
Nuclear power plants weren't on the high on the politicians' agendas during last fall's provincial election campaign. However, the nuclear issue became a hot topic earlier this spring when CBC News obtained an internal SaskPower report that looked at possible sites.
The 2007 consultant's report concluded the Lake Diefenbaker area near Outlook would be the best place for a power plant.
Also at the announcement Tuesday was Crown Corporations Minister Ken Cheveldayoff, who said earlier in 2008 that the province has no plans to build its own nuclear power plant, but is open to discussions with the private sector.
On Tuesday, he said Saskatchewan needs clean, reliable and affordable power and he welcomes the Bruce Power study.
Bruce Power is owned by Cameco Corporation, TransCanada Corporation and BPC Generation Infrastructure Trust.
0 comments:
Post a Comment