Statement by Canadian Nuclear Association President John Gorman on Ontario Power Generation and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s Small Modular Reactor project announcement

Following today’s announcement of the selection of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to deploy its Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology at Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Darlington new nuclear site, please find below a statement from John Gorman, President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association:

“This is an exciting day for the Canadian nuclear industry. Today’s announcement is the latest step in Canada’s efforts to develop and deploy small modular reactor technology and bring it onto the electricity grid before the end of this decade.”

“Canada has a long and rich nuclear technology history, which provides it with a solid foundation to innovate and grow into the future. Today’s announcement will create jobs, economic development and help meet environmental goals. With ambitious climate change and net zero targets it is clear that significant amounts of clean energy and electricity will be required to meet climate goals while enabling economic and social growth. Energy experts estimate Canada will need to triple the amount of electricity it produces to reach net zero emissions targets by 2050. All forms of clean electricity will be needed to accomplish this, including nuclear.”

“We look forward to working with the federal and provincial governments in moving the deployment of SMRs forward to make Canada a first mover of this exciting technology that creates jobs and helps meet net zero emissions by 2050.”