Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

Canada's Small Modular Reactor program is one of the most advanced in the world, backed by a comprehensive SMR Action Plan and significant federal investment. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories at Chalk River is hosting an SMR demonstration project targeted for completion by 2026, and Ontario Power Generation is pursuing grid-scale SMR deployment. The program includes CA$76 million per year in nuclear science funding and an additional CA$11 million specifically for SMR and hydrogen research.

SMRs matter enormously for Canada because they address multiple strategic needs simultaneously: clean baseload power to replace aging coal and gas plants, reliable energy for remote and Northern communities currently dependent on diesel generators, process heat for industrial applications including mining and hydrogen production, and a potential export technology for countries seeking clean nuclear power without the scale and cost of traditional reactors.

The strategic implications are profound. If Canada successfully deploys the first G7 SMR, it establishes itself as the reference model for nuclear modernization worldwide. The domestic market alone is estimated at CA$5.3 billion through 2040, but the export opportunity is much larger. SMRs also synergize with Canada's critical minerals strategy — providing clean power for remote mining operations — and its hydrogen ambitions, using nuclear heat for electrolysis.