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’If we can get this licence done and give Alberta the option for nuclear power, it changes the landscape in Alberta,’ said Energy Alberta CEO Scott Henuset
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‘If we can get this licence done and give Alberta the option for nuclear power, it changes the landscape in Alberta,’ said Energy Alberta CEO Scott Henuset
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Who says you never get a second chance to make a good first impression?
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For nuclear industry proponents who want to develop a project in northern Alberta, a second opportunity has arrived.
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Privately held Energy Alberta announced this week it has formally submitted an initial project description to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada for its proposed Peace River Nuclear Power Project.
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The move marks an initial step in a lengthy regulatory journey for the Calgary-based company, which hopes to develop a nuclear power generating station in the Peace River region that could be licensed to produce up to 4,800 megawatts of electricity for the grid.
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There’s a lot of work to complete to determine the total price tag, but the capital expenses could be upwards of $40 billion, said Energy Alberta CEO Scott Henuset.
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His father, Wayne Henuset, led a similarly named but separate company almost two decades ago that proposed building a nuclear generating facility near Peace River. That project was eventually sold to industry giant Bruce Power in 2008, which shelved the proposal three years later.
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“It wasn’t the time for it then, although we wished it would have (been). Alberta would be in a very different place if that project had (been) finalized,” said Scott Henuset, who worked on community engagement on that proposal and owns the new company.
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“It’s a different landscape than it was 17 years ago — so it’s the time now. If we can get this licence done and give Alberta the option for nuclear power, it changes the landscape in Alberta.”
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The application of the initial project description allows for public feedback until May 14 and is intended to help refine the final project design.
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Energy Alberta hopes to obtain a licence to build two to four 1,000-megawatt Canadian-designed Candu Monark reactors at the site.
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The project will have to go through an integrated assessment by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) as part of Ottawa’s one project, one assessment process.
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Energy Alberta began public engagement early last year, holding an open house in the region in March. A review and impact assessment includes extensive consultation with local communities, First Nations and other interested parties.
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“If we can turn the lights on in 2035, that’s where we’re shooting for,” Henuset said in an interview this week.
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“We need to go through this first step, and we need to do it really well.”
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The company has selected two potential sites in the region, including one close to the land identified by Bruce Power more than a decade ago for its proposal.
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One of the locations, on land within the County of Northern Lights, is on the west bank of the Peace River, about 28 kilometres north of the town. The other is on the east side of the river, in Northern Sunrise County.
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The company will consult with local governments, communities and Indigenous Nations to evaluate site suitability, with a final decision expected by late 2025.
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Energy Alberta adviser Ian Anderson, who led the Trans Mountain expansion project for more than a decade, said it’s essential to build alignment on the proposal between all three levels of government and Indigenous communities.
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“I’m trying to bring as much of those learnings to Scott with this project,” Anderson said. “This is something new that comes with different issues and concerns that we need to address.”
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The initial proposal by Bruce Power ran into some local opposition, but several recent trends — including the push for greater electrification and decarbonization — are building momentum for nuclear power.
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A report in January by the International Energy Agency noted 63 nuclear reactors are under construction, representing more than 70 gigawatts (GW) of additional capacity.
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In Canada, the federal government has adopted a net-zero by 2050 emissions target, and natural gas-powered facilities are expected to face increased regulations in the decades ahead.
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Nuclear power plants have operated in Canada since the 1960s, generating about 15 per cent of the country’s electricity.
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The industry in Canada has also seen growing activity around developing small modular reactors (SMRs), which could generate between two and 300 megawatts.
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Earlier this month, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission issued a reactor construction licence to Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to construct a small modular reactor at its Darlington site in Ontario.
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Last year, Edmonton-based Capital Power and OPG announced an agreement to jointly assess the feasibility of SMRs in Alberta, and that work continues.
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Alberta Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf called nuclear power “a fantastic opportunity” for the province because it can provide baseload electricity with low emissions.
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The government is consulting with other provinces and working on the safety and regulation framework surrounding nuclear developments, “so that we could, hopefully in the future, see that happening here in Alberta,” Neudorf said.
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As for the Peace River project, “we anticipate that there will be lots of steps yet ahead. It could take some time, but we’re excited that they’ve got this off the ground,” he added.
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Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt, who teaches on the science and politics of nuclear energy, noted the proposed generating capacity is large for Alberta and wonders if nuclear power will eventually be tied to the development of data centres.
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Bratt agrees the conversation surrounding nuclear energy has changed since the last Peace River development was debated, but points out several key challenges exist today.
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Aside from issues surrounding project costs and the need to secure financing, the industry will have to build supply chains, address the handling of nuclear waste and manage public perceptions.
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“It’s one thing to talk about nuclear in the abstract. It’s another when you start talking about specific projects,” he said.
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Terry Ungarian, who chairs the Peace Regional Energy Committee, believes most people in the area support nuclear power and the project’s benefits, including economic development opportunities.
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Energy Alberta forecasts construction on the project would peak at 5,000 workers, and a twin reactor would create 1,200 to 1,500 jobs.
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Ungarian, who is reeve of the County of Northern Lights, recalls that after he first joined the municipal council in 2010, he voted in favour of a motion that rescinded the council’s support of the initial nuclear project.
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“I’ve always said, what’s the use of having a mind if you can’t change it. And so, 15 years later, I’ve had a change in my mind and I see now the value,” he said.
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“Fifteen years ago, our energy needs were a lot different. We didn’t have as big a population. We weren’t electrifying everything . . . Fast forward to today, and I think things have changed.”
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Chris Varcoe is a Calgary Herald columnist.
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