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OTTAWA – The Government of Canada has approved up to $74 million in funding for small modular reactor (SMR) development in Saskatchewan led by SaskPower.

The funding will support pre-engineering work and technical studies, environmental assessments, regulatory studies and community and Indigenous engagement.

SaskPower has selected the GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 for potential deployment in Saskatchewan in the mid-2030s, subject to a decision to build that is expected in 2029, a release said.

SMRs do not produce emissions and “can play an important role in decarbonizing provincial electricity grids and heavy-emitting industries and can help remote communities reduce their reliance on costly and high-polluting diesel power,” the release added, citing a 300-megawattt SMR is capable of supplying enough power for an estimated 300,000 homes.

Up to $50 million of the project has been committed to SaskPower from the NRCan Electricity Predevelopment Program, a $250-million program to support “pre-development activities of clean electricity projects of national significance, such as inter-provincial electricity transmission projects and small modular reactors,” the release said.

$24 million for the project has been committed to the Province of Saskatchewan from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Future Electricity Fund.

SaskPower anticipates construction of its first SMR project could begin as early as 2030, with a targeted in-service date of 2034. Additional facilities could begin construction as early as 2034.