Ontario, Saskatchewan collaborate on clean electricity

Provinces' utilities share expertise on Small Modular Reactor development

REGINA, SK, Nov. 20, 2023 /CNW/ -  Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and its subsidiary, Laurentis Energy Partners (LEP), will collaborate with SaskPower to advance Saskatchewan's Small Modular Reactor (SMR) development project.

SaskPower, LEP, and OPG, along with Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith and Saskatchewan Minister Responsible for SaskPower Dustin Duncan, gathered in Regina today to announce details of a Master Services Agreement to further Canadian deployment of SMR technology, signed earlier this year.

The LEP-SaskPower agreement, which runs for up to five years, builds on a strong relationship between Ontario and Saskatchewan and serves as a foundation for a long-term strategic partnership to streamline SMR development in Saskatchewan. Under this agreement, LEP will focus on program management, licensing, and operational readiness activities.

Earlier this year, SaskPower and OPG renewed an agreement to continue working together on new nuclear development, including SMRs, in both Saskatchewan and Ontario. Under the agreement, the utilities will provide mutual support by sharing lessons learned, technical resources and expertise, best practices, and operating experience. The two companies will also consider opportunities for future collaboration in other areas, including project development and plant operations.

• Through these agreements, the companies will coordinate and enable industry suppliers in Ontario and in Saskatchewan to support a Canadian fleet of SMRs.
• OPG, SaskPower and Laurentis will work with post-secondary institutions in both provinces to enable and bolster applied research and skills capacity.
• OPG and SaskPower have selected the GE Hitachi BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment in their provinces.
• OPG is building North America's first fleet of SMRs at its Darlington New Nuclear site. The first of four SMRs will be completed by the end of 2028, and online by the end of 2029.
• SaskPower has begun the work of identifying suitable sites for a nuclear facility to potentially add the province's first SMR to the Saskatchewan electricity supply mix in the mid-2030s. Saskatchewan will decide whether to proceed in 2029.

"With decades of experience in building, operating, and maintaining clean, reliable nuclear power generation, OPG is able to help Saskatchewan add nuclear to its supply mix," said OPG President and CEO Ken Hartwick. "Through these agreements, we are using a fleet-style approach, which will increase efficiency and decrease costs as we deploy much-needed new nuclear generation in both provinces."

"SaskPower's clean energy transition is part of a global transformation to a sustainable future ? and the best path forward on this journey is through collaboration," said Rupen Pandya, President and CEO at SaskPower. "Ontario Power Generation and Laurentis Energy Partners bring decades of combined experience in the Canadian nuclear industry, and this expertise is something that will be extremely valuable as part of our SMR development project. I look forward to working with OPG and LEP on our shared vision of a sustainable and reliable power future."

"Based on Ontario's leadership in the Darlington New Nuclear Project and the experience gained to date through our various international SMR collaborations, Laurentis is well positioned to provide expertise and immediate project support for SMR development in Saskatchewan," said Laurentis Energy Partners President and CEO, Jason Van Wart. "We look forward to a long-term strategic partnership, to further strengthen the provinces' relationship in the pursuit of a diverse and clean energy mix."

"The world is watching Ontario as we deploy the world's first grid-scale small modular reactor to power our province's growth," said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. "Ontario is ready to support partners across Canada ? like Saskatchewan ? and around the world, leveraging the expertise of our world-class nuclear operators and supply chain to support their deployment of small modular reactors as a clean and reliable source of electricity."

"Saskatchewan's ongoing collaboration with Ontario touches on many sectors and industries, and this strategic partnership between SaskPower, OPG, and Laurentis is but another example of how strong of a relationship our two provinces share," said Dustin Duncan, Minister Responsible for SaskPower. "Together, our two provinces will continue to build shared prosperity, opportunity, and leadership. Today's agreement is not only good for Saskatchewan and Ontario, but will protect sustainable energy security in Canada for decades to come."

As one of North America's largest, most diverse electricity generators, OPG invests in local economies and employs thousands of people across Ontario and the US. OPG and its family of companies are leading the development of new clean technologies, refurbishment of existing assets, and electrification initiatives to power the growing demand of a clean economy for decades to come. OPG is a recognized world leader in nuclear operations with more than five decades of experience. Learn more about how the company is advancing these initiatives while prioritizing people, partnerships, and strong communities by reading OPG's Climate Change Plan, Reconciliation Action Plan, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) strategy.

Laurentis Energy Partners, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, provides solutions for customers across energy markets and in health care around the world, offering expertise in inspections, refurbishment and engineering, nuclear materials sorting and recycling, the production of medical isotopes, and the advancement of small modular reactors. Laurentis has offices in the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Bruce County in Ontario, Saint John in New Brunswick, Regina in Saskatchewan, and Bucharest and Cernavoda in Romania.

Recognized as one of Saskatchewan's Top Employers and one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers, SaskPower is the principal electrical utility for Saskatchewan, servicing over a half million customers across an extensive geographic area. Founded in 1929, SaskPower is headquartered in Regina and employs a diverse workforce of over 3,000 employees across Saskatchewan. SaskPower is committed to enabling growth in Saskatchewan and continuing economic reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples ? winning several awards and achieving the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) Gold Status multiple times.

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SOURCE Ontario Power Generation Inc.