Three nuclear reactors capable of generating 2,600 megawatts by 2050 now sit at the centre of Saskatchewan’s energy strategy, a target that would place the province among the country’s more ambitious nuclear players.
Premier Scott Moe framed the plan as a response to rising electricity demand that shows little sign of slowing. “We’re likely going to need all of this power. I can say that with a high degree of confidence, and we’re going to likely need more,” he said Tuesday.
Anchoring the near-term effort is a proposed 600-megawatt small modular reactor, the province’s first compact power plant, to be built outside the city of Estevan near the Rafferty Dam in southeast Saskatchewan. First floated in 2019, the project still requires a final investment decision, expected before 2030.
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Larger contributions will come from at least two reactors each capable of 1,000 megawatts, earmarked for the northwest of the province. Moe said more than 2,000 megawatts of the 2,600-megawatt goal would come from large-scale units, with the first slated to come online by 2042.
Where the single plant housing those reactors will go has not been decided. One candidate is the North Saskatchewan River in the Lloydminster region, where Bruce Power ran feasibility studies nearly two decades ago.
Offering a sense of scale, Moe said 600 megawatts could power the equivalent of Regina and Saskatoon combined, while 2,600 megawatts could serve roughly 2.6 million homes.
Financing remains an open question. The province plans to approach federal institutions and the Major Projects Office, and it has not ruled out private capital.
