Canada has officially launched its Nuclear Energy Strategy to expand the country’s electricity grid and strengthen national security. The plan outlines a path to double the nuclear workforce by 2050, attract private investment, and deploy new reactors across the nation.
The strategy builds on the governments push toward dual-use technology, where innovations serve both civilian and military needs. Earlier this year, the government announced a $40-million investment for the Department of National Defence to study microreactors. These highly portable nuclear engines could eventually provide reliable heat and electricity to remote Canadian Armed Forces facilities in the North. A key objective of the new strategy is to develop and demonstrate a Canadian-controlled Generation IV microreactor technology before 2035, with a long-term view toward civilian commercial deployment. Bringing this technology to remote civilian communities in the Arctic will reduce their historical reliance on diesel fuel. Supplying clean power to these off-grid locations helps maintain Arctic sovereignty while supporting local residents.
The new strategy broadens this focus by introducing the Nuclear Technology Application Framework. This initiative explores how nuclear science can be used beyond standard power plants. It supports research into medical isotopes and remote energy solutions.
Table 1: Nuclear Technology Application Framework
| Application (use case) | On-grid | Heavy industry | Remote communities | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technology category | Large-scale(>700 MWe) | Mid-scale(300-700 MWe) | Small-scale(<300 MWe) | High-temperature reactor | Microreactor (<15 MWe) |
| Generation | II/III/III+ | II/III/III+ | III/III+ | IV | IV |
| Status | Operating and under construction | Operating and under construction | Under construction | Technology being developed and demonstrated | Technology in development |
This alignment of defence, civilian, and space applications has at least one space sector industry proponent. Canadian Strategic Missions Corporation recently secured government funding to develop an unfuelled microreactor prototype at the University of Alberta. The project allows researchers to refine the mechanical design of a low-enriched uranium nuclear reactor without handling active radioactive material. The company is also working under a Canadian Space Agency contract to study how these same microreactors could power future lunar infrastructure. If successful, maturing a compact, emissions-free power system on Earth serves as the developmental groundwork needed to supply nuclear fission solutions for space exploration.
“We are moving at speeds not seen in generations to get big things done and leveraging pre-existing strengths to become a modern energy superpower,” Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson said. “Together with all members of Team Canada, we are taking action to ensure we have a co-ordinated, strategic approach to diversifying nuclear industry exports and bringing economic growth and security and affordable, reliable power to all Canadians.”
Canada currently gets 13 per cent of its electricity from 17 CANDU reactors, which use un-enriched natural uranium. The new plan aims to build up to 10 new large-scale reactors and position the country as a global supplier. The strategy rests on four pillars. These include enabling new builds, expanding exports, increasing uranium production, and developing new innovations in both fission and fusion.