Laurie Swami
President & CEO, NWMO
As Canada increasingly relies on nuclear energy to meet our net-zero goals, ensuring the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel is critical.
Hardly a day goes by without a story about advances in Canada’s nuclear energy sector. Fuelled in part by a demand for clean energy sources that will help Canada reach its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, Canada’s nuclear resurgence is supported by governments across the country that are investing in new technologies and considering what more can be done to meet the growing electricity demand.
In Canada, nuclear power is already responsible for 15 per cent of electricity generation. On par with wind, nuclear energy is the lowest-emitting technology, and the Government of Canada has been clear it will play an essential role in decarbonization. Fortunately, Canada is also leading by example when it comes to the responsible long-term management of the country’s used nuclear fuel.
Protecting people and the environment
For more than 20 years the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), a not-for-profit organization, has been responsible for managing Canada’s used nuclear fuel and making sure it’s safely contained and isolated in a way that protects people and the environment for generations to come.
“With new nuclear projects moving forward, the public wants to know how the waste will be managed. The good news is that when it comes to used nuclear fuel Canada doesn’t have a nuclear waste problem, it has a nuclear waste solution,” says Laurie Swami, President and CEO of the NWMO.
Currently, Canada’s used nuclear fuel is safely managed in facilities licensed for interim storage. This approach is safe, but it’s not a permanent solution because it requires ongoing maintenance and management. People across the country have agreed that we need to take responsible and long-term action now and that we cannot leave it for the next generation.
That’s why the NWMO is implementing Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel, by containing and isolating it in a deep geological repository.
Leading with experience
A deep geological repository uses a combination of engineered and natural barriers to safely contain and isolate used nuclear fuel. This approach is the culmination of decades of research, development, and demonstration of technologies and techniques. It is consistent with best practices around the world.
“More than 20 years of experience have brought us to the point where we are today, as we prepare to select a site for the deep geological repository,” says Swami.
Canada’s plan for used nuclear fuel will only proceed in an area with informed and willing hosts, where the municipality, First Nations and others in the area are working together to implement it.
“Of the 22 communities that initially expressed interest in learning about the project and exploring their potential to host it, we’ve now narrowed our focus to two potential sites,” says Swami. One site is in the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area in northwestern Ontario and the other is in the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area in southern Ontario.
Ready for the future
Recent announcements about investments in nuclear technology highlight the ongoing need and responsibility we all have to secure a safe, long-term facility to store Canada’s used nuclear fuel. New nuclear is likely to be a reality in Canada as governments look for solutions to reach net zero and meet the rising demand for electricity.
Canada’s plan for used nuclear fuel is well underway and ready to adjust to that new reality.
To learn more about the NWMO and Canada’s plan, visit nwmo.ca.
