Saskatcheterpower will use the GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 small Modular reactor (SMR) for potential nuclear deployment in the 2030s, saskatcheterpower said in a press release Monday.
Saskatchewan Power says it is focusing on several key factors, including safety, technology readiness, generation size, fuel type and expected electricity costs, before making a decision.
Saskatchewan Power says a decision on whether to build a small modular nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan won't be made until 2029.
However, it added that "several years of complex project development", as well as licensing and regulatory work, required maintaining SMR's nuclear power as an option for the next decade.
Saskatchewan Power is also currently conducting a detailed technical assessment to determine the location of possible future SMRS in the province.
Saskatchewan Power has been exploring SMR technology for pan-Canadian, unit-based nuclear deployment since 2019.
"The unit based approach offers Saskatchewan many advantages, including lower regulatory, construction and operating costs, while also eliminating the first risk," Saskatchewan Power said in a press release.
"This is an important milestone as Saskatchewan strives to achieve a cleaner, more sustainable future," Don Morgan, the minister responsible for Saskatchewan, said in a press release. [Monday's] announcement further fulfills Saskatchewan's growth Plan goal of advancing the potential development of zero-emission small modular reactor technology."