Canada’s national nuclear laboratories supports vendors through innovation gap, and advances next generation of clean energy technology
Chalk River, ON – October 04, 2024 – Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, is pleased to announce that it has issued a call for proposals for the next round of its highly successful collaborative research program, the Canadian Nuclear Research Initiative (CNRI). CNL’s President & CEO, Jack Craig, announced the new intake during his keynote address at the annual Generation IV and Small Reactor Conference (G4SR-5) earlier this week, which is being held at the Westin Ottawa in the nation’s capital.
CNRI allows participants to optimize resources, share technical knowledge and gain access to CNL’s expertise and the unique capabilities of the Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL)-owned Chalk River Laboratories, helping to close the innovation gap and enable technology readiness for a new generation of small modular reactor (SMR) and advanced reactor (AR) designs in Canada. New to the program this year is the expansion of CNRI to include other forms of clean energy, including a larger focus on fusion-based research and development, which has been a growing focus of CNL in recent years, culminating in its recent Fusion Day 2024 event.
“CNRI continues to serve as one of CNL’s most successful programs, helping to accelerate much-needed progress in bringing a new generation of innovative reactors to the marketplace, while also helping CNL to grow our in-house capabilities,” commented Jack Craig, CNL’s President and CEO. “With the recent success of our Fusion Day 2024 conference and the release of our Fusion Energy for Canada report, we also intend to leverage our resources to help make fusion energy a reality here in Canada. It only makes sense to expand CNRI to include fusion-based research, so that we can make our facilities and expertise available to this community and work together to unlock what could be a transformative clean energy technology in Canada.”
This year, CNL will accept project proposals that fall within focus areas which include advanced nuclear fuels, advanced materials and chemistry, reactor safety, application of nuclear capabilities to emerging technologies, in addition to fusion-related research and development. As in previous rounds, once a technical review of each proposal is completed, CNL will work with the proponent to develop a plan to establish the scope, budget, and deliverables for the project. CNL will complete a final evaluation of the proposed project plans before making the final selection and approval of successful applicants. The deadline for this round of submissions is December 20, 2024, and projects will be selected in the Spring of 2025.
Dr. Amy Gottschling, AECL Vice President of Science, Technology and Commercial Oversight, observed that “CNRI is a great example of how AECL is making sure that the amazing capabilities of the Chalk River Laboratories, and the formidable expertise within CNL are shared throughout the Canadian nuclear ecosystem. We are focused on enabling and delivering innovation, and making connections between federal assets and great ideas for the next generation of technologies. And, this year’s expansion of CNRI into fusion-based research really demonstrates the diversity of our science portfolio. We have a very broad perspective of how nuclear science and technology can drive environmental, social, and economic success for Canada.” AECL owns the Chalk River Laboratories sites, and oversees CNL’s work.
Launched in 2019, the CNRI program now enters its fifth year as one of CNL’s flagship programs within its New Nuclear & Emerging Technologies (N2ET) program, which is designed to help fast-track promising research and technologies towards commercialization and deployment. The N2ET program creates opportunities for pioneering companies to tap into CNL’s resources, including potential funding, and is designed to help move innovative ideas through to technology and market readiness. A key advantage in the formation of the N2ET program is the ability for CNL to help promising technologies or companies that align with its mandate.
Working towards that goal, CNRI helps to accelerate the deployment of new innovations, including SMR and other AR designs, next-generation on-grid reactors and fusion technologies, by connecting reactor vendors with the facilities and expertise within Canada’s national nuclear laboratories. Among the many benefits of the program, participants are able to optimize resources, share technical knowledge, and gain access to CNL experts to help advance the commercialization of new nuclear and fusion-based technologies. Recent advances delivered through the program include a project with Westinghouse Electric Company to explore the potential for remote monitoring and operations of its eVinciTM Microreactor design, a project with Kairos Power to evaluate tritium management options for its KP-FHR reactor technology, and a project with Ultra Safe Nuclear to produce Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated (FCM®) compacts in Canada.
“As our CNRI program continues to grow, it is important that we not only respond to the evolving needs of the reactor development community, but also to make sure it is aligned with where clean energy research is headed domestically,” commented Dr. Stephen Bushby, CNL’s Vice-President of Science and Technology. “So, CNL will continue to support the development of SMR and other AR solutions, but we also see an opportunity to help fusion developers refine their technologies as well. So far, this strategy has been successful in expanding the program, and we expect continued interest in CNRI in this most recent intake.”
For more information on the Canadian Nuclear Research Initiative, including application details, please visit www.cnl.ca/cnri.
About CNL
As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.
By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.
To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.
About AECL
AECL is a federal Crown corporation with a mandate to drive nuclear opportunities for Canada. AECL enables nuclear science and technology, owns the Chalk River Laboratories and other sites, and manages the Government of Canada’s radioactive waste responsibilities. It oversees and evaluates CNL’s work through contracts.
In business since 1952, AECL designed and developed the fleet of CANDU nuclear reactors that serve Canada and five other countries. It also delivered more than one billion isotopes worldwide to detect and treat cancer. Today it delivers value for Canadians through supporting 14 federal departments and agencies, as well as the global nuclear industry.
For more information on AECL, visit www.aecl.ca.
-30-
CNL Contact:
Philip Kompass
Director, Corporate Communications
1-866-886-2325
media@cnl.ca
