Nuclear energy

• Nuclear energy provides about 15% of Canada's electricity
• As of 2023, Canada has 19 nuclear reactors
• 18 nuclear reactors are in Ontario, and one is in New Brunswick
• Thermal energy


  Another name for "heat energy"
• Generating electricity using thermal energy


  1. Thermal energy heats water

  2. Heated water forms steam

  3. Steam powers an electricity generator
• Fossil fuels used to generate thermal energy

  • coal
  • oil (petroleum)
  • natural gases
• Nuclear reactors use heat to generate electricity
• Nuclear power plants


  Don't burn fossil fuels for heat, instead they use uranium for fuel
• Uranium is a chemical element that gives off energy naturally
• A lot of uranium in Canada comes from the Athabasca Basin in Northern Saskatchewan
• How nuclear reactors generate electricity

  1. Uranium atoms are split apart through a process called fission

  2. When many atoms split, there is a huge release of energy in the form of heat

  3. The heat energy warms heavy water in a closed loop of pipes

  4. The heavy water heats normal water in a second closed loop of pipes
• Heavy water


  Water that uses an isotope of hydrogen called deuterium (D2O) instead of regular hydrogen atoms (H2O)
• Electricity generation from steam


  1. Boiled water forms steam

  2. Steam flows to turbine

  3. Turbine connected to shaft that spins

  4. Shaft runs through turbine into generator

  5. Generator turns shaft's mechanical energy into electricity
• Cooling and condensing steam

  1. Cool water pumped in from nearby body of water

  2. Heat energy from steam transferred to cool water

  3. Condenses steam back into water

  4. Warm water released back into nearby body of water

  5. Water inside closed pipes goes back to be boiled again
• Uranium fuel


  Radioactive, can generate electricity, but gets depleted over time
• Nuclear reactors


  • Do not give off carbon dioxide when running
  • Produce radioactive spent fuel that must be stored carefully
  • Mining of uranium, building of reactors and waste storage facilities produce carbon dioxide
• Small Modular Reactor (SMR)

  A new kind of nuclear reactor that is smaller and designed to be safer than traditional nuclear power plants
• Types of SMRs being developed in Canada

  • Molten Salt Reactor
  • Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor
  • High-temperature Gas-cooled Reactor
• Microreactors


  Very small SMRs that generate between 2 to 30 megawatts of power
• Benefits of SMRs


  • Can bring clean energy to remote locations
  • Do not produce greenhouse gases when running
  • Can replace diesel generators
  • Can be built to meet specific regional energy needs
  • Can supply on-site power and heat for large facilities
• Four SMR projects are currently in development in Canada
• CNSC

  Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission that regulates and licences all nuclear facilities and activities in Canada
• The CNSC listens to the public, companies, and Indigenous Nations and communities when deciding whether to licence an SMR project
• Careers in Nuclear Energy

  • Nuclear engineers
  • Nuclear physicists
  • Radiation protection specialists
  • Careers related to laws, policies, regulation, and power plant management
• thermal energy is used to generate

  electricity
• Nuclear energy plants use uranium for fuel
• A

  lot of uranium in Canada comes from the Athabasca

  Basin
• In nuclear reactors, uranium atoms are split apart

  through a process called fission.
• Heavy water is water that uses an

  isotope of hydrogen called deuterium
• What does SMR stand for?

  Small modular reactors
• SMRs use fission to take the energy from

  splitting atoms to make heat.
• SMRs using several different technologies are being

  developed in Canada. These include: Molten Salt Reactor, Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor, High-temperature Gas-cooled Reactor
• an SMR can generate up to

  300 megawatts of electricity.
• SMRs do not produce

  greenhouse gases
• label the type of reactor

  A) LARGE CONVENTIONAL REACTOR

  B) SMALL MODULAR REACTOR

  C) MICROREACTOR

  
• Four SMR projects are currently in development.

  These are:

  • Global First Power

  • NB Power’s ARC-100 Project

  • OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project

  • SaskPower’s proposed SMR project