The electricity company Ontario Power Generation (OPG), one of Canada’s leading energy producers, is exploring the possibility of deploying new small modular reactors (SMRs) in Belgium. To this end, it has signed a letter of intent with the Belgian Nuclear Forum. Various newspapers, including De Tijd and La Libre Belgique, have reported this.
The De Wever government is considering the deployment of newer technologies, such as SMRs, as part of its long-term strategy to increase its focus on nuclear energy. After Engie Belgium declared at the beginning of this year that atomic energy no longer forms part of its strategic ambitions, OPG appears to be a party that could counter the French energy giant in this area.
Re-embrace nuclear energy
The new federal coalition had already indicated its intention to repeal or fundamentally amend the 2003 nuclear phase-out law, so that atomic energy could once again play a structural role in Belgium.
A deal was reached with Engie, the operator of Belgium’s nuclear power plants, to extend the life of the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 reactors. Still, the energy company had also indicated on several occasions that it no longer wanted to focus on nuclear energy.
At the same time, the government set a target of approximately 4 GW of nuclear capacity in the electricity mix, through the extension of the lifetimes of existing reactors and the possible construction of new technologies such as SMRs.
Canadian heavyweight
Luminus CEO Grégoire Dallemagne earlier announced that he wanted to participate in discussions about the construction of new nuclear power plants in Belgium.
French energy giant EDF, which owns almost three-quarters of Luminus, was also exploring the possibility of taking over Doel 4 and Tihange 3 from 2035. OPG is now a third player that is interested, albeit more concretely, in the Belgian nuclear market.
OPG, owned by the government of the province of Ontario, supplies a large share of the electricity used by residents and businesses in Canada’s most populous province (about 16 million inhabitants). It relies on nuclear energy from the Darlington and Pickering nuclear power plants, as well as hydropower and, to a lesser extent, biomass- and gas-fired power plants.
The company has also played an important role in Ontario’s transition to cleaner energy. For example, it closed most of its coal-fired power plants and invested heavily in low-carbon and renewable energy projects.
First grid-connected SMR
It is also one of the global leaders in the development and implementation of SMRs, including the construction in Darlington of the first grid-connected SMR in the Western world, with four planned units totaling 1.2 GW, scheduled for completion around 2029.
Following a collaboration with Synthos Green Energy on possible SMR implementations in Poland, OPG has now also signed a letter of intent with Belgium to assist with feasibility studies and training for SMR technology.
According to De Tijd, it did so at the World Nuclear Exhibition, the biennial trade show for the nuclear sector in Paris, with the Belgian umbrella organization Nuclear Forum, or the industry lobby, in the presence of Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR) and his counterpart from Ontario, Stephen Lecce.
It is a non-binding agreement that is not politically backed, as Bihet wants to remain neutral regarding potential nuclear power plant suppliers.
Flanders to participate?
Earlier this year, Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele already commissioned PMV (Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen) to determine how Flanders could participate financially in nuclear energy, and more specifically in the construction of small modular nuclear reactors.
Bihet also noted in La Libre Belgique that the Belgian engineering firm Tractebel’s involvement in the construction of SMRs in Canada is an interesting factor.
In June, the nuclear research center in Mol, SCK CEN, together with several partners, signed a binding agreement to build SMRs. These are fourth-generation lead-cooled reactors intended for the commercial market.
