FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK-- July 06, 2023 -- NB Power, in partnership with ARC Clean Technology Canada, Inc. (ARC), is pleased to announce the submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment registration document to the Department of Environment and Local Government (DELG) and a Licence to Prepare Site Application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) on the advanced Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project. These submissions mark an important milestone in the plans to construct and operate an advanced small modular reactor on the site of the existing Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station (PLNGS).

NB Power’s recently launched strategic plan, Energizing our Future, highlights the need to phase out coal by 2030 and achieve net-zero supply by 2035, while maintaining energy security.

“To transition to a cost-effective, clean and secure energy supply, we are exploring new ways of delivering energy to customers. Small modular reactors are part of the solution to reach our target of being net-zero by 2030 and ensure that we are meeting the needs of New Brunswickers today and into the future.”, said Lori Clark, President and CEO of NB Power.

NB Power expects to develop strategic partnerships to support the construction and operation of the advanced small modular reactor. These partnerships will be designed to foster accountability, transparency, and long-term sustainability, while facilitating the realization of the project’s potential benefits.

Since 2018, ARC has been working on the development of the ARC-100, a modular, advanced sodium-cooled fast reactor that will generate at least 100 megawatts of electricity. NB Power has been providing technical support for the project, which is expected to be the first deployment of an on-grid advanced SMR facility in Canada. The project is a key objective of Stream 2 of the Strategic Plan for the Deployment of Small Modular Reactors prepared by the governments of New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in 2022.

“The milestone achieved today demonstrates that ARC and NB Power continue to be industry leaders in the development and deployment of advanced nuclear technology in Canada,” said Bill Labbe, President and CEO of ARC Clean Technology Canada, Inc. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to grow the low-carbon economy of the future, and ARC looks forward to the open and transparent public licensing processes that are now beginning.”