We have done it this way (wide and shallow) for too long. That is the risk aversion aspect of bureaucracy. Don't bet big on what might be a losing horse. Smaller bets across the board hedge for those losses, but we miss out on the wins. And to your point, might mean an overall loss.
I do think your point about SMRs makes sense. Stable, GHG-emissions free(-ish) energy would make other business models more viable in the long run. That said, the US is quickly eating our lunch on that front with far more money pouring into SMR vendors at the moment, and with recent setbacks in Canada regarding our own potential SMR technologies, hopefully we don't fall further behind.
Hopefully, the BWRX at Darlington starts building this coming year and that unlocks more appetite for nuclear support and the funding it truly requires.
What are the barriers for Canadian SMRs? Is it a case of government funding for R&D and procurement or a lack of investment from power companies? Or something else entirely?
We have done it this way (wide and shallow) for too long. That is the risk aversion aspect of bureaucracy. Don't bet big on what might be a losing horse. Smaller bets across the board hedge for those losses, but we miss out on the wins. And to your point, might mean an overall loss.
I do think your point about SMRs makes sense. Stable, GHG-emissions free(-ish) energy would make other business models more viable in the long run. That said, the US is quickly eating our lunch on that front with far more money pouring into SMR vendors at the moment, and with recent setbacks in Canada regarding our own potential SMR technologies, hopefully we don't fall further behind.
Hopefully, the BWRX at Darlington starts building this coming year and that unlocks more appetite for nuclear support and the funding it truly requires.
What are the barriers for Canadian SMRs? Is it a case of government funding for R&D and procurement or a lack of investment from power companies? Or something else entirely?