AP1000 under consideration for deployment in Alberta

Under the MoU, the companies will conduct joint technical and commercial discussions, business development efforts and engagement.

"The collaboration will build upon Energy Alberta's engagement with Indigenous Nations and Communities in the province as part of the work underway to build Western Canada's first nuclear plant in the Peace River area of Alberta with Westinghouse's industry-leading technology and experience helping new-to-nuclear jurisdictions," the partners said.

"Collaborating with a trusted, clean technology provider marks a significant step forward in unlocking the full potential of nuclear energy for Alberta and Western Canada," said Energy Alberta CEO and President Scott Henuset. "Energy Alberta is committed to laying the groundwork for a cleaner, more reliable and resilient energy future for Albertans that supports broad-based industrial growth and long-term sustainability. This strategic collaboration is an important step in our process underway to consider the best technology for the project from a safety and delivery perspective. The project not only positions Alberta as the Western Canadian leader in nuclear power, but also paves the way for significant economic growth and job creation across the region."

Westinghouse Canada President  John Gorman added: "Alberta is in an exciting position to be Canada's next greenfield nuclear province, and Westinghouse is ready now to bring its proven and already operating AP1000 advanced modular reactor to meet Alberta's nuclear ambitions. We're also looking forward to working with Alberta's strong and experienced industrial supply chains to deliver a large-scale 'made-in-Alberta' nuclear plant. Not only will this create good paying skilled trade and manufacturing jobs while diversifying the economy, it will provide export opportunities for suppliers that join the Westinghouse supply chain."

In April this year, Energy Alberta submitted its Initial Project Description to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada for the proposed Peace River Nuclear Power Project. The company is proposing to build a nuclear power plant on a site covering 1,424 hectares in the Peace River area of Northern Alberta. The plant would include two to four Candu Monark reactors. The facility would produce up to 4800 MWe - representing up to 25% of the province's existing electricity generation - and operate for about 70 years.

Alberta does not currently have any nuclear power capacity, but in 2021 the province signed a memorandum of understanding with Ontario, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan to collaborate on small modular reactor (SMR) development, and has signed MoUs with several SMR developers.

In August, the province of Alberta launched a public engagement initiative and public survey about nuclear energy’s potential to meet future energy needs. The five-member Nuclear Energy Engagement and Advisory Panel is leading the engagement activities and will deliver a report with recommendations on what role Alberta's government should have in potential nuclear development.