William Koblensky Varela
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Nunavut News
Build nuclear power plants in the south and ship them by boat to the Arctic.
That’s the idea Prodigy Clean Energy has studied over the past two years, thanks to a $2.75-million research grant from the federal government.
“If there is a willing community in Nunavut today, Prodigy could deliver the power plant by early 2030s,” said Lori-Anne Ramsay, chief business development officer at Prodigy Clean Energy.
Qulliq Energy Corporation (QEC) said it’s curious about the technology as a way to reduce carbon emissions. But the Nunavut utility isn’t ready to invest just yet.
“QEC has been following transportable nuclear technology closely as a potential long-term option,” said Mariana Barney Guardado, communications manager for QEC. “While it remains years away due to policy, regulatory and social licence considerations, QEC will continue tracking progress as part of exploring future low-carbon solutions for Nunavut.”
QEC would want to first see practical applications, sustained reliability and ensure the technology aligns with Nunavummiut values before bringing up a power plant by sea, according to Barney Guardado.
The federal government is backing the plan, arguing reliable power for Northern communities is a national security goal.
“We need to deploy affordable, reliable, clean Canadian energy from coast to coast to coast – especially in rural, northern and remote regions, where there can be fewer options for families,” said Tim Hodgson, federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources on Jan. 28.
“By advancing promising Canadian technologies such as Prodigy’s, we are supporting economic growth in the North while strengthening Canada’s energy security.”
The company’s first project is expected to become operational in Atlantic Canada in 2032.
That project is a First Nations-led and majority-owned transportable nuclear power plant which will be formally announced this spring, according to Ramsay.
Transportable nuclear power plants are designed upfront to get completely removed and centrally decommissioned at end of service life, Prodigy said.
“Prodigy’s TNPPs will be factory-built in Canada and are dispatchable across the North to power communities, food and clean water security, increased defence presence,” Ramsay said.
She argued that the company’s small modular reactors and micro reactors would provide more reliable electricity to Nunavummiut and be cheaper in the long run than existing current diesel power plants.
But Ramsay wouldn’t provide a price tag for how much the upfront cost would be due to non-disclosure agreements signed with commercial projects already underway.
“TNPPs (transportable nuclear power plants) are factory-built and transported to site, avoiding the expensive construction costs typical for Arctic infrastructure projects,” she said.
Prodigy says its power plants would provide 24/7 emissions-free energy.
They could get fixed to a harbour or loaded onto the land for operation, according to the company.
Communities can customize the size of the power plants from one to 100 megawatts.
“This means one facility can power approximately 200-20,000 homes in Nunavut, reliably for decades,” Ramsay said. “Power from TNPPs can also reliably support large industrial sites, mines and Arctic ports.”
Prodigy Clean Energy is headquartered in Montreal and the announcement of its completed research project occurred in Ottawa.
