Nykole King
Regina Leader-Post
It has taken seven years for two uranium mining projects in northern Saskatchewan to move from the initial environmental assessments to construction approvals being granted.
The final regulatory hurdle was passed on Feb. 19 for Denison Mines Corp.’s Wheeler River Project, followed by NexGen Energy Ltd.’s Rook I Project on March 5.
Both sites are located in the uranium-rich Athabasca Basin of the province’s northern region.
These projects are set to get underway at a time when global demand is picking up for the radioactive metal to power nuclear reactors in lieu of carbon-emitting energy sources.
“There’s just not enough uranium fuel going around, so thank goodness we were doing the work we were doing back in 2011, 2013, 2014 when we made the discovery because it does take a long time to bring the fuel into a reactor,” said Travis McPherson, chief commercial officer of NexGen Energy.
McPherson and Denison Mines president/CEO David Cates were at the Saskatchewan legislature on Thursday to celebrate the two long-anticipated additions to the province’s uranium mining industry. The last Saskatchewan project approved for construction by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) was Cameco Corporation‘s Cigar Lake site in 2004.
Saskatchewan has taken further steps to capitalize on the growing nuclear energy movement by announcing plans for a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Safety, Licensing, and Testing Centre at the University of Regina — the first of its kind in Western Canada.
In the coming years, the province is also looking to build its first SMR in the Estevan area.
Jeremy Harrison, the minister responsible for SaskPower, said the province has been in discussions with the federal government about partnering on a national energy grid. The governments also talked about Canada’s strategy for nuclear power to meet both of their targets for a net-zero electricity system by 2050.
“I think that this is something really that can unify and bring the country together,” Harrison told the Regina Leader-Post.
Reviews and approvals for the nuclear sector are long and thorough. It takes more than a decade of studying an exploration site and meeting all environmental and safety requirements before uranium can be mined and turned into fuel for nuclear power plants to generate electricity.
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Mark Carney, the federal government has said it plans to fast-track infrastructure and mining projects of national interest, but it’s not certain how this could impact the nuclear industry.
McPherson said the CNSC regulatory framework does have some duplication in the permitting process, with “tweaks” needed for efficiency.
Cates also said that expediting the timelines would be positive for his company’s mining projects and for demand from the energy sector.
“Any fast-tracking of SMRs and nuclear energy projects certainly would add demand to our market, which would have a positive impact to our business …,” Cates added.
nyking@postmedia.com
