The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) will be partnering with Westinghouse Canada to develop and further very small modular reactor (vSMR) technology in the province, according to a Wednesday news release.

The advancement of nuclear power in our province will not only modernize our power grid, but result in billions of dollars in additional economic activity, Minister Responsible for SaskPower Don Morgan said in the release.

The new partnership will be focused on the eVinci micro-reactor, which is approximately half the size of a hockey rink and capable of producing five megawatts of electricity and over 13 megawatts of high temperature heat.

We are proud to work with SRC to provide customized solutions to Saskatchewans clean energy needs with our eVinci micro-reactor technology, Westinghouse Electric Canada President Edouard Saab said.

Building on decades of innovation, the eVinci micro-reactor brings carbon-free, transportable, safe and scalable energy, while creating jobs in local communities and advancing Canadas Net Zero goals.

The SRC previously owned and operated a SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear reactor for 38 years that was used exclusively for research purposes.

This previous experience would be built on by the new partnership, according to the Minister responsible for the SRC, Jeremy Harrison.

“The hands-on experience SRC gained can be applied to emerging nuclear technology such as SMRs, he said. As we consider how to best power our future.