UOIT - University of Ontario Institute of Technology

04/14/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/14/2025 09:25

Ontario Tech University exploring the role of nuclear ‘nano reactors’ to widen access to a cleaner and less expensive energy source

Rendering of CUEB in a server farm.

As Canada moves toward the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, the demand for energy continues to grow rapidly, driven by population increases, technological advancements and expanding industries. In response, energy researchers at Ontario Tech University are exploring innovative ways to make access to nuclear energy simpler, smaller and more affordable, and enable more communities across Canada to participate in the nation's clean-energy future.

Meeting energy demand in remote and rural communities

A 2023 Canada Energy Regulator market snapshot says nearly 200 remote Indigenous and northern communities in Canada are not connected to the North American electricity grid. Many of these communities rely on diesel and fossil fuels to generate heat and power, which is expensive and has a negative impact on the environment, including air quality.

Energy facts for Canada's North

  • In 2021, 79 per cent of electricity used in remote Canadian communities was generated using costly, inefficient and environmentally damaging diesel fuel.
  • Up to $7 billion a year is spent flying diesel fuel to Northern Canada.
  • The Canadian market for remote electricity generation is valued at approximately $5.5 billion, underscoring the vast potential for cleaner, more sustainable alternatives.

A clean, efficient alternative like nuclear power would reduce overall demand for fossil fuels, and lead to cost savings. However, full-size CANDU nuclear plants, and even microreactors (the most compact versions of small modular reactors (SMR)), are still too large, too powerful, inflexible and expensive to serve the needs of many remote communities.

Introducing a small, flexible and scalable nano reactor concept

To address this challenge, Ontario Tech University's Brilliant Energy Institute and Office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation has partnered with George Brown College's Brookfield Sustainability Institute (BSI) to explore the potential of 'nano reactors': small, portable, semi-permanent nuclear reactors than can be used in small communities or for industries such as remote mining, telecommunications, and off-grid data centres, where energy demand is lower, but reliability is still essential.

Combining Ontario Tech's nuclear research talent with BSI's design expertise, a multidisciplinary group of students, researchers and energy industry professionals, led by Dr. Kirk Atkinson, Associate Professor and Associate Industrial Research Chair in Ontario Tech's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, collaborated to develop the concept of a new nano reactor called the Canadian Uranium Energy Bridge (CUEB). Measuring only eight feet (approximately 2.4 metres) wide, about the width of a shipping container, the CUEB represents what an ultra-compact, modular, scalable subcritical nuclear generator could look like. Subcritical nuclear generators harness fission reactions, but unlike other nuclear reactors, in order to sustain the chain reaction, they require a neutron source that can be turned off.

Proposed nano reactor features

  • Uses solid-state technology and natural Canadian uranium fuel.
  • Produces hundreds of kilowatts of power that could be used to generate electricity or for district heating.
  • Weighing nine metric tonnes, it could be transported with a forklift or crane.
  • Whole life cost would be competitive with fossil fuel solutions and deployable at a per-kilowatt cost that could be a fraction of other nuclear solutions.
  • Zero operating emissions.
  • Able to 'daisy chain' or connect multiple units together to increase energy production as a community or industry's energy needs grow.
  • Designed to last 25 years and be refueled every five years, depending on the fuel used.
  • Available as an end-to-end service from a power provider, including installation, operational monitoring, safety management, and energy monitoring.

What's next?

Bringing the CUEB to life will require:

  • Additional partners: Ontario Tech invites collaborations with other organizations that could contribute their expertise to this project.
  • Neutron generator technology: One of the two major technical challenges to this concept, and a focus of ongoing research.
  • Streamlined nuclear energy regulations: Proportionate, regulatory changes sparked by Canada's SMR Action Plan are expected to simplify the approval process for new nuclear technologies.
  • Further research and detailed design: Proving that the CUEB design can safely produce the target amount of electrical output within its proposed size and format.

Quotes

"The world is looking to Canada to drive innovation and push the boundaries within the nuclear sector. Ontario Tech University's research expertise, in collaboration with Brookfield Sustainability Institute at George Brown College, has resulted in a game-changing concept that could help bridge the energy divide in Canada's most isolated communities, offering a clean and affordable energy source while advancing economic growth and improving quality of life."
 - Dr. Les Jacobs, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Ontario Tech University

"The research, development and design efforts that have been poured into the CUEB nano reactor concept represent Ontario Tech University's 'Tech with a Conscience' ethos: that ethical technology should be guided by human values, compassion and purpose. With this project, we take another exciting step toward revolutionizing energy access and contributing to Canada's goal of a sustainable, net-zero energy future."
- Dr. Kirk Atkinson, Associate Professor and Associate Industrial Research Chair, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Ontario Tech University; CUEB project academic lead

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