Nuclear energy in Canada - statistics & facts
Canada is one of the global leaders in the nuclear energy sector. The North American country ranked among the largest producers of nuclear energy in the world and derived approximately 14 percent of its domestic electricity from nuclear sources in 2023. Canada’s nuclear energy production is concentrated in the south of the country. Its operational nuclear energy facilities – Bruce, Pickering, and Darlington power plants - were almost exclusively located in the provinces of Ontario, except for the nuclear reactor in Point Lepreau, in the nearby province of New Brunswick.
A downside of an active nuclear energy sector is the production of nuclear waste, which the country manages by storing it next to the plant sites. A deep underground repository for used nuclear fuel will be built in the future to collect radioactive waste. As of 2023, most of Canada’s used nuclear fuel was stored in Ontario, the province with the largest number of nuclear reactors.
Nuclear fusion is an alternative to nuclear fission that does not generate radioactive waste. Although commercial fusion energy production has not yet been achieved, one of the largest fusion energy investors worldwide, General Fusion, is based in Canada.
The country’s strategy to reach net-zero is currently based on hydropower, the deployment of wind energy, flexible energy storage systems, and natural gas – the main electricity source in the country - with carbon capture. However, if SMRs prove cost-effective, nuclear energy will maintain an important role in Canada’s power sector in the decades to come.
Nuclear fuel and waste
Canada’s nuclear energy reliance partly stems from the fact that the country has some of the largest uranium reserves in the world, all located in the province of Saskatchewan. Canada is thus a major uranium exporter and producer of nuclear fuel.A downside of an active nuclear energy sector is the production of nuclear waste, which the country manages by storing it next to the plant sites. A deep underground repository for used nuclear fuel will be built in the future to collect radioactive waste. As of 2023, most of Canada’s used nuclear fuel was stored in Ontario, the province with the largest number of nuclear reactors.
Nuclear fusion is an alternative to nuclear fission that does not generate radioactive waste. Although commercial fusion energy production has not yet been achieved, one of the largest fusion energy investors worldwide, General Fusion, is based in Canada.
Nuclear energy development in Canada
Canada had over six gigawatts electric of prospective nuclear capacity in 2024. However, out of these six gigawatts, only the construction of 400 megawatts electric worth of nuclear units had been planned, while the deployment of the remaining part had not yet been approved. The nuclear energy units in the pipeline included both conventional and advanced nuclear reactors of the small type, namely Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The regions of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick also mentioned the plan to construct 600 megawatts electric worth of power capacity in SMRs by the early 2030s. The nuclear electricity generation in Canada was thus projected to grow three-fold between 2025 and 2050. SMRs would represent the largest installed capacity, overtaking conventional units after 2035.The country’s strategy to reach net-zero is currently based on hydropower, the deployment of wind energy, flexible energy storage systems, and natural gas – the main electricity source in the country - with carbon capture. However, if SMRs prove cost-effective, nuclear energy will maintain an important role in Canada’s power sector in the decades to come.
