Provinces wrangle over nuclear plant
Jon Harding, Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008
CALGARY -- Alberta and Saskatchewan are competing to house Western Canada's first commercial nuclear power plant, Saskatchewan's Natural Resources Minister Bill Boyd confirmed Tuesday.
Boyd said his Saskatchewan Party government has held "early" talks with Bruce Power LP, the private nuclear operator from Western Ontario.
Bruce Power laid out plans in March for a $10-billion-plus nuclear complex near Peace River, Alta., about 450 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, operating by 2017.
"We have had early, very preliminary discussions with Bruce Power about the potential in Saskatchewan," Boyd said in an interview in Calgary, where he was speaking at a conference for energy regulators.
Bruce Power is about to undertake an environmental assessment for the Alberta location, a process that could take up to three years.
Bruce Power said in presentations throughout the Peace Country that other site options might be considered.
Boyd said Saskatchewan, which produces a third of the world's nuclear fuel -- uranium -- would welcome the massive investment.
Saskatchewan-based Cameco Corp., the world's largest producer of uranium, is a minority owner of Bruce Power.
"We are comfortable with the science and we certainly believe it is something we want to take a look at," Boyd said.
"We have approximately one-third of the known uranium reserves in the world, so it certainly makes sense for us to take a look at the next stages of development, upgrading, refining and through to generation."
Boyd denied Saskatchewan was actually competing with Alberta for one project and instead said the neighbouring provinces could pursue one project, located in Saskatchewan, that might be "complementary to both jurisdictions."
Kincardine, Ont.-based Bruce Power has said the Peace River, Alta., facility would produce up to 4,000 megawatts of power from four reactors, which would make it one of the largest operating nuclear generating stations in the world.
© The Vancouver Sun 2008
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=649ece41-...
