CNL Announces New Programs to Help Canada Seize Fusion Energy Opportunities

CNL ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAMS TO POSITION CANADA TO SEIZE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORLD OF FUSION ENERGY

Canada’s National Nuclear Laboratories host “Fusion Day 2024” to unveil their fusion roadmap,
and announce new programs to accelerate the deployment of fusion in Canada

CHALK RIVER, Ontario, June 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s leading nuclear science and technology organization, is pleased to announce that it has hosted Canadian and international leaders in the fusion science and technology in the nation’s capital. earlier this week for Fusion Day 2024, a forum to discuss and explore the path to fusion deployment in Canada. Hosted by CNL at the Rideau Club in Ottawa, the event allowed CNL to unveil and discuss its “Fusion Energy for Canada” report, a new plan that outlines a collective vision and national strategy to make fusion energy a reality in Canada. .

According to the CNL report, fusion energy has the potential to provide Canada with reliable and resilient clean energy to support carbon neutrality by 2050 and beyond. Fusion research is now maturing, moving from solving engineering problems to building demonstrations and prototypes. There are now a total of 98 active fusion experiments and demonstration facilities around the world, with 13 under construction and 33 more planned. The commercial merger market has also grown rapidly, with more than 43 private merger companies operating globally, attracting more than $8.2 billion in funding. The CNL-led Fusion report, informed by leading Canadian organizations, calls on the Canadian government to quickly mobilize a fusion ecosystem through a clear policy and mandate, to capitalize on the economic benefits available national implementation of fusion energy and supporting the international nuclear sector.

To enable Canada to further seize this opportunity, CNL announced it would expand two of its flagship clean energy programs to encompass fusion technologies. First, with several sites suitable for hosting demonstration units at the Chalk River and Whiteshell Laboratories, which CNL operates on behalf of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL announced that it would open its process of invitation to small modular reactor (SMR) projects. include prototypes of fusion reactors and other clean energy technologies. Second, CNL announced the expansion of its popular Canadian Nuclear Research Initiative (CNRI) program to include other forms of clean energy, including a greater emphasis on fusion-based research and development. This unique initiative enables collaborative research projects with advanced nuclear reactor suppliers through a cost-shared model, facilitating access to key facilities and the ability to accelerate development.

“At CNL, we recognize that fusion has enormous potential to unlock the nation’s transformative, clean energy future to combat climate change and ensure our national security,” commented Dr. Stephen Bushby, Vice President of science and technology at CNL. “Given our extensive expertise and resources in nuclear, hydrogen and other forms of clean energy, Canada is well-positioned to take a leadership role in this industry, but that means we must act decisively and work together. This is the driving force behind Fusion Day 2024, our fusion roadmap and the expansion of our research programs, and I want to thank the fusion community for demonstrating their interest and support for this vision by participating in this conference.

“This announcement highlights AECL’s commitment to fostering innovation and commercialization of new nuclear energy technologies, particularly where demonstration is needed to improve its readiness level,” commented Amy Gottschling, Vice President of science, technology and commercial surveillance at AECL. “We continue to encourage clean energy technology developers to leverage our sites, assets and capabilities at Chalk River Laboratories (or other CNL-managed sites) to advance vital projects . Particularly with respect to fusion energy, we are very excited about the opportunity to leverage Canada’s heritage as a world leader in cutting-edge nuclear science and technology to create a strong and vibrant fusion industry that not only generates economic benefits, but also furthers our nation’s climate change goals.

As part of Fusion Day 2024, CNL welcomed attendees to Chalk River Laboratories earlier in the week for a tour of the facility and the Chalk River campus, and to discuss the expansion of the SMR invitation process and CNRI programs of LNC in order to make them accessible to the fusion community. The Chalk River site is home to some of the world’s most advanced laboratories, facilities and testing equipment for clean energy research, as well as expertise in developing next-generation nuclear technologies. It is these capabilities that have piqued the interest of fusion technology developers and suppliers, with CNL recently announcing agreements and projects with organizations such as Kyoto Fusioneering, the United Kingdom’s Atomic Energy Authority , Stellarex and General Fusion.

“This is truly our mission as Canada’s national nuclear laboratories: to make our capabilities, our facilities and our expertise more accessible, so that we can help bring new technologies to life, whether by working with government organizations, industrial partners or universities,” commented Dr. Ian Castillo, CNL’s Chief Hydrogen and Tritium Technologies Directorate. “In recent years, interest and research in fusion has grown at an extraordinary rate here in Canada and around the world, as has our own fusion program at CNL, and we want to ensure that Canada is at the forefront. vanguard of this new era. in clean energy technology.

These developments also follow the creation of Fusion Fuel Cycles Inc. (FFC), a new joint venture between CNL and Kyoto Fusioneering, which aims to develop and deploy deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion fuel cycle technologies. FFC’s first project will be UNITY-2, a revolutionary integrated and flexible fuel cycle testing facility, expected to be commissioned by the end of 2025 at Chalk River Laboratories and fully operational by 2026.

For more information on the CNL Fusion Program, including the “Fusion Energy for Canada” report, please visit www.cnl.ca/fusion.

About CNL

As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL addresses three strategic priorities of national significance: restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians .

By leveraging assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as a link between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works collaboratively with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services toward real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.

To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c5f239bf-3d9b-4ab9-a70a-61799310b6eb