Atlantic Clean Energy Alliance (ACEA)

Overview

The Atlantic Clean Energy Alliance (ACEA) is a stakeholder consortium of project proponents and other renewable energy developers from the private sector, the University of New Brunswick, NB Power, community partnerships, and government enablers. It is anticipated that the consortium will grow over time.

The Alliance currently consists of:

1. Moltex Energy
2. ARC Nuclear Canada Inc.
3. University of New Brunswick
4. NB Power
5. Atlantica Centre for Energy
6. Opportunities New Brunswick (ONB)
7. New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development (NRED)
8. Economic Development Greater Saint John (EDGSJ)
9. C2 Solar
10. Laurentis Energy Partners.

The Alliance provides stakeholder and community support related to the energy, environmental and economic benefits/opportunities associated with successful development of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and complementary clean energy technologies in the region.

The Alliance works in collaboration to build and amplify the business case to advance long-term Generation-4 SMR and associated clean energy technology opportunities in New Brunswick.

The Alliance supports New Brunswick’s positioning across the country and internationally as the centre for excellence for Generation-4 SMR technology development and deployment, as well as advocating for the inclusion of SMR technology as part of regional, national and international climate change and greenhouse gas reduction strategies. In addition, the Alliance supports other clean energy development to help reach emission reduction targets out to 2050.

The Alliance’s mandate is to work with interested stakeholders to advance the development and commercialization of Generation-4 advanced nuclear technology, as well as communicate the energy, environmental and economic benefits associated with the development and commercialization of complementary renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar resources. 

We add our vocal support for energy innovation as a key economic development priority, as well as the opportunity to leverage significant private sector investment in emerging SMR and other clean energy technologies.

New Brunswick is gaining traction in the development of SMR technology as evidenced by:

1. ARC Nuclear Canada Inc. successfully completing the CNSC Vendor Design Review Phase 1 process with the review of its highly versatile reactor design capable of using a number of fuelling options combined with a 20-year fuelling cycle. In particular, the ARC-100 has the potential to be fueled with fresh HALEU metallic fuel, its own recycled used fuel and recycled fuel from a fleet of ARC-100, as well as the potential to use recycled used oxide fuel from a CANDU reactor;
2. Moltex Energy's progress in the design of its Stable Salt Reactor - Wasteburner (SSR-W), which consumes used CANDU fuel, its WAste To Stable Salt (WATSS) fuel recycling technology, and it's GridReserve thermal energy storage technology, which allows the reactor to act as a peaking plant to increase the viability of intermittent renewables. Moltex has also been successful in fundraising, having recently received USD$4.5M from the US Department of Energy ARPA-E program; and
3. Laurentis Energy Partners (a subsidiary company of Ontario Power Generation) launch of its first office outside Ontario (in Saint John).

New Brunswick participation was represented on several panels at the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA)’s annual conference in Ottawa and there was a dedicated seminar showcasing SMR developments in New Brunswick.

The provincial government has identified energy innovation as a particular focus on attracting new private-sector investment and the creation of new value-add advanced manufacturing opportunities.

ACTIONS