Overview
About Kinectrics Inc.
Kinectrics is the category leader in providing life cycle management services for the electricity industry. Trusted by clients worldwide, our expertise in engineering, testing, inspection, and certification is backed by our independent laboratory and testing facilities, a diverse fleet of field inspection equipment and an award-winning team of over 850 engineers and technical experts in Canada. Our company mission is to improve our customers’ business by delivering sustainable and innovative life cycle management solutions to nuclear and electricity industries, through our facilities, processes and people. Our goal is to provide end-to-end life cycle management solutions to achieve sustainable performance through innovative engineering.
Kinectrics is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to employment equity for women, Indigenous and Aboriginal Peoples, visible minorities and persons with disabilities. Interested candidates from these groups are encouraged to apply.
Kinectrics Commitment, Vision and Actions
Canada is increasingly seen as a favourable location for advanced nuclear reactors by technology developers and other stakeholders, and for good reason. The level of acceptance by Federal and Provincial governments has increased, significant funding support has become available, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has continued to upgrade its regulatory infrastructure to accommodate such reactors, and nearly a dozen reactor vendors have entered the CNSC’s pre-licensing Vendor Design Review (VDR) process. These measures all point to the potential for a successful advanced reactor industry in Canada in the coming years.
Kinectrics and our predecessor companies have been involved in various Small Modular Reactor (SMR) initiatives for nearly 10 years. However, interest in SMR technology and development efforts have increased substantially in the past few years due to increasing market forces (in part due to much needed changes in economic policy relating to carbon emissions, as well as the high cost of diesel for electricity generation (particularly in the far north)). Kinectrics’ integrated understanding of the Canadian nuclear industry, advanced nuclear technology, licensing, design, safety analysis and government/community relations positions us to be a leading supplier of services to the burgeoning SMR and advanced reactor industry.
From our Toronto office, Kinectrics has taken on a leadership role for SMRs in Canada through industry organization and engagement, including early development of an industry-wide working group to engage the CNSC. Kinectrics understands the importance of SMR development to the national and international energy landscape and seeks to assist in any way that we can. Our staff have been involved in a wide variety of licensing, design and analysis projects involving SMRs, showcasing our specialized knowledge of unique reactor technologies. These projects include the planning and execution of CNSC VDRs (including being designated as the Canadian licensing manager for several SMR developers), defining and establishing Management Systems aligned with Canadian Quality Management Codes and Standards, preparing Design Requirements and Optioneering Studies to support conceptual design, and performing compliance reviews of reactor designs against Canadian requirements such as CNSC REGDOC-2.5.2, “Design of Reactor Facilities: Nuclear Power Plants”.
Our staff have authored various papers and presentations related to the design, licensing and integration of SMRs in Canada and worldwide. In addition, we have experience supporting the development of many SMR related standards and guidelines including the Emission Free Energy Working Group, Gen IV Reactor Forum, CORDEL Small Reactor Task Force, and the CSA Small Reactor Task Force. Finally, we have provided various contributions to SMR development initiatives in Canada including participation in the Candu Owner’s Group SMR Vendor Participant Program, the development and review of the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) SMR Roadmap, and CNSC workshops on the Safety and Security of SMRs.
Kinectrics strongly endorses NRCan’s SMR Action Plan Statement of Principles and have outlined below a subset of our current actions and future plans in response to the Action Plan recommendations. We, like NRCan, are committed to seizing this opportunity for Canada and look forward to uniting with “Team Canada” to secure investments in Canada’s future. In supporting the SMR Action Plan we commit our facilities and resources, as outlined below, in order to ensure that our mission and values align with NRCan and other industry stakeholders.
Actions
CAPACITY, ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC CONFIDENCE
National SMR Development Research Program
STATUS: IN PROGRESS
KN01
Responds to SMR Roadmap recommendation(s): 13
ACTION
SMR Research and Development: Kinectrics’ comprehensive laboratory and analytical capabilities are centered at our Kipling Campus Headquarters, which is home to a variety of state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities that provide materials testing, radioactive materials management, nuclear waste characterization, certification, qualification and engineering services to the nuclear power industry.
These diverse laboratories have been utilized to work with developers and utilities to solve some of the problems that will need to be addressed to deploy SMRs. Currently, Kinectrics is exploring a number of initiatives relating to next generation reactor test facilities and technologies (e.g., test loops and cogeneration application development) in order to aid in the SMR development process.
In addition, Kinectrics has been actively engaged in forming strategic partnerships and business models with several developers and end use customers.
EXPECTED RESULTS
This work will help ensure that Canada is able to capture additional benefits by leveraging expertise in areas such as materials science and R&D for earlier-stage SMR technologies. This will also facilitate partnerships and science and technology collaboration in support of SMR development activities that benefit Canada. The timelines for this work are generally aligned with the deployment timelines for SMR technologies and span the next 2-10 years.
DEMONSTRATION AND DEPLOYMENT
Engagement with the Regulator
STATUS: IN PROGRESS
KN02
Responds to SMR Roadmap recommendation(s): 44
ACTION
CNSC Vendor Design Review Licensing Support: Kinectrics, together with our SMR Vendor and Technology Developer partners, are currently participating (and have previously participated) in a number of CNSC Vendor Design Review pre-licensing projects. Members of our team are industry-wide licensing and technical experts and have been designated as the Canadian licensing manager for several SMR developers.
EXPECTED RESULTS
Early and informed engagement through the CNSC Vendor Design Review facilitates an efficient pre-licensing process and provides SMR Vendors with greater licensing certainty in Canada.
CAPACITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND PUBLIC CONFIDENCE
Training Programs and Educational Curriculum
STATUS: IN PROGRESS
KN03
Responds to SMR Roadmap recommendation(s): 48
ACTION
Development of Research Papers and Presentations for Conferences, Publications and University Lectures: Leveraging our specialized knowledge and industry experience, Kinectrics staff have written many papers for various conferences and publications and have participated in several guest lecture series at Canadian Universities. As an example, Kinectrics staff have prepared over 120 papers for the Canadian Nuclear Society. SMR-related topics of papers and presentations include:
- Benefits and challenges of design-assist probabilistic safety assessment for SMRs.
- Innovative approaches to SMR licensing in Canada.
- The role of the Emissions-Free Energy Working Group in the development of high-level regulatory policy and associated regulatory framework and documents as they apply to small reactors in Canada.
- Applications, challenges and benefits of SMR deployment in Canada and the world.
EXPECTED RESULTS
These educational programs help to provide confidence that the future nuclear workforce and industry have the skills, abilities and resources required to meet the demands of a new/emerging SMR subsector in Canada.
We believe the research papers and presentations provided to University students/faculty assisted in conveying the importance of SMRs and helped impart our knowledge, experience and understanding of the current energy landscape to the next generation of nuclear professionals.