Overview
Addressing climate change remains one of the world’s most complex and pressing challenges. It has the potential to affect all aspects of our society, and collectively, we all have a part to play in the energy system transformation to reduce emissions while supporting a prosperous and safe world.
Suncor is aggressively working on new technologies that lower the costs and carbon emissions of our processes and products. And, we are seeking and evaluating new business opportunities in our value chain and within the evolving energy system.
Canada’s Generation Energy Council Report (PDF, 13.89 MB) calls for the introduction of SMRs into oil and gas extraction within the next 20 years as a way to reduce carbon emissions from Canada’s oil and gas sector. Suncor also sees the potential of the technology and a role for the company to play in early stage development.
SMRs do not have the same issues of capacity mismatch, high upfront capital costs, and long construction times as traditional of large-scale nuclear reactors. In addition, SMRs are expected to have smaller land footprints; simpler safety cases due to inherent and passive safety characteristics; and simpler fueling and waste-handling paradigms.
Suncor commends NRCan for its leadership in the development of an SMR Roadmap for Canada and, now, Canada’s SMR Action Plan. While SMRs are at an early stage of development with many questions still to be answered, there is a clear role that organizations like Suncor – potential developers and deployers of the technology – need to play in order for the full potential of SMRs to be realized.
ACTIONS
DEMONSTRATION AND DEPLOYMENT
Feasibility Assessment of SMRs for Canada’s oil sands
STATUS: IN PROGRESS
SUN01
Responds to SMR Roadmap recommendation(s): 52, 46
ACTION
- State-of-the-art review of SMRs including itemizing, screening, and ranking of existing SMRs
- Assessment of the suitability of sites in Canada’s oil sands for hosting an SMR considering geography, demography, environment, geology, and the applicable legal and regulatory framework
EXPECTED RESULTS
- Identification of SMRs of interest for application in Canada’s oil sands and next steps for technology development
- Improved understanding of challenges and opportunities with respect to deployment of SMRs in Canada’s oil sands