Title:
Are Small Nuclear Reactors the Answer to Sustainable Energy for Canada?
Abstract:
In this lecture we examine the history of nuclear development in Canada: what lead us down our own unique path in nuclear development?
Some start-ups are promoting "advanced small nuclear reactors (SMRs)", but the real costs of engineering and licensing, regulatory and construction uncertainties, remote site locations produce costs and risks far beyond anything sustainable.
The Government of Canada is being petitioned by organizations such as CNL (Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Inc., formerly AECL Research Division in Chalk River, ON) and the Canadian Nuclear Association to fund a major SMR development program despite ongoing development work in China, USA, Russia, Korea, Argentina and other countries, by organizations with the resources and funding to complete the development.
Bio:
Presented by Paul Doherty, Continuing Lecturer, Stratford School of Interaction Design & Business, University of Waterloo and James C. Smith, President, Ayr Nuclear Consulting.
Paul Doherty's current research is in the fields of innovation, business ethics and strategy, business cluster analysis and the management and commercialization of ideas. He is heavily involved in developing innovative ideas and accelerating business opportunities. He is the founder/co-founder of several start-up companies and acts as a consultant in the energy industry. Previous appointments included: Director, Centre for Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (CBET) in the Faculty of Engineering, Associate Director, Academic Programs (CBET), Assistant Professor, School of Business and Economics (WLU), Research Professor, Electrical and Computing Engineering, University of Waterloo and Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Western Ontario (UWO). He is a past Fellow of Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and has managed several large multi-million dollar industrial research and development programs in the energy, environment and advanced materials space.
After earning his Masters in Mechanical Engineering at UWaterloo, James C. Smith began his career with Babcock & Wilcox Canada before assuming the role of President of Ayr Nuclear Consulting Inc. Since 2003 James has successfully completed projects with companies such as Areva, Aecon, SGT, SNC-Lavalin, among others. He has spent the majority of his career in the nuclear power industry, and formed Northern Nuclear Industries Inc. in 2012; ending operations of which in 2017.