Development Plan

The reactor refit power upgrade is neither a brand-new reactor nor just a simple modification of an existing reactor. The refit requires technology development and a complete re-engineering of the Primary Heat Transport System and significant changes to interfacing systems, particularly the fuelling machine.

The lead designs for virtually all new large reactors have been initially developed with the assistance of large government laboratories funded by taxpayers over many decades. This includes the pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) supported by U.S. Department of Energy and the Soviet Union RBMK and their PWR, the UK and France MAGNOX followed by the UK Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) and Canada’s CANDU reactor. Some of these reactors have been modernized by large corporations including the Westinghouse AP1000, Framatome EPR and The Atkins Realis MONARK reactor. Canada’s national nuclear laboratory was restructured in 2009 and it no longer includes a new reactor design mandate. Its science mandate is to enable nuclear science and technology and to protect the environment.

Canada’s nuclear industry has the design, manufacturing and research and development capabilities needed to fully develop and implement the reactor refit. However, these capabilities are not located in one single organization. Suretech Development Limited proposes that the refit reactor be developed in two parallel interconnected paths, one for refit technology and component development and the other for first refit prototype reactor engineering. This is not dissimilar to the original CANDU development where Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) maintained an engineering division and a research and development division during initial CANDU development.

The technology and component development activity is strongly focused on manufacturing development and testing and is best headed up by a Canadian nuclear manufacturer supported by nuclear research and development, testing and analytical companies. Suretech Development Limited has over 15 years of experience in development of the refit technology. The following plan has been developed for all of the significant development activities including potential development partners.

Link: Development Qualification Testing and Computer Code Requirements.pdf

The prototype reactor refit engineering component has many similarities to reactor refurbishment (OPG, Bruce Power) engineering and construction and is best headed up by a Canadian nuclear engineering firm with CANDU refurbishment experience.

Suretech Development Limited’s team of nuclear technology specialists can support both the refit technology and components organization and the reactor refit engineering organization with technology leadership and transfer.

The overall project governance would be established by the nuclear utility that operates the reactor to be refitted. It is expected that the nuclear utility would play a significant leadership role in the refit project similar to that of Ontario Hydro during the initial development of Ontario nuclear generating stations.