Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the launch of the Major Projects Office (MPO) in August, to fast-track “nation-building” projects by streamlining regulatory assessment and approvals and helping to structure financing, in close partnership with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, and private investors. Headquartered in Calgary, with offices in other major Canadian cities, the MPO’s mandate is to serve as a single point of contact to get nation-building projects built faster. By creating a single set of conditions it will be possible to reduce the approval timeline for projects of national interest to a maximum of two years, the government claims, and the MPO will work with provinces and territories to achieve a “one project, one review” approach.
The Darlington New Nuclear project is one of five that have now been referred to the MPO for its consideration.
“This project will make Canada the first G7 country to have an operational small modular reactor (SMR), accelerating the commercialisation of a key technology that could support Canadian and global clean energy needs while driving CAD500 million annually into Ontario’s nuclear supply chain. Once complete, Darlington’s first of four planned SMR units will provide reliable, affordable, clean power to 300,000 homes, while sustaining 3,700 jobs annually, including 18,000 during construction, over the next 65 years. The project has the potential to position Canada as a global leader in the deployment of SMR technology for use across the country and worldwide,” the government said. CAD500 million is about USD363 million.
Also referred to the Major Projects Office are a project to double LNG Canada’s production of liquefied natural gas; a capacity expansion of the Port of Montréal; a copper and zinc mining project in Saskatchewan, that the government says will strengthen Canada’s position as a global supplier of critical minerals for clean energy; and a major expansion of a copper mine in British Columbia.
“Together, these projects represent investments of more than CAD60 billion in our economy and will create thousands of well-paying jobs for Canadians,” the government said.
These first projects have already achieved many regulatory milestones and have undertaken extensive engagement with Indigenous Peoples, provincial governments, local authorities, proponents, and other stakeholders, the government noted, so for these projects, “the work of the Major Projects Office will be to close final regulatory and permitting gaps, co-ordinate with provinces and territories, and ensure financing plans can be achieved. The MPO will recommend to the federal government the best course to complete each project approval quickly so proponents can make smart investment decisions”.
“At this moment of transformative change, Canada’s new government is focused on delivering major projects to connect our communities, empower Canadian workers, and build Canada’s strength. With the first in a series of new projects, we will build big, build now, and build Canada strong,” Carney said.
The Province of Ontario on 8 May announced its final investment decision to give the green light to Ontario Power Generation for construction of the first of four GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 SMRs at the Darlington site. The total cost of the four-SMR project has been estimated at CAD20.9 billion.
