A reduction in fossil fuel power generation is required in Alberta as Canada and countries around the world accept the challenge to decarbonize their economies, meet climate change targets, and increase the reliability and resiliency of their energy generation assets and systems. X-energy’s Xe-100 small modular reactor (SMR) is a versatile, emissions-free, nuclear fission solution that meets the needs of Alberta’s complex electricity market. The ground-breaking Xe‐100 SMR is ideally suited to provide carbon-free electricity and high-temperature process steam to accelerate the transition and adoption of innovative clean technology solutions for Alberta’s largest emitters and deliver significant GHG reductions across the province.
The proposed Pre-Front End Engineering Design (FEED) Study will assess the suitability of repurposing a TransAlta fossil-fuelled electricity generation site with an Xe-100 SMR nuclear plant from an economics, technology, and nuclear regulatory perspective – work necessary to understand the implications of a first-of-a-kind nuclear project in Alberta. Completion of this groundwork with support from our project partners including Hatch Ltd., Kinectrics Inc., and PCL Nuclear Management Inc. will enable the site owner to make business decisions on post-study FEED and site-specific engineering work that will ultimately lead to an operating Xe-100 SMR in Alberta.
X-energy’s vision is to deploy Xe-100-based nuclear power plants in Alberta by the early 2030s. Alberta has not yet incorporated nuclear power into its grid, so a nuclear project raises new questions and challenges. The Study will provide answers focused on site requirements, plant construction and operations economics, deployment schedule, licensing, supply chain, economic benefits, and engagement needs with local communities. This Study advances the opportunity to take consequential steps to build a roadmap to decarbonize Alberta electricity and process heat generation and enable an accelerated transition to a low-carbon economy.