PC Leader Blaine Higgs speaks on the Saint John waterfront during a campaign stop. (photo by Tamara Steele)
A bit of deja vu on the Saint John waterfront with the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative party singing the praises of small modular reactors (SMRs).
Liberal leader Kevin Vickers recently made a pro-SMRs announcement in the same location.
PC leader Blaine Higgs said the PCs have a plan to further develop SMRs, noting a memorandum of understanding signed last year with the provinces of Ontario and Saskatchewan.
“It could also drive economic growth and export opportunities as these technologies are further adopted across the country and around the world,” Higgs said.
PC candidate and former energy minister Mike Holland said discussions at the federal level on this technology have a “colour-blind nature” and he’s encouraged about where it’s heading.
Blaine Higgs speaks about the potential they see in small modular reactors or SMRs. Liberal leader Kevin Vickers also sang their praises in this same location recently. pic.twitter.com/78O4CeO5Xz
— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) August 31, 2020
Higgs said a re-elected PC government would recruit workers to build the SMR sector in the province.
He noted one technology involving SMRs uses spent fuel consuming waste that was problematic for CANDU reactors.
On Monday, Higgs was asked when this technology may be in place.
“We’ll say five to 10 years we could actual activity here in developing and building because one technology has a prototype that’s been operating for 15 or 20 years,” Higgs said
Higgs said there is a lot of agreement from the federal government for a pan-Canadian solution and SMRs will bring that forward.
“That is the big buy-in and that is the big shift and you will see in the coming weeks, an investment announcement and you will see the major people who are involved to make this work and the focus point is right here in New Brunswick,” Higgs said.
Higgs said global estimates have small modular reactors bringing in $150 billion a year by 2040.
Posted by PCNB on Monday, August 31, 2020
Up to 10 fellow candidates joined Higgs for the announcement on Monday morning.
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