50 MW transportable nuclear power plant planned to power 40,000 Canadian homes

A transportable nuclear power plant capable of generating up to 50 megawatts is being proposed for Belledune, New Brunswick, in a project that could establish a new model for deploying nuclear energy in Canada’s remote regions. Canadian nuclear technology company Prodigy Clean Energy is developing the project with Pabineau First Nation and Eel River Bar First Nation, which plan to own the facility. The plant is targeted to enter service in the early 2030s and would serve as a commercial demonstration for a potential fleet of transportable nuclear plants across Canada’s North and Arctic. New Brunswick has signed a Letter of Intent to purchase the electricity generated by the plant and has notified Natural Resources Canada of its support for advancing the project to Canada’s federal Major Projects Office. Nuclear power built to move Prodigy’s Transportable Nuclear Power Plant, or TNPP, is designed to package a microreactor or small modular reactor inside modular power plant infrastructure that can be built away from the eventual deployment site. The company says the platform is reactor agnostic, allowing its power output and configuration to be adapted around different reactor technologies. Once assembled, the plant can be transported as cargo aboard a heavy-lift ship and installed at its destination. Prodigy says a TNPP can be factory-built, shipped and installed in about 18 months. That approach is intended to reduce the amount of nuclear construction that must take place at remote sites, where transportation, labor, environmental conditions and infrastructure can add significant complexity and cost. The plant is also designed to be removed at the end of its operating life and transported for centralized decommissioning, rather than leaving permanent nuclear infrastructure at the deployment site. Belledune becomes northern hub The proposed Belledune campus would serve a purpose beyond generating electricity. The partners plan to establish an operations and maintenance hub that could eventually monitor and service a fleet of TNPPs deployed across northern regions. The site would also include an Indigenous Energy Innovation Visitor Centre and facilities for training future plant workers. The nuclear facility is expected to create more than 150 jobs during site preparation and about 40 permanent positions once operational. For Pabineau First Nation, the project is also positioned as a way to extend Indigenous economic participation into the ownership and operation of nuclear infrastructure. “By integrating this Canadian clean baseload energy technology with Indigenous ownership and economic participation, this initiative establishes a replicable model to deploy transportable nuclear power infrastructure across Canada, especially in Northern and Arctic regions,” said Chief Terry Richardson, Pabineau First Nation. Prodigy will now establish the project venture and begin site selection and characterization ahead of licensing. The partners will also select a reactor technology capable of commercial electricity generation by 2032, with a Licence to Prepare Site application and Final Investment Decision targeted within 18 months. A qualified nuclear operating organization will become the facility licensee. BWXT Canada, a nuclear engineering and manufacturing company, and Kinectrics, a BWXT-owned nuclear engineering and services company, will support licensing and supply-chain development.“The successful integration of microreactors and Transportable Nuclear Power Plants into Canada’s Northern and Arctic energy portfolio begins with demonstrating a commercially operating facility south of 60 in an established nuclear jurisdiction,” said Mathias Trojer, President and CEO of Prodigy Clean Energy.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.With over a decade-long career in journalism, Neetika Walter has worked with The Economic Times, ANI, and Hindustan Times, covering politics, business, technology, and the clean energy sector. Passionate about contemporary culture, books, poetry, and storytelling, she brings depth and insight to her writing. When she isn’t chasing stories, she’s likely lost in a book or enjoying the company of her dogs.