CRL CONTACT - Winter 2021

WINTER 2021

CONTACT

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F C A N A D I A N N U C L E A R L A B O R AT O R I E S

DEVELOPING THE NUCLEAR FUEL OF THE FUTURE

JOE McBREARTY CNL PRESIDENT & CEO

A VISIT TO NORTHERN CANADA Earlier this year, I was pleased to take part in an outreach and engagement mission to Iqaluit, the capital city of Canada's territory of Nunavut, which sits on Baffin Island in Frobisher Bay. If you ever have the opportunity to visit, I would encourage you to do so - it is a wonderful and welcoming community located in a beautiful part of Canada's far north.

I was joined on the trip by Madeleine Redfern, who previously served as the Mayor of Iqaluit, and who now supports CNL as a Special Advisor, helping us to better understand the unique challenges and needs of Canadian municipalities in Northern Canada. Also joining me were Ken Darlington, Vice-President, Corporate Development, Ultra-Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC), and Ryan Clarke, CNL’s Manager of Government and Stakeholder Relations.

Our visit was part of a broader outreach campaign that CNL is conducting which has a very simple goal - to listen and learn from members of this community about the region's needs and aspirations. And over the course of the trip, that is precisely what we did. Our small delegation was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet with elected representatives, government officials, Inuit leaders, business associations, economic development organizations, and even other research institutions.

During these meetings, we heard about Iqaluit’s desire to transition away from diesel fuel, which the community uses for electricity, but for which there are no readily available solutions. Burning diesel is bad for the environment in a number of profound ways. It emits greenhouse gases, but also particulates that are known to cause illness. It also emits black soot that settles on the snow, which accelerates melting and disrupts local environments.

While renewable energy could play a role in solving this issue, they leave the community vulnerable when the

weather isn’t optimal, and in a community that far north, intermittent electricity is unacceptable during their harsh winters. It is against this backdrop that we are trying to understand whether small modular reactors (SMRs) could serve as a solution to the energy needs of communities like Iqaluit.

While most SMRs only exist on paper today, we are quickly moving towards a future where demonstration units will be tested here in Canada. As a low-carbon source of energy, SMRs are smaller in size and in energy output than traditional nuclear reactors, can be constructed efficiently in a modular way, produce less waste and are designed to be much safer, more efficient and cost-effective than current designs. They can also be deployed both on-grid and off-grid in remote communities, but also at industry sites such as mines or the oil sands. And they offer benefits beyond electricity, such as heat for homes, buildings and industrial uses.

The benefits are tremendous, both to communities like Iqaluit and operators of industrial sites, but also to towns, cities and businesses across the country. Beyond the technical challenges that still exist to bring SMRs to market, however, what is truly needed to advance this clean energy technology here in Canada is more public support.

While interest in SMRs was expressed by some community members in Iqaluit, it was recognized that SMRs face significant hurdles, and that education and meaningful engagement would be the key to any future development.

I want to thank everyone in Iqaluit for their hospitality, and for helping us understand the challenges they face as a community. I also want to thank them for their engagement in our discussions about SMRs. If these technologies are to serve as a solution in Canada's far north, communities in that region must play a role in their development.

These meetings were a small, but very important, first step towards that goal.

CNL DELEGATION VISITS IQALUIT, NUNAVUT

JOE MCBREARTY AND CNL SPECIAL ADVISOR, MADELEINE REDFERN, IN IQALUIT

DEVELOPING THE NUCLEAR FUEL OF THE FUTURE THE REACTORS OF THE FUTURE ARE GOING TO NEED NEXT-GENERATION FUELS TO POWER THEM. THAT IS WHERE CNL COMES IN. You may have heard about CNL’s work to bring the nextgeneration of nuclear reactors to Canada, whether it’s small modular reactors (SMR) or other advanced reactors (AR).

It’s a big focus of what we do, and could play an important role in Canada’s work to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

But the reactors of the future will need next-generation fuels to power them, and this is another key area of research that CNL is pursuing. With a number of reactor vendors developing a variety of AR technologies, CNL has been gradually expanding its fuel development capabilities, and has positioned itself to be a world leader in this area of research.

Here’s a few of many exciting projects we’ve been up to!

3D PRINTING OF NUCLEAR FUEL When you take a moment to consider how things are manufactured around the world, it’s typically about subtraction.

If you want to produce something, you cut raw material into a desired final shape and size by a controlled materialremoval process. Generally, that’s how conventional manufacturing has been done over the years, and the process is collectively known as subtractive manufacturing.

More recently, an alternative approach to manufacturing has emerged called additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing. In additive manufacturing, products are created by adding material, instead of subtracting it, and this approach opens up an entirely new range of possibilities for nuclear fuel, with new geometries, new materials, new fuels blends, and even the ability to embed other materials into the fuel itself.

FINNED FUEL CNL’s Advanced Fuels and Reactor Physics and Computational Techniques teams recently began exploring a concept of embedding of metallic fins into a conventional fuel pellet. These fins would help transfer the heat from the centre of the fuel to the exterior of the fuel, and into the reactor coolant. One of the key considerations with nuclear fuel is the temperature of the fuel in the centre of the fuel pellet, which is known as the centreline temperature.

If this temperature is too hot, the fuel could fail prematurely, and if it’s too cool, you aren’t using the fuel efficiently.

Using computer modelling, CNL has determined that the centreline temperature could be significantly reduced by embedding metallic fins in the fuel. CNL is now working to refine this concept, and while this particular fuel is for a CANDU® reactor, this technique could be expanded to other reactor technologies.

FUEL WITH FIBRE OPTICS Enabled by 3D printing, CNL also developed an innovative new technology to better monitor fuel, which is the embedding of fibre optic sensors directly into a fuel pellet. This technique could allow a reactor operator to monitor ‘realtime’ behaviour of the fuel during a reactor’s operation, including measurements of pellet strain and temperature.

This has many potential applications, but among them, it could help reduce the time needed for the regulatory qualification of new fuel. As SMRs and other ARs move towards deployment, they will need to qualify their fuels, and this technique could help speed up that process.

MOLTEN SALT FUEL UNDERGOING RESEARCH IN CNL'S FUEL DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY

TRISO FUEL Earlier this year, researchers at CNL successfully fabricated what is known as Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated (FCMTM) fuel pellets, which are an advanced and proprietary reactor fuel designed by a company called Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC). This represents the first time that a Tristructural-Isotropic (TRISO) based fuel has been manufactured in Canada.

MOLTEN SALT FUEL The concept of molten salt reactors has been around since the 1960s, but there is renewed interest in the technology.

Molten salt is salt that is solid at standard temperatures and pressures, but which turns into a liquid at higher temperatures. In some of these reactor designs, fissile material is actually dissolved into the molten salt, which means that the molten salt is fueling the reactor while cooling it.

USNC’s innovative fuel pellet design consists of spherical TRISO particles dispersed in a matrix of silicon carbide. The TRISO particles have a layered structure with dense fuel kernels, which are then coated with layers of graphite and silicon carbide, making the particles incredibly robust and able to withstand intense heat and pressure. For these reasons, TRISO fuels are proposed for a number of new small and advanced reactor designs currently under consideration here in Canada.

Because of the growing interest in these reactors, CNL has been expanding its capabilities so that it can advance research in molten salt reactor technology. Recently, CNL completed the first successful measurement of the thermal diffusivity of a molten nitrate salt. In other words, CNL is measuring the ability of the molten salt to transmit heat under specific conditions, which is an important milestone in CNL’s efforts to develop new molten salt experimental capabilities. In a separate project with Terrestrial Energy, who is designing their own power plant technology, CNL is also working on two projects that encompass the design of multiple test facilities that will enable Terrestrial to validate the performance and behaviour of their reactor design.

TRISO PARTICLES

A BRIGHT FUTURE Overall, CNL’s work in fuel development helps to serve the needs of our customers and Canada’s federal nuclear regulator. But this research is not only about commercialization. It’s about seeing what’s possible and pushing the boundaries of our capabilities, and helping Canada bring the next-generation of nuclear reactors online to fight climate change.

CNL CELEBRATES HYDROGEN & FUEL CELL DAY

CNL'S HYDROGEN ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 8 was Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day – a nod to the atomic weight of hydrogen – 1.008, and a day to recognize work in hydrogen and fuel cell technology forging a pathway to clean energy. For the special day, CNL took the opportunity to celebrate some of our people advancing work in the areas of research critical to the successful development and adoption of hydrogen here in Canada.

“While the Canadian public associates CNL with our decades of work in nuclear energy, hydrogen sciences is another area where we have decades of experience and a high degree of expertise,” commented Dr. Jeff Griffin, CNL’s Vice-President of Science and Technology. “Hydrogen has tremendous potential to serve as a viable clean energy solution here in Canada, particularly in transportation, which is why we are

advancing research in hydrogen storage and production, including production using nuclear energy. On Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day, it is our hope that people will learn more about the many benefits that hydrogen has to offer.”

We also took the opportunity to announce a major accomplishment in hydrogen storage – the development of a magnesium alloy that overcomes many of the challenges that have made storing hydrogen as a solid difficult in the past.

CNL is proud to be driving research to support the Government of Canada’s carbon reduction commitments and its Hydrogen Strategy to not only achieve our country’s national emissions targets but position Canada as an international leader of clean, renewable fuel.

CNL ACHIEVES A BREAKTHROUGH IN HYDROGEN STORAGE When most people think about hydrogen storage, they think of large steel cylinders of compressed gas or cooled liquid. But, there is another way! Hydrogen can also be stored as a solid within a metal hydride. This is a safer and more cost effective storage technique. Building on decades of experience in hydrogen, CNL's Hydrogen Technologies Branch have recently achieved a breakthrough in this type of hydrogen storage, binding the element to a magnesium alloy (pictured), which can then be released when heated.

CNL recently completed a project to refuel the Royal Military College of Canada’s (RMC) SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear reactor. The SLOWPOKE-2 is used by RMC to produce neutrons for professional development and academic research, and rapid response capabilities for environmental and nuclear emergencies.

As Canada’s national nuclear laboratory, CNL was uniquely positioned to complete all phases of the work, using Canada’s only team licenced by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to maintain the reactor. Throughout the project, care was taken to ensure the safety of the workforce, protection of the environment, and security of the materials.

“As an integrated organization, CNL has the necessary expertise in engineering, manufacturing, fuel development, physics, radiation protection, and certainly nuclear security, to conduct this work. I’m very proud of everyone who helped bring this project to a safe and successful conclusion,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL President and Chief Executive Officer. “Having recently completed both decommissioning and refuelling activities for SLOWPOKE reactors in other jurisdictions, we were able to draw on that experience to safely complete this project for our customer.”

While the on-site field work was conducted by CNL over a three-week period earlier this summer, the work began in 2019. The project included the planning and execution of work to remove the old reactor core from the federallyowned nuclear reactor, commission the reactor with a newly fabricated core manufactured at CNL’s Chalk River Laboratories campus, and transfer the spent core to a licensed nuclear waste management facility. The spent reactor core

will undergo further examination at the Chalk River campus, aiding in research which supports the continued safe operation of Canada’s nuclear fleet.

“The fuel that powers this research reactor is unique, and required a very skilled team and sophisticated quality assurance program to manufacture,” explained Ali Siddiqui, Head of CNL’s Advanced Reactors Directorate. “While a SLOWPOKE’s principle role is that of a research reactor, CNL’s capabilities in prototype fuel development, fuel qualification and fabrication used in this project, are also in demand by small modular reactor (SMR) developers as the next generation of clean nuclear technology advances here in Canada.”

Since the SLOWPOKE-2 reactor came online in 1985, it has been an essential tool for educating RMC students, military officers, faculty, and scholars from across the country, performing neutron radiography and activation analysis, and helping to position Canada as a global leader in nuclear science and technology. Today, students and researchers make use of the reactor every year, for education and research that further supports the activities and operations of the Canadian Armed Forces, Department of National Defense, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command and the Navy’s Directorate of Nuclear Safety.

RMC'S RESEARCH REACTOR

REFUELLING RMC'S SLOWPOKE

CNL BREAKS GROUND ON NEW COLLABORATION CENTRE CNL and AECL welcomes Government of Canada representative to the Chalk River Laboratories to break ground on the new Science Collaboration Centre CNL and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited welcomed a number of guests and dignitaries to the Chalk River Laboratories this summer to celebrate the construction of the Science Collaboration Centre. CNL President and CEO, Joe McBrearty, was joined by then Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, Marc Serré, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) President and CEO, Fred Dermarkar, and other local elected officials for a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the occasion.

way we conduct work at CNL, providing us with a modern, flexible and sustainable collaboration centre to plan and pursue our research. It is also one of a handful of new buildings that will help transform the site into a ‘smart campus,’ which is at the centre of our vision for the future of the Chalk River Laboratories.”

Scheduled for completion in the spring of 2023, the new Science Collaboration Centre will serve as the central planning and collaboration space for CNL’s science and technology programs. The new facility will also feature modern office space and meeting rooms for approximately 450 employees, and serve as a new home for CNL’s data centre.

“The Science Collaboration Centre is one of three buildings rising up at Chalk River that showcase the benefits of using wood to combat a changing climate while supporting the ambitious revitalization, and work, of Canada’s premier nuclear research facility,” said Parliamentary Secretary Serré. “The Government of Canada is proud to have supported their construction through a $4 million contribution as we remain committed to creating a cleaner, more sustainable and inclusive future.”

“On behalf of CNL, I want to thank Mr. Serré and Mr. Dermarkar for taking time out of their busy schedules to help us celebrate the construction of this exciting new building,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO. “Once complete, the Science Collaboration Centre will change the

“The Science Collaboration Centre demonstrates how the Chalk River Laboratories are being transformed into a worldclass, state-of-the-art nuclear science and technology campus,” added Fred Dermarkar, President and CEO of AECL. “Not only are we investing in the future of science and in-

PICTURED: COUNCILLOR BRIAN ABDALLAH, CITY OF PEMBROKE; SUE D’EON, MAYOR OF DEEP RIVER; DEBBIE ROBINSON, WARDEN OF THE COUNTY OF RENFREW; FRED DERMARKAR, AECL PRESIDENT AND CEO; MARC SERRÉ, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES; AND JOE MCBREARTY, CNL PRESIDENT AND CEO.

novation in Canada, but we are doing it responsibly by using sustainability as a driver for design and construction. This is the future of science, clean technologies and clean energy.”

The Science Collaboration Centre is one of a series of new ‘enabling’ buildings that are being constructed at the Chalk River Laboratories site to revitalize the campus, thanks to a $1.2 billion investment over ten years from AECL and the Government of Canada.

a brand new hydrogen laboratory complex, a new materials research laboratory, and a new tritium laboratory.

Major investments have also been made into infrastructure improvements for the campus, including new domestic water and natural gas service, a modern sanitary sewage treatment facility, and a system to more effectively manage storm water.

Among the many environmentally-friendly features of the facility, it uses a new generation of mass timber products sourced from within Canada as the main structural construction material, a renewable resource that reduces the site’s carbon footprint. It was also constructed using strategies that include sustainable site development, water and energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

This and other new buildings at the Chalk River Laboratories are part of a ten-year capital program, started in 2016, that is designed to transform the campus through the revitalization of essential site infrastructure and a significant investment in new, world-class science facilities. In addition to the Science Collaboration Centre, a new two-storey industrialuse support facility was recently inaugurated, a new site entrance building is nearing completion, and several science facilities have been opened in the last few years, including

CNL PRESIDENT & CEO, JOE MCBREARTY

The Near Surface Disposal Facility Safety Case is the public's go-to source of information about the short and long-term considerations of the CNL project In July 2021, CNL’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) was accepted by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).

While this marks a huge milestone for the project, many people hearing this news may still be unaware or further intrigued as to what the NSDF is, how it operates and where more information can be found. To answer all those questions and more, look no further than the NSDF Safety Case.

In short, the NSDF Safety Case is an integrated written assessment that shows a variety of arguments and evidence – spanning from CNL technical documents to external work from federal regulators and agencies, the public, local Indigenous communities and local municipalities – that demonstrate the short-term and longterm safety of the project and the meeting of all applicable regulatory requirements. The Safety Case covers all phases of the project, with documents within each section to carefully explain every aspect in specific and significant detail.

The concerns addressed throughout the Safety Case are a mix of the NSDF team’s own concerns with the project and the concerns of Indigenous Peoples, the public and regulators. The protection of the Ottawa River and other environmental concerns are two of the more important discussions CNL has had with the public during engagement and have been included in the Safety Case at length to help address those matters. Regardless of where they came from first, the arguments included in the document are there because of their fundamental value in demonstrating the overall safety of the facility.

CNL took pride in listening to multiple voices while developing the Safety Case to ensure that every concern of importance was touched on. Since 2016, CNL and members of the NSDF project have been actively reaching out to interested groups through site tours, public information sessions, community events, employee engagements, webinars, The NSDF is CNL’s proposal to and more to create an build a disposal facility for all open dialogue where solid low-level radioactive waste all topics regarding the at Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) NSDF could be discussed. to get one step closer to the comOver the years, the NSDF THE NSDF PROJECT TEAM pany’s goals for revitalization and team has determined environmental clean-up. The demost concerns stem tails of this project and how it can be executed upholding the along the same lines of a justification for the project, waste highest safety standards possible is a frequently visited con- inventory, design and engineering details, long-term acversation in the public eye. The NSDF Safety Case addresses countability, site selection, environmental effects, and proall these concerns and more. tection of the Ottawa River.

Among the abundance of information that can be found in the Safety Case, one of high interest to the public is the section dedicated to the integration of safety arguments.

This section draws content from across the Safety Case and creates succinct arguments to show how the facility meets safety requirements. Some of these arguments include the protection of the Ottawa River, appropriate location for the facility, environmental sustainability, the reduction of environmental risks and liabilities, durability of long-term containment and isolation of radioactive waste, and safety measures to protect both CNL employees and the public.

The Safety Case was submitted to the CNSC as part of the NSDF application process. The document has been through a rigorous review process – including third party reviews, one spearheaded by a United States government led expert panel with input from the United Kingdom nuclear industry as well – and all comments to date have been addressed.

That’s not to say the Safety Case is closed. As with any project as large and with as many moving parts as NSDF is expected to be, the Safety Case will have to be revisited and updated as necessary through the duration of the project.

Please visit www.cnl.ca to read the full NSDF Safety Case.

RENDERING OF THE PROPOSED NSDF

THE NSDF SAFETY CASE

CNSC HEARING DATES SCHEDULED FOR PROPOSED NSDF PROJECT The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has scheduled a two-part public hearing to consider CNL’s application to amend its operating licence to authorize the construction of the proposed NSDF. The hearing includes another opportunity for Indigenous communities and members of the public to continue their participation in the regulatory review process for the proposed project.

During Part 1 of the public hearing, scheduled to take place on February 22, 2022, the CNSC Commission will hear submissions from both CNL and CNSC staff on the licencing application and environmental assessment. Following Part 1, a comment period will be opened where Indigenous communities and members of the public will be invited to submit feedback on the project, which can be presented to the CNSC during Part 2 of the hearing, scheduled to begin on May 31, 2022. To learn more, visit the CNSC website at www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca.

SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES As a result of CNL’s outstanding performance in 2020/2021, our parent company, Canadian National Energy Alliance (CNEA) decided to do something different with the morale fund allocation this year. While the money, which is provided by the consortium members – SNC Lavalin, Jacobs, and Fluor – is typically used for team events, company apparel or other personal items, this year CNL ran a “crowdfunding campaign” to see how the money could be better spent through investments into local communities or important causes.

Following a week long ‘idea submission’ stage which generated over 90 ideas, a CNL review team then shortlisted and

condensed the ideas into 53 eligible applicants, which were then moved forward to an 'investment stage.' Each CNL staff member was provided $250 to invest into the project of their choosing. In only four days, employees fully funded 29 ideas that will now receive financial support through the program.

In total, approximately $180,000 is being donated to a number of causes below, many of which directly benefit those in needs within our local communities, including investments in schools, in parks and outdoor trails, in mental health and homelessness, in the protection of animals, and financial aid for the less fortunate.

$180,000 DONATION SUPPORTS MANY LOCAL CAUSES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The Northumberland Humane Society Anishinaabe Cultural Circle Child Poverty Action Network (CPAN) The Renfrew County SPCA The Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail (Alqonquin Trail) Junior Farmers of Ontario Hospital Health Care Workers in Renfrew County The Women's Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County The Laurentian Valley Skating Trail Local Food Banks Bonnechere Museum Geoheritage Trail The Grind Maintenance for Highway 17 St Anthony's School Outdoor Seating at Port Hope Area Initiative

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Petawawa Terrace Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Water First Education and Training for Indigenous Communities Community Turtle Crossing Signs The Tiverton Fire Department Watch My 6 Service Dogs Whitewater Ontario Lac du Bonnet & District Arena Seven Sisters Falls Community Club Dumoine River Canoe Route and Tote Road Trail CNL Ski Day Mackenzie Community School North Renfrew Family Services Petawawa Predators Swim Club

A JOURNEY IN SUSTAINABILITY This year, CNL published its 2020-2021 Sustainability Report, a new publication that tracks the company’s progress towards more sustainable operations. In co-operation with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL has identified 14 focus areas where it has embraced sustainable principles and practices to minimize the impact of its operations on future generations.

While CNL’s sustainability planning establishes targets related to environmental performance, including carbon emissions, energy efficiency, biodiversity and waste management, it also encompasses a number of objectives related to social and economic sustainability.

This broader commitment includes actions to nurture a healthier work environment, pursue meaningful engagement with local and Indigenous communities, and expand economic opportunity for businesses and other organizations within its local communities.

“Here at CNL, we have embraced a holistic philosophy to our planning that considers sustainability in all stages of our projects and programs,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO. “Whether it’s our environmental work, workplace policies, capital program or procurement practices, sustainability is now at the centre of every decision we make as an organization. This is our goal, and I hope you see how hard we work to bring it to life in this new publication.”

Some of the many accomplishments identified in CNL’s 2020-2021 Sustainability Report include: •

CNL successfully reduced its carbon emissions at the Chalk River Laboratories by 30 per cent relative to 2005 levels, meeting its target approximately ten years ahead of schedule.

•

As part of its commitment to be a leader in Canada in energy management, CNL developed an Energy Efficiency Strategic Improvement Plan for the Chalk River Laboratories, which targets a 30 per cent reduction in energy intensity at the site by 2035.

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CNL maintains ISO 14001 registration at both its Chalk River and Whiteshell campuses, demonstrating its commitment to environmental stewardship.

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CNL has established aggressive targets to minimize the use of undisturbed lands and conserve the habitats of its animal populations.

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Since 2016, environmental remediation work at the Chalk River Laboratories has resulted in the safe decommissioning and demolition of 98 buildings and structures, representing a footprint of 21,368 m2.

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As part of the revitalization of the Chalk River site, CNL is pursuing strategies that include sustainable site development, water and energy efficiency, and indoor environmental quality. CNL is also using renewable materials, such as Canadian mass timber products.

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Operations at the Chalk River Laboratories campus drive the purchase of goods and services totalling $115 million annually from organizations in Eastern Ontario, $43 million of which is sourced directly from suppliers in Renfrew County.

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CNL continues to participate in meaningful engagement activities with local Indigenous communities to establish mutually beneficial partnerships and opportunities for collaboration between CNL and its Indigenous neighbours.

NAYGN CHALK RIVER CHAPTER WINS CONTEST A team from the Chalk River chapter of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) was selected as the winner of the first North America Innovation for Nuclear (I4N) contest. The winning submission, ‘Small Modular Reactors and Proof of Work Digital Asset Mining in Bitcoin,’ now qualifies the team for the International I4N finale at the International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC) 2022 conference in Sochi, Russia in May 2022.

Launched this year, the contest is being organized by the NAYGN in collaboration with the International Youth Nuclear Congress and the Atomic Allies as a way to encourage innovative ideas focused on nuclear technologies which could contribute to the United Nations sustainable development goals.

For their submission, the Chalk River team proposed the integration of Proof-of-Work blockchain technology with small modular reactors (SMR) as a monetization opportunity for surplus energy generation.

“CNL is home to some of the most innovative and creative nuclear scientists, researchers and engineers in the world, and that includes many of our younger employees,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO. “NAYGN has served as an incredible forum for these employees to direct their passion and enthusiasm for nuclear science and technology, with a key focus on public engagement and education.”

“It comes as no surprise that members of our team are once again being recognized for their efforts, and I want to congratulate them on their creativity, and wish them all the best

CNL Corporate Communications 286 Plant Road, Stn 700 A Chalk River ON, K0J 1J0

in Sochi,” adds Jeff Griffin, Vice-President, Science and Technology at CNL. “On behalf of the Chalk River team, I want to thank the I4N Organizing Committee for holding this contest, which really tapped into the creativity of our membership, and led to a number of compelling, innovative ideas,” commented Denys Elliot, NAYGN Chalk River Chapter Lead and competition team member. “We believe that our idea addresses a key economic risk in remote nuclear energy generation, and could serve as a useful medium to encourage community involvement in clean energy. We’ll do our very best to tell that story in Sochi.”

Included in the list of seventeen United Nations sustainable development goals are problems such as poverty, access to clean water and sanitation, and development of sustainable cities and communities. The Chalk River team recognizes the role that the provision of clean, abundant and affordable electricity through SMRs can play to address these issues, and sees an opportunity of combining Proof of Work (POW) Bitcoin Digital Asset Mining to bolster the economic bottom line of reactors. This monetization model would allow generating stations to regulate energy demands in response to community needs, offering increased operational and financial flexibility.

The NAYGN Chalk River Chapter Winning Team: Heidi Macleod – Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ryan Macleod – Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Zac Woods – Western University Denys Elliot – Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

1-800-364-6989 communications@cnl.ca www.cnl.ca

CONTACT is a publication of CNL's Corporate Communications team.