Nuclear renaissance will deliver challenges

…If the “nuclear renaissance” emerges as many energy experts predict, finding the raw materials, components and skills necessary to meet Ontario’s nuclear needs could prove tricky, and more expensive than authorities are banking on.

On top of cost, completing such projects on schedule is shaping up to be a logistical nightmare. All Ontario coal plants are scheduled for shutdown by 2014. A number of existing nuclear reactors must be refurbished or replaced over the coming 15 years. Bringing one power plant or reactor online while another goes offline will be a delicate balancing act, made more complicated by the international rush for scarce and increasingly costly resources.


“It’s going to be a huge challenge,” Energy Minister Dwight Duncan told the Star. “There are limited suppliers of nuclear technology, there are incredible demands worldwide, and Ontario is a relatively small player in that international market.”

With 250 new nuclear reactors at various stages of development around the world, guaranteeing supply of something as simple as concrete becomes a monumental task. “There are simply not enough resources to meet that demand.”

The issue isn’t isolated to the nuclear industry; the entire energy sector is feeling the resources crunch, particularly as China moves aggressively to power its own economic growth. The cost of concrete, steel, copper, nickel and other metals has skyrocketed. Skilled trades workers are harder to find, particularly as a large swath of “boomers” approach retirement. Transportation costs are rising because of increased fuel costs.

Toronto Star