By Pepper Parr
March 19th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
There was a time when they made refrigerators – not anymore
Westinghouse Electric in Canada now wants to make a device that will fit into three shipping containers and heat up to 4000 homes.
The device is a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) that Westinghouse believes is going to play a large part of helping the world meet the Climate Change challenge. The device has been branded as an “eDavinci”
They expect to have it commercialized by 2027 – they are weeks away from announcing the first sale to a Saskatchewan corporation.
So – what is a SMR and why is it in the news?
Earlier this week the federal government announced a $27.2 million funding contribution that has Westinghouse contributing $57.2 million.
Member of Parliament and |Cabinet Minister Karina Gould
Hon. Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
The event brought two Cabinet Ministers plus two Members of Parliament to Westinghouse operation where some details on the on the objective of the program were set out.
Hon. Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry who made the announcement was joined by Karina Gould Minister of Families, Children and Social Development .
The “eDavinci” is basically a very small nuclear reactor that provides clean, low cost energy to almost any community. It fits into three shipping contains and can stay in place for eight years providing a constant flow of energy. One SMR can provide the power needs of 4000 homes.
Pam Damoff, MP for |Oakville North Burlington
MP Pam Damoff told of a community she visited when she was on Oakville Town Council that ran everything off diesel generators. When there was a rupture in the diesel fuel lines the oil spill meant the local school had to be closed.
Her point was that with an “eVince” in place there would be no diesel fuel spill and no C02 being pumped into the environment.
While the funding announcement was important the underlying message from everyone was that the climate change target cannot be met relying on just the sustainables – solar and wind – nuclear has to be part of the solution.
Eddie Saab, President of Westinghouse Electric Canasda
That statement is a significant shift on the part of the federal government; nuclear and radiation concerns appear to have been set aside – saving the planet is the priority.
How the “eVinci” works and the difference it is going to make is an interesting story which we will tell you when we have the graphics needed to make it all understandable.
The Westinghouse operation in Burlington has 230 employees which they expect to grow to over 300.
