Lighting Up the Great North with the eVinci® Microreactor

Northern Canada Mining and Community Leaders Visit Westinghouse’s eVinci Microreactor Technology Hub

As the Canadian nuclear industry gears up for next generation nuclear reactors, a delegation of mining and community leaders from northern Canada recently toured our eVinci® Microreactor Technology Hub in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The delegation was led by the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines and included representatives from B2Gold, Agnico Eagle, NorZinc and Loyal Lithium. They were joined by leaders from Inuit and Indigenous associations and communities, including Det’on Cho Corporation, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Kitikmeot Inuit Association, Kivalliq Inuit Association and the Tłı̨chǫ Government.

Representatives toured the eVinci demonstration room, exploring the heat pipe manufacturing process and the microreactor components manufactured in Canada. Our team showcased how the eVinci microreactor is a strong alternative to diesel solutions with its key benefits:

• Combined heat and power production
• No water needed for cooling
• Small, above-ground footprint with minimal environmental impact
• Predictable energy costs

“Westinghouse is committed to building mutually beneficial partnerships with local industry experts and knowledge holders to support new nuclear projects in Canada,” said Agata Leszkiewicz, eVinci Regional Manager for Canada and Alaska. “We’re here to discuss the benefits and opportunities that our microreactor could bring to northern applications in the future.”

The discussions centered on the Canadian North’s unique challenges, with a focus on lowering energy costs and strengthening energy and heat security. One priority identified during the visit was the need to expand outreach to educate the public about nuclear energy as a way of building support for the eVinci microreactor technology.

Westinghouse is ready now to bring our industry-leading microreactor technology to Canada – from establishing an engineering hub in Ontario, expanding our Canadian eVinci engineering team and investing in regional research, development and technology.

The eVinci microreactor was recently featured in Popular Mechanics magazine in an article about the great promise that the transportable mini-nuclear reactor brings to places in need of a secure and safe energy source.

New eVinci microreactor research and development partnerships were recently announced with McMaster University and the University of Saskatchewan to advance eVinci development in Canada. The first deployment of the eVinci microreactor in Canada is scheduled for 2030 in Saskatchewan, with northern deployments potentially feasible by the mid 2030’s.

Learn more about the eVinci microreactor here.