Gabriela Santos
Junior Energy Consultant
Canada has one of the world’s most comprehensive domestic nuclear sectors, with capabilities spanning uranium mining, milling, refining and fuel fabrication through to reactor technology, component manufacturing, operations, refurbishment, research and waste management. Built on decades of domestic expertise and intellectual property, the sector supplies around 13% of Canada’s electricity and contributes billions to the national economy each year through the operation of 17 reactors at home and the servicing of nine reactors abroad.
To leverage Canada’s nuclear strengths as both a source of firm, low-carbon electricity and a strategically important economic and geopolitical sector, Natural Resources Canada launched, on June 22, 2026, its new Nuclear Energy Strategy. Broadly, the framework builds on the country’s technological expertise, domestic supply chain, workforce and IP-most notably its domestically developed CANDU reactor-to expand domestic capacity and reinforce Canada’s position as a leading partner in international nuclear markets.
The new platform sets immediate targets and workstreams structured around four pillars: i) Enabling new builds across Canada; ii) Being a global supplier and exporter of choice; iii) Expanding uranium production and nuclear fuel opportunities and supporting world-class long-term nuclear waste management; and iv) Developing new Canadian nuclear innovations.
The first pillar aims to address barriers to nuclear buildouts such as supply chain gaps, regulatory hurdles and financing structures that undermine investor confidence in the projects. Commitments include centralised federal support for nuclear developments and IP management, support for supply chain requirements and workforce expansion, and facilitated financing schemes such as loan guarantees, green bonds, and risk-sharing, among other directions. Ultimately, the goal is to commission up to ten new large-scale reactors within the country, with two under construction by 2035, one operational or under construction outside Ontario by 2035, and five more planned or under development by 2040.
The second pillar involves a structural shift in how Canada approaches nuclear exports, with the new framework prioritising a coordinated and government-backed market strategy to align with the country’s nuclear trade priorities. This directive could potentially
expand Canadian supply chain participation in international projects, including non-CANDU ones, while also securing continued deployment of CANDU technology overseas. Among key commitments is the creation of Canada Nuclear Partnership Initiative by late-2027 to promote Canadian technical, regulatory and academic capabilities to new nuclear countries.
The third pillar seeks to secure and grow nuclear fuel supply chains and advance responsible waste management solutions. Its commitments include reviewing uranium investment policies by 2027 and facilitating closer dialogue among Canadian mining stakeholders, including industry representatives, government bodies and Indigenous groups.
The fourth and final pillar aims to increase investment in R&D and supporting infrastructure, leverage Canada’s position in the emerging nuclear fusion market, develop Generation IV technology by 2035, and expand the country’s share of the global medical isotope market. Commitments include accelerating priority investments in fusion and microreactor R&D and developing the concept for a new multipurpose research reactor to replace capabilities lost following the retirement of the National Research Universal reactor in 2018.
It’s important to note that recent geopolitical conflicts have placed sustained pressure on global energy markets and exposed the fragility of nuclear fuel supply chains, particularly when it comes to uranium enrichment. Consequently, major Western markets have begun to move, or expressed interest in moving, away from unreliable import sources, which positions Canada’s nuclear industry as a strategic partner capable of meeting growing demand across the value chain, be it for reactor or overall downstream technologies or for upstream uranium supply. As nuclear developments and partnerships accelerate, securing long-term commercial supply agreements as soon as possible represents a strategic advantage for the Canadian industry. Additionally, creating durable commercial relationships could also support the country’s broader foreign policy aspirations.
Overall, the strategy provides a framework for converting Canada’s nuclear capabilities into greater domestic and export capacity, as well as geopolitical influence, although its impact will ultimately depend on effective delivery of the stated commitments. None of Canada’s 12 proposed nuclear projects have yet entered construction, including the more advanced Darlington SMR New Nuclear Project, Terrestrial Energy's Integral Molten Salt Reactor, ARC-100 Advanced Small Modular Reactor, and Moltex Energy Stable Salt Reactor. Delivery will depend on creating financing structures for capital-intensive nuclear infrastructure and expanding the domestic supply chain, which is currently oriented more towards reactor refurbishment rather than new construction given that buildouts haven't occurred in decades.
The federal government also appropriately recognises that implementation of the strategy will require both provincial and industry participation, given provincial jurisdiction over electricity generation, transmission and distribution. Yet regional energy priority differences remain: Ontario is firmly committed to nuclear power, while British Columbia and Quebec favour hydropower and Alberta continues to prioritise natural gas. New Brunswick and Saskatchewan seem to offer more plausible routes for expansion; the former already has nuclear power generation and more advanced projects slated for early-2030s, but the latter's proposals remain at a very early stage. By typical development timelines, the target of achieving a nuclear deployment outside Ontario by 2035 may be ambitious. The draft Policy on Federal Financing of New Nuclear Power Projects expected by April 2027 will be therefore an important test of whether the strategy can move forward with a commercially viable project pipeline.
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