Nuclear Energy in Canada

Nuclear Energy in Canada

Nuclear energy in Canada is the core subject of this annotated bibliography report. And the overall purpose of this paper is to identify and illustrate the state of nuclear power in Canada.  Through the research process, my statement primarily focuses on collecting data from online articles, books, and popular sources like the New York Times. The core research question is the general factors surrounding nuclear energy in Canada. For instance, the significance of energy justice in Canada, precise nuclear upgrade projects in Ontario, the process of reopening reactors that are vital in the production of medical isotopes. And lastly, the functions and roles of essential organizations like the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, as the sole regulation organization that facilitates peaceful usage of Nuclear power in Canada.

Annotated Bibliography

Lorinc, J. (2019, July 1). Ontario Puts Nuclear Upgrade Plans on Ice. New York Times.            https://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/ontario-puts-nuclear-expansion-plans-on-ice/

According to Lorinc’s writing on the New York Times, the Canadian government stopped the twenty billion nuclear upgrade projects in Ontario due to a competitive bidding process that left no option but privatized the atomic plant. The project was already two years old, and it was primarily meant to replace the reactors that are out of date with next-generation nuclear technology. And despite the highly-potential privatization of the nuclear plant, its core purpose remains to foster emission-free atomic power. Generally, nuclear energy supports about fifty percent of Ontario’s power supply. However, it poses a federal set back from the privatization of the plant that has been government-owned for the last fifty-seven years since there is no certainty that the future owners will facilitate similar management like the government. After the upgrade, the energy justice system seeks to recommend justice principles on policies, production processes, consumption, and safety in terms of climate change. Most importantly, it serves the purpose of providing everyone with affordable and sustainable energy irrespective of their backgrounds. Energy justice offers the opportunity to identify and explore injustice by indicating burden misdistribution. It enables the new processes that facilitate the precise remediation and recognition of new actors in the nuclear energy industry.

Austen, I. (2017, December 13). Canada Acts to Reopen Reactor Producing Medical Isotope. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/13/business/worldbusiness/13reactor.html

According to this New York Times article, the Canadian has plans to reopen reactors that were vital in the production of a medical isotope. The Canadian government is extensively working on a regulation that will see the reopening of a nuclear reactor that is very significant to the global pharmaceutical industry since it produces the most substantial amount of a medical diagnostic isotope. Atomic energy of Canada is the federal organization that owns the reactor. And it was temporarily closed down for regular maintenance. However, the Canada Nuclear Regulatory agency closed the plant down after a discovery that the plant had out-dated machinery. After the reactor is reopened, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will ensure the peaceful usage of Nuclear power in Canada. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is constituted by quasi-judicial tribunal commissioners who are independent and other senior staff members who provide sound decisions and recommendations for the commissioners. What is more, authoritative advisors provide the licenses that are issued by the commission. As Canada’s primary nuclear regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission provides consent and compliance of remediation activities at legitimate atomic sites.

Mishra, S. (2018). India-Canada Nuclear Relations: From a Troubled Past towards a Promising Future. Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, 13(1), 44-50.

This article presents the India-Canada relations in the atomic energy era. Under the Colombo Act and the Atoms for Peace Act, India and Canada were collaborating in their nuclear production processes for over two decades. Through the Peaceful Nuclear Explosion Act, India initiated a relationship that later became Ottawa’s political, but the link did not lat since India had various challenges. However, after 1998 India developed its Nuclear weapon status and to the point of the equation to Washington. As a result, the India-Canada relationship was fostered and made official in 2013. Along the New Hampshire coast in Canada, there is the Seabrook One nuclear plant that may see foreclosure due to extensive cost overruns. Despite all that, India is seeking the plant as an alternative power to their government. Thus, the Canadian government is willing to sell the plant to India; however, the Canadian government, through the New Brunswick Electric Power Commission, insists that it has to fully construct the plant then sell it to India for twenty years a slightly higher price than the construction cost. All in all, this process will foster Canada’s competitive strength in the global power supply market.

Radetzki, M. (2017). Uranium: a strategic source of energy. Routledge.

According to this book, the Uranium market is highly unstable and very unpredictable with regards to the international market. Now this book was published for the first time in 1981. And it analyzes some of the primary factors that affect the significant increase or decrease in the price of Uranium in the global market. Through a comprehensive analysis, it was clear the commencement of the Uranium market faced various challenges, and most consumers could not keep up with the high prices. As a result, price developments occurred swiftly. However, after most nuclear plants could run their activities efficiently, the prices dropped to manageable levels. Through an extensive analysis of the Uranium market, the stages of atomic production are very complex; however, each step of the nuclear production process is associated with the release of large amounts of hard-to-manage waste that requires perpetual management systems. Therefore, the current energy consumption in Canada imposes costs and potential risks for future generations. What is more, due to a wide range of radioactive and harmful pollutants, there could be severe impacts on groundwater quality and surface water safety.

Dincer, I. (2018). Final Report on the Nuclear Hydrogen Production Assessment Tool: HEEP (Canada) (No. IAEA-TECDOC–1859 (COMPANION CD-ROM)).

In this article, Dincer outlines the Final Report on the Nuclear Hydrogen Production Assessment Tool: HEEP. More precisely, the HEEP is computer software that serves the vital function of analyzing and monitoring the technical and economic factors of the essential process of nuclear hydrogen production. More specifically, through computer programming, there is a pre-process that avails vital data. Secondly, it implements a module cost by making the overall cost of hydrogen production cheaper. The last stage is the post-processing module, where the outcomes of the Nuclear Hydrogen Production Assessment Tool are observed for crucial results. The HEEP will be useful in the thorium fuel cycle in CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) reactors. Thorium oxide fuel provides a vast density of combined with an exceptional neutron economy. What is more, if the thorium fuel is mixed with organic caloporteur, then it enables efficient maintenance and sustainable availability to the whole plant. Additionally, the overall cost of fuel is estimated below. Since thorium fuel is not so popular, many people assume that extensive nuclear power is only attainable from nuclear fusions or breeder reactors. However, apart from efficiency, the scale of the thorium cycle can be just as significant.