BWXT's BANR Microreactor Selected for Canadian Transportable Nuclear Power Plant Project
The BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor (BANR), a 22 MWe/75 MWt high-temperature gas-cooled reactor utilizing TRISO fuel, has been selected for a Canadian Transportable Nuclear Power Plant (TNPP) project. This Indigenous-led initiative by Prodigy plans to incorporate two BANR microreactors.
The project's goal is to validate plant logistics and operational requirements, establishing a commercial blueprint for the mass deployment of a TNPP fleet in Canada's North and for global export. These transportable power plants are designed for factory construction, with a target installation time of 18 months. They are expected to arrive at the site fully assembled, ready for fueling and commissioning.
Prodigy announced plans for a new campus in Belledune, which will include a centralized operations and maintenance hub to monitor and service a Northern TNPP fleet and train future plant workers. The campus will also feature an Indigenous Energy Innovation Visitor Centre. The power plant itself is projected to create over 150 jobs during site preparation and 40 permanent on-site positions.
The New Brunswick government has signed a letter of intent with Prodigy and the First Nations to purchase the generated electricity. The plant, capable of powering 40,000 homes, has a target in-service date in the early 2030s.
John MacQuarrie, President of Commercial Operations at BWXT, stated that the BANR is being designed to meet heat and electricity demands that currently rely on carbon-emitting sources with complex fuel logistics. He added that collaborating with Prodigy and integrating BANR with their transportable platform design expands BWXT's opportunities for future customers and reinforces Canada's leadership in advanced nuclear energy solutions.
Mathias Trojer, President and CEO of Prodigy Clean Energy, described BWXT's BANR as a leading advanced nuclear technology with a credible path to delivering the G7's first commercially operating Transportable Nuclear Power Plant. He noted that this Canadian pilot project will serve as a reference for deploying a BANR-TNPP fleet across Northern, industrial, and global energy markets.
Ontario Energy Minister Stephen Lecce highlighted Ontario's support for clean energy innovation through the TNPP project, comparing it to Ontario's small modular reactor project. He emphasized that the development of a Canadian-made Transportable Nuclear Power Plant represents the first commercially operating microreactor in the G7.
BWXT Canada and BWXT-owned Kinectrics plan to deploy a skilled Canadian workforce for the project, leveraging the industry's growth from CANDU refurbishment and new build projects. BWXT and Prodigy are working towards a definitive cooperative agreement to target commercial, industrial, and defense energy projects globally.
Prodigy clarified that its Transportable Nuclear Power Plants are purpose-designed, marine-fabricated buildings qualified to house operating nuclear reactors, not barges. All systems and components are contained within the plant, reducing the need for additional land-based buildings. These plants are customizable from 1-1,000 MWe gross output and can be tailored for high-heat applications.
The BANR was one of five microreactors selected by the US Department of the Army in August for deployment under its USD2.2 billion Janus Program. BWX Technologies aims for groundbreaking at its allocated site, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in late 2028, with reactor operations commencing in the early 2030s.