Minister’s Statement on the Nuclear Waste Management Organization 2023 Annual Report

Nuclear energy plays a pivotal role in Canada’s clean energy mix, contributing 15 percent of our national electricity supply and 52 percent of the supply in Ontario. With 82 percent of our electricity already coming from low- or non-emitting sources, nuclear power continues to offer firm baseload non-emitting power to complement a strong and growing renewables sector. Future energy requirements will mean potentially doubling our energy needs by 2050, and in 2023, Canada was one of 25 countries that signed a declaration at COP28 with the goal of tripling nuclear energy. While nuclear power is not required everywhere, it will play a significant role in growing electrical grids in many countries around the world.

Canada was the first country in the world to declare that its use of nuclear energy would be for peaceful purposes only, and for nearly 80 years, our country has continued to maintain a reputation as a safe and reliable partner in this key sector. When it comes to nuclear energy and technology, protecting the health and safety of people and the environment is the Government of Canada’s top priority. This includes ensuring the safe and socially acceptable long-term solutions are put in place to manage radioactive waste.

That is why Parliament passed the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act (NFWA) in 2002, establishing the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) to undertake the long-term management of Canada’s nuclear fuel waste. The federal government further reaffirmed this approach in 2007 with its adoption of the NWMO’s recommended approach of Adaptive Phased Management, which involves containment and isolation of nuclear fuel waste in a deep geological repository (DGR).

Since 2010, the NWMO has worked effectively in advancing its comprehensive, community-based site selection process, working in partnership with local Indigenous communities and municipalities, which could potentially host the DGR. As the nuclear sector experiences unprecedented momentum in Canada, these opportunities cannot be fully seized without the support and collaboration of local communities. Since 2007, the NWMO has been leading the way through its commitment to siting the DGR in a willing and informed host community and the NWMO’s consent-based siting process has earned global recognition.

In 2023, the NWMO continued to make commendable progress developing the safety case for the DGR, building partnerships with potential siting communities, advancing reconciliation and aligning its work with Indigenous knowledge and building organizational readiness to embark on their next phase of work post-site selection. This is critical to unlocking economic reconciliation with the host First Nation community and is therefore a significant priority for NRCan.

The NWMO is on track to select a site later this year and begin the regulatory process soon after, making Canada one of the world’s leading countries in the advancement of a DGR — joining Finland, Sweden, France and Switzerland.

The Government of Canada is investing millions to advance a variety of priorities, from minimizing waste and enhancing safety, to diversifying our fuel supply chain and working with international partners. There is a real opportunity for Canada here, and we are keen to seize it.

Canada's nuclear industry is building on a strong history and is firmly focused on the future. The Government of Canada will continue to support the industry in its efforts to expand and diversify the Canadian energy grid.

I invite you to learn more about the NWMO’s work through this report.

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources