Saskatchewan will run every coal-fired power station beyond the federal government’s 2030 deadline, saying it needs steady baseload electricity until it can replace the power with small modular nuclear reactors. In a letter to SaskPower workers on Wednesday, Crown Investments Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison said the utility will “life-extend” about 1,500 MW of coal capacity at Boundary Dam, Shand, and Poplar River. Work starts this year to return Boundary Dam Unit 4 to service. Harrison wrote the move protects jobs, meets rising demand, and keeps bills affordable. ."The certainty and security of coal means that it will continue as a pillar of our electrical generation system as we bridge to a nuclear future powered by Saskatchewan uranium,” said Harrison. The letter was also sent to Westmoreland Mining, which supplies the facilities. The province is studying a site near Estevan for its first small modular reactor, with a construction decision due by 2029 and potential operation in 2034. Saskatchewan government still promises a net-zero grid by 2050. .SaskPower will also look at adding new carbon-capture units after mixed results at Boundary Dam Unit 3, the world’s first commercial carbon-capture coal project. Adding capture equipment could cost billions, but detailed budgets will follow once engineering studies are complete, according to Harrison. The plan sets up a legal clash with the federal Clean Electricity Regulations, which order coal units closed after 50 years or by 2030. "We have also been clear that we do not recognize the legitimacy of the federal Clean Electricity Regulations," said Harrison.Harrison pointed out that deferring early shutdowns will save money and give workers and communities time to prepare for the eventual nuclear switch.
