Ontario Tech University Partners to Develop Small Nuclear Reactor Concept for Remote Communities
Ontario Tech University stated on April 14, 2025, that it is working with George Brown College’s Brookfield Sustainability Institute to develop a new concept for a small nuclear reactor, known as the Canadian Uranium Energy Bridge (CUEB). The university described this project as intended for remote and rural communities in Canada that are not connected to the North American electricity grid.
According to a 2023 market snapshot from the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), nearly 200 remote Indigenous and northern communities in Canada operate off-grid. The CER reported that, in 2021, 79 percent of electricity in these areas was generated using diesel fuel. The CER also estimated that up to $7 billion per year is spent transporting diesel fuel to Northern Canada and that the market for remote electricity generation is valued at about $5.5 billion annually. Ontario Tech University notes that many of these communities rely on diesel and fossil fuels, resulting in high costs and environmental impacts, including effects on air quality.
Ontario Tech University stated that large nuclear plants and even microreactors are too large, powerful, and costly to meet the energy needs of many remote communities. In response, its Brilliant Energy Institute and Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, together with students, researchers, energy industry professionals, and in partnership with George Brown College, developed the concept for the CUEB nano reactor.
The university reports that the proposed CUEB is a small, portable, modular nuclear generator measuring about eight feet wide (approximately 2.4 metres) and weighing nine metric tonnes, similar in size to a shipping container. Ontario Tech University stated the reactor would use solid-state technology with natural Canadian uranium fuel. According to the university, the reactor could produce hundreds of kilowatts of power, would have zero operating emissions, and could be moved using a forklift or crane. The CUEB is designed to connect multiple units together to address growing energy needs, is intended to last 25 years, and would require refueling every five years.
Ontario Tech University reported that the reactor’s total life cost is expected to be competitive with fossil fuel solutions, with the possibility that its per-kilowatt deployment cost could be less than other nuclear options. The university said the CUEB would be offered as a service from a power provider, including installation, operational monitoring, safety management, and energy monitoring.
The university stated that further development of the CUEB concept will require additional partners, continued research into neutron generator technology, changes to nuclear regulatory processes, and further demonstration that the proposed system can meet its intended electricity output.