Ontario Tech University Receives Federal Funding for Nuclear Fuel Storage Study

Ontario Tech University is participating in a multi-year research project to study the storage and management of used nuclear fuel from Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). In an April 2025 announcement, the university stated that Natural Resources Canada is providing close to $5 million for the Safety Assessment and Fuel Evaluation of Tri-Structural ISOtropic (SAFE-T) project through the federal Enabling Small Modular Reactors program.

The SAFE-T project involves researchers from Ontario Tech University working with partners at Western University, McMaster University, York University, and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. The project is focused on evaluating TRISO fuel, which is a type of nuclear fuel containing uranium kernels coated with three protective layers.

According to Ontario Tech, the research will be led by Dr. Kirk Atkinson of the Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering. The university said that its team will investigate the criticality safety of spent TRISO fuel and Mark II used fuel containers. Ontario Tech stated that researchers will use non-destructive imaging and advanced evaluation techniques to develop three-dimensional activity maps of irradiated fuel, with the intention of providing safety information to spent fuel handlers before long-term storage.

Through its Brilliant Energy Institute, Ontario Tech reported it will assist with coordinating communication within the project team and with project partners, including Indigenous communities. The university said this involvement aims to facilitate participation and the integration of social considerations within the technical research.

Ontario Tech also noted its history in nuclear and energy-related research and reported that it offers an undergraduate program in nuclear engineering. No further details of the study's timeline or potential use of results were provided in the university's statement.