Enhancing clean energy in New Brunswick

Point Lepreau – SMR Licensing Support

Looking to help Canada meet its clean energy goals, our team assisted NB Power in developing an application for a license to prepare a site for a small modular reactor (SMR). We were tasked with completing a cost estimate for the decommissioning and rehabilitation of a site at the existing Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station. The cost estimate was required to establish a financial guarantee amount to be carried in the licensing application process associated with the development of a SMR on the site.

Our team first identified the elements and features that would be in place at the end of the site preparation phase. We identified the anticipated regulatory requirements associated with decommissioning of site infrastructure and restoration of site features, such as wetlands. Then we developed quantities for areas to be restored and obtained unit costs for their demolition and restoration. The estimate also included consideration of contingencies, risk escalation, and factors unique to the region including labor force availability.

We were able to successfully define the project elements and the anticipated regulatory requirements to develop the cost estimate to allow the ARD Technical Group to establish a financial guarantee amount to be carried in their application.