OTTAWA — Canada is doubling down on uranium production and nuclear exports, a push Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson says will come with strict safeguards to ensure Canadian fuel and technology are not diverted to weapons programs.
“Any development of nuclear has to be done in a safe way for ourselves and the world, and Canada is committed to not seeing nuclear proliferation,” Hodgson told POLITICO on Monday. “So it’s at the top of our list.”
Hodgson was speaking after announcing plans to expand Canada’s uranium production and double its exports, while reducing red tape to build 10 more domestic nuclear power plants.
The strategy marks a major bet on nuclear energy by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government, which wants to more than double its nonemitting electricity grid by 2050. It also aligns Canada with the Trump administration’s ambition to expand nuclear energy, including small modular reactors, technology where Canada considers itself a pioneer.
