AHP-based Siting of Small Modular Reactors: A Case Study in Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are clean, safe and low-cost alternative to traditional fossil fuel power plants. Saskatchewan, Canada can benefit from SMR power generation because of its remote communities which can be best served by small distributed power sources. In addition, based on the load centers and existing power grid infrastructure, SMRs could be more suitable when compared to large power plants. Choosing a site for new power plants can involve many factors such as economic, social, geographic and electrical infrastructure. In this paper, we present a case study on finding suitable locations for SMR in Saskatchewan, Canada based on the electrical parameters.We consider electrical and non-electrical loads, existing and retiring generations, transmission infrastructure as the criteria for determining suitable SMR locations in the province. We use analytical hierarchy process to determine the weights of each criteria and then implement multi criteria decision making to obtain the results.