The Journey to a Healthy Nuclear Safety Culture

Abstract

As Saskatchewan’s leading energy provider, Saskatchewan Power Corporation (SaskPower) maintains and operates a large fleet of electricity generation facilities. SaskPower is evaluating its long-term electricity supply strategy to meet a net-zero emissions target.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are being assessed as a viable technology that can support the long- term goal of producing reliable power with zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Calian is supporting SaskPower to progress the key steps in the SMR planning phase.

A key element in this journey is to establish a healthy nuclear safety culture, which forms a foundational aspect as part of the licensing basis. Some of the activities that will be described in this paper are:

• Goal setting.
• Awareness campaigns and training.
• Independent assessments.
• Surveys and focus groups.

This paper will highlight the work done to date in this transition, some of the challenges, and the focus for the planning of the project.