Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development Minister Mary Ng rises during Question Period, in Ottawa, on Nov. 23.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Canada is willing to work with France on processing, treating, recycling and disposing nuclear waste, Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng told Reuters on Wednesday, adding the countries were looking at how to work together across the nuclear supply chain.
The development of small modular reactors, or SMRs, is also part of the agreement between France and Canada, Ng said, adding that SMR technology, and the nuclear agreement in general, was part of a larger drive for decarbonization.
The minister did not give further details or a timeline for sharing or developing SMR technology.
“The government of Canada has committed money to make sure that, particularly around SMR, that we are actually looking at how we treat waste in a sustainable way for SMR. So a lot of that work is domestically being done in Canada,” she said.
Canada and France signed a broader trade agreement on Tuesday over nuclear technology, pledging to work together to develop local supply chains and skilled labour for the sector.