First Hydrogen Corp. has announced the addition of a Small Modular Nuclear Reactor (SMR) design in collaboration with Professor Muhammad Taha Manzoor from the University of Alberta.
The project will focus on SMR design for fuel reactor materials, reactor design and reactor design optimisation, taking into consideration the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centres.
SMRs offer some key benefits compared to traditional nuclear reactors: They are compact and can be installed in remote locations, can be factory-fabricated and shipped to the site, scale incrementally with demand, are safer due to their simplified designs, potentially use fuels other than enriched uranium, have longer periods between refuelling and have lower upfront costs.
Canada: A leading choice for SMR design and development
Canada is globally recognised for its exceptional nuclear expertise, notably through its renowned CANDU (Canadian Deuterium-Uranium) reactors, widely considered among the safest and most reliable nuclear technologies in the world.
Leveraging SMRs, First Hydrogen aims to deliver a stable, cost-effective, and efficient process for producing green hydrogen, addressing the growing demand for clean energy solutions worldwide.
By integrating advanced nuclear technology with green hydrogen production, the Company is positioned to meet rising global demand for clean energy. The Company is currently reviewing potential sites in Canada and Europe.
First Hydrogen believes Canada’s strong nuclear expertise and proven track record position its technologies as a leading choice for SMR development.
The rise of SMR projects across the region
Prime Minister Carney has endorsed SMR technology as crucial to ensuring energy independence and transforming the country into a leading energy superpower. As per the Government of Canada (January 8, 2025), there are currently five nuclear power plants situated in three provinces, housing 22 nuclear power reactors.
These power plants produce 15% of Canada’s electricity. Notable Canadian SMR projects include Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Darlington SMR initiative, aiming to build four reactors, New Brunswick’s focus on fourth-generation SMRs, including ARC Clean Energy’s development at Point Lepreau, and Saskatchewan’s active exploration into SMRs for grid-scale power generation.
The growth of AI data centres
Goldman Sachs projects that artificial intelligence will drive a 160% increase in data centre power demand by 2030, reshaping global energy consumption. Unlike previous years when efficiency improvements offset growing workloads, AI’s heavy computational needs, like a ChatGPT query using nearly 10× the electricity of a Google search, are overwhelming those gains.
Currently responsible for about 1-2% of global electricity, data centres could reach 3-4% by the decade’s end, with AI accounting for 19% of that demand by 2028. US utilities need $50 billion in new generation capacity, and Europe is facing over $1.7 trillion in grid and renewable investments.
Dr Manzoor commented: “We are pleased to see our collaboration with First Nuclear expanding, as they broaden their small modular reactor (SMR) approach by integrating design elements and committing additional support to this challenging yet exciting endeavour.
“SMR design is a complex, multidisciplinary problem that requires assembling a diverse team of experts. We look forward to deepening our partnerships across Canadian academia and industry in the years ahead.”
