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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Ontario Tech hosts major international workshop on integrated nuclear and renewable energy systems

Virtual event connected more than 700 registrants representing 75 countries

Clean Energy Research Laboratory, Ontario Tech University.
Clean Energy Research Laboratory, Ontario Tech University.

Integrated energy systems involving nuclear and renewables sources are seen as one of the solutions to face increasing worldwide demand for energy and meet contemporary global energy challenges. Advances in sustainable energy have the potential to help Canada and the world respond to climate change, produce reliable, carbon-free electricity, create jobs, and move faster toward net zero emissions by 2050.

As a prominent centre of sustainable energy research and because of its strong reputation for expertise and new knowledge creation, Ontario Tech University is designated an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Collaborating Centre, the only one in Canada.

On March 24 and 25, Ontario Tech held an online Workshop on Integrated Nuclear-Renewable Energy Systems, bringing together energy experts from academia, industry and international organizations. The technical discussions examined the future of the energy sector in light of growing interest in integrated nuclear-renewable energy systems and their role in the hydrogen economy.

The linkages between renewables and nuclear in integrated sustainable energy systems open the door to a wide variety of clean energy applications beyond electricity production, including large-scale clean hydrogen production. Hydrogen and fuel cells will play an important role in various sectors such as transportation, commercial and industrial. There have also been major recent developments in nuclear energy thanks to the promise of small modular reactors (SMRs) that can serve off-grid communities and remote areas. Producing smaller bundles of power than traditional large nuclear plants, SMRs are expected to reduce future costs in energy transmission and distribution infrastructure.  

Quotes

“Driving new research and discovery in clean and renewable energy technology is one of Ontario Tech’s strengths. Our March workshops brought together researchers and energy sector partners from around the world, and reinforced the vital role that Ontario Tech as an IAEA Collaborating Centre can play as a champion of small modular reactors and integrated energy systems.”
-Dr. Les Jacobs, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Ontario Tech University

As we transition to a carbon emissions-free future, the global energy community is at a key historical inflection point. As an IAEA Collaborating Centre, Ontario Tech University is proud to provide an interactive platform for international participants to collaborate and exchange new ideas.”
-Dr. Hossam Kishawy, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science; and of the Faculty of Energy systems and Nuclear Science, Ontario Tech University

“The IAEA acknowledges Canada’s important international role in R&D and deployment of advanced nuclear power reactors, including the coming newbuilds in Ontario using small modular reactors and microreactors in integrated energy systems. These topics are timely as we face the challenge of meeting energy demand to power global development. Through Ontario Tech University as an IAEA Collaborating Centre, we will continue to explore how nuclear energy can be used in a more sustainable and versatile way, beyond solely electricity production. Innovation is key to that success.”
-Aline des Cloizeaux, Director, Division of Nuclear Power, Department of Nuclear Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency

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