Nuclear energy is at the centre of Canada’s plan towards a green future.
Complementing other clean-energy technologies, nuclear can provide reliable, low-carbon power, support energy-intensive industries and meet growing energy demands where other energy sources may have limitations.
As a global leader in nuclear science and technology, Canada is advancing new technologies, materials, systems and approaches that can help shape the future of nuclear energy. From next-generation reactors and advanced fuels to nuclear safety, waste management and applications beyond electricity generation, research and collaboration will be critical to unlocking nuclear energy’s potential and strengthening Canada’s role in the global energy transition.
Working with government, academic, and industry partners, MAX-Nuclear is contributing to Canada’s green energy transition by advancing research in nuclear materials, with applications in conventional nuclear power plants as well as innovative nuclear designs such as small modular reactors (SMRs).
Our researchers are exploring how to enhance the efficiency, reliability, safety, and cost-effectiveness of nuclear energy systems:
- We are advancing knowledge of the fundamentals of interactions between high-energy particles and solids
- We apply innovative microscopy methods, and high-temperature thermo-mechanical testing to understand how existing and new materials respond to the conditions found in existing and next-generation reactor designs – this research helps improve in-reactor performance and predict the lifetime of reactor components
- Through experiments that allow real-time observations of changes to the microstructure of materials, we are generating unprecedented data to validate advanced computational models of irradiation damage and assist in predicting material aging and degradation
- We develop improved materials and designs for the refurbishment of existing plants and for future generations of power plants, including nuclear waste storage solutions
