The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) as a Source of High Quality Process Heat for Sustainable Oil Sands Expansion

Bitumen extraction, processing and upgrading consume large quantities of natural gas for production of steam, hot water and hydrogen. Massive expansion of bitumen production is planned in response to increasing energy demands, higher oil prices, and the desire for energy security. The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (“PBMR”) in its Process Heat configuration supports applications that are likely to compete in a cost effective and environmentally sustainable way with natural gas fired boilers for the production of steam for bitumen recovery. Technology development work to produce hydrogen using this nuclear technology is also underway. The PBMR has the benefit of size, passive nuclear safety characteristics (encompassing Generation IV safety principles), high reliability, high temperature process heat (750–950°C) in a modular design suited to the oil sands industry.