Canada greenlights USD 15 bn SMR buildout: Canada’s Ontario province has approved Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plan to build four small modular reactors (SMRs) with a capacity of 1.2 GW and a total estimated cost of CAD 21 bn (c.USD 15 bn), according to a statement issued last week. The first reactor will have a capacity of 300 MW and is expected to cost CAD 6.1 bn (c.USD 4.4 bn), with the following reactors expected to come in cheaper as OPG builds up technical expertise. All four units are expected to be operating by 2035, with the first SMR coming online by 2030, Axios reported last week.
SMRs drawing bets: Google inked an agreement to purchase power from SMRs company Kairos Power to meet the growing energy demand from data centers last year, marking the first corporate agreement worldwide to buy nuclear energy from SMRs. Meanwhile, SMR developer Terra Innovatum is targeting 2028 for its first commercial deployment and is in the process of securing regulatory approvals from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
V-Green to deploy 63k VinFast EV charging ports in Indonesia: Vietnamese EV charging company V-Green has signed four MoUs with Chargecore, Chargepoint, Amarta Group, and CVS to roll out around 63k VinFast charging ports across Indonesia by year-end, according to a press release issued last week. The project — to kick off next month — will see the companies collectively invest USD 300 mn. V-Green was launched last year by VinFast’s founder to develop a comprehensive charging network.
Some regional interest in VinFast: Qatar’s JTA Investment signed an MoU in March to explore a USD 1 bn equity stake in VinFast, while the UAE’s Emirates Driving Company was reportedly leading a consortium last October looking to invest at least USD 1 bn in the company. The EV maker made its entry to the Qatari market last August.