The Western Canadian economy, flush with metal, mineral and energy resources, is a major supplier of the primary inputs that are key to the industrial and structural expansion taking place in China and India.
Did you know that Western Canada accounts for:
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91 per cent of Canada’s oil production;
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94 per cent of Canada’s natural gas production;
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99 per cent of Canada’s coal production;
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27 per cent of Canada’s hydro-electric production;
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15 per cent of Canada’s wind generated electricity; and
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100 per cent of Canada’s uranium production?
Our ability to produce the primary inputs for a variety of energy production techniques positions us strongly not only for growing oil and coal demand, but also for alternative forms of energy production such as nuclear power. Check out these facts related to nuclear power:
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Mainland China has 13 nuclear power reactors in operation, 25 under construction, and more about to start construction soon;
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Additional reactors are planned, including some of the world’s most advanced, to give more than a tenfold increase in nuclear capacity to 80 GWe by 2020, 200 GWe by 2030, and 400 GWe by 2050;
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China is rapidly becoming self-sufficient in reactor design and construction, as well as other aspects of the fuel cycle.
China requires various sources of energy to fuel its rapidly growing economy and the massive scale of construction and development taking place. This demand should continue to position Western Canada favourably over the mid term.