Move will help reduce costs and execution risks
Candu Energy, a branch of Canada’s engineering giant AtkinsRéalis, has signed preferred vendor agreements (PVAs) with eight Canadian suppliers to accelerate the refurbishment and construction of Candu heavy water nuclear reactors both domestically and internationally.
The company said the eight vendors will gain preferential access to contracts and play key roles in future deployments of Candu technology.
The initial agreements, involving companies that accounted for over CAD700m ($493m, €446m) in orders in 2024 and nearly CAD500m so far this year, aim to streamline the purchasing process and bring about closer collaboration on the engineering development of updated Candy reactors, said a statement.
AtkinsRéalis expects to add more preferred suppliers in the second quarter of 2025.
The eight vendors are: BC Instruments, BWXT, Celeros, ES Fox, Niagara Energy, NWI Precision, Senior Flexonics and Velan.
They were selected based on their “consistent delivery” and “crucial role” in Candu Energy's ability to deliver “on-time and on-budget” in past refurbishments and life extensions projects.
Joe St. Julian, president for nuclear at AtkinsRéalis, said the agreements would provide Canadian partner companies with a “stable, predictable stream of business” while reducing costs and execution risks.
In 2024, Candu Energy issued over CAD1.3bn in purchase orders to more than 350 companies within the Candu nuclear supply chain, with 88.5 % going to Canadian suppliers, said AtkinsRéalis.
The Candu reactor is a Canadian-designed, heavy-water moderated and cooled nuclear reactor that uses natural uranium as fuel and is known for its ability to be refuelled while operating, helping it maintaining high load factors.
Canada operates a fleet of 17 commercial reactor units that are all Candu plants. Overseas, Candus are operated in Romania, Argentina, South Korea, China and India, with some Indian reactors being Candu derivatives.
