nuclear-news

Scandal-ridden company SNC Lavalin, now calling itself AtkinsRéalis, strongly lobbying Ontario government to build its Candu nuclear reactors

Chrétien-backed AtkinsRéalis wants Ontario to build new nuclear reactors with its technology

Investigative Journalism Foundation , Carly Penrose, 22 November, 2024 

AtkinsRéalis, formerly SNC Lavalin, is getting help from a former prime minister and a former Ontario premier in its bid to have Ontario lawmakers use its technology for new nuclear reactors.

………………………………………………….AtkinsRéalis, backed by a roster of political power players, wants Ontario to use its CANDU technology for new nuclear plants. The engineering services and nuclear company formerly known as SNC Lavalin said it wants “the government of Ontario to choose the Canadian-owned CANDU nuclear technology as the reactor for the next generation of new reactors to be built in Ontario.”

CANDU is a type of nuclear power reactor developed in Canada by AtkinsRéalis. The company says it has been promoting CANDU reactors in Canada and abroad, including by rallying a coalition of supporters “under the banner of the Canadians for CANDU campaign.”

Two key supporters of the campaign include former prime minister Jean Chrétien and former premier of Ontario Mike Harris. AtkinsRéalis is also hiring nuclear champions who have worked in government. It first hired Mike Holland in July. Holland is a former New Brunswick energy minister who left his government post in June. In August, the company also hired Todd Smith, another former minister of energy from Ontario who stepped down from the government to work in the private sector. Holland and Smith both consulted their respective provincial integrity officers before joining the company. 

AtkinsRéalis’ lobbying in Ontario comes as a number of the province’s existing nuclear plants are nearing the end of their life. To continue providing enough energy to support some 15-million Ontarians, advocates are suggesting building new small nuclear reactors which are cheaper and faster to build than traditional plants. The province has been supportive of the idea and is starting the process to build its first new nuclear plant in a generation, in Darlington, Ont.

But nuclear projects are expensive, and nuclear waste disposal is a contentious issue for many small towns in the province’s north…………………………….. The Ontario Ministry of Energy and Electrification did not respond to a request for comment. …………..  https://theijf.org/chretien-nuclear-candu

November 23, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized