Westinghouse Electric Company has signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with six Canadian suppliers in Saskatchewan to support nuclear new build projects in Canada and worldwide. The agreements followed Westinghouse’s Saskatchewan Supplier Symposium in November, which provided a forum for potential suppliers to learn about supporting Westinghouse’s new-build projects and technologies.

The MOUs establish the potential for manufacturing key reactor components, including electrical equipment by Team Power Solutions and steel structures by Industrial Machine & Mfg, JNE Welding, Northern Strands Group of Companies, STC Industrial Group and Venables Machine Works.

Westinghouse Energy Systems Dan Lipman told the supplier symposium that the company was “ready now to deliver North America’s next AP1000 plant to bring real economic benefits and high-quality jobs to Canada.” He added: “A four-unit AP1000 project in Canada would create 12,000 local jobs while delivering CAD28.7bn ($15.4bn) in GDP during construction.”

In addition, Westinghouse is partnering with SaskPower and Cameco to explore the technical and commercial pathways to deploying the AP1000 reactor, the AP300 SMR and associated nuclear fuel supply chain in Saskatchewan.

“Our partnerships with local suppliers in Saskatchewan will not only help us develop and deploy advanced nuclear technologies in Canada, but they also provide these suppliers with access to export opportunities through global Westinghouse projects,” said Lipman. “For each AP1000 unit we build around the world, Westinghouse could generate almost CAD1bn in GDP through local suppliers.”

However, all of Canada’s operating reactors are pressurised heavy water CANDU units – a completely different technology from the AP1000 pressurised water reactor. Currently Canada is investing heavily in promoting its CANDU technology. Canadian Minister of Energy & Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson recently announced that the Government had signed a preliminary agreement with AtkinsRéalis to support development and modernisation of a new large-scale CANDU nuclear reactor, such as the Monark design, with a loan of CAD304m ($212m) over four years to finance half of the design project. The work will also include Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), operators and the broader Canadian supply chain.

Canada is also promoting opportunities for international collaboration on emerging technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs). Wilkinson, on also announced CAD55m in funding to support Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington New Nuclear Project which is advancing construction of three GE Hitachi BWRX-300 SMRs, which together could supply enough electricity for about 900,000 homes.

In 2022, the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) and Westinghouse signed an MOU to jointly develop a project to locate a Westinghouse eVinci microreactor in Saskatchewan by 2029. In November 2023, the Saskatchewan Government allocated CAD80m to SRC to pursue licensing and operation of a microreactor and also agreed to collaborate with AECL to jointly progress microreactor technology in Saskatchewan.”

Currently, the AP1000 is not licensed or operating anywhere in Europe. In the USA two AP1000 reactors are operating at the Vogle NPP (units 3&4) in Georgia. Unit 3 began commercial operation in July 2023 and unit 4 in April 2024. The two units were originally expected to cost about $14bn and to enter service in 2016 and 2017 but suffered a series of delays, including Westinghouse’s bankruptcy in 2017. The total cost of the project to build Vogtle 3&4 is now put at more than $30bn.

Four Westinghouse AP1000 units are also in operation in China – two each at the Sanmen and Haiyang NPPs. Two CAP1000 units, the Chinese version of the AP1000, are being built as the second phase of each station. The proposed construction of four CAP1000 reactors (units 1-4) at China’s Lufeng NPP was approved by the National Development & Reform Commission in September 2014 but construction of units 1&2 did not receive State Council approval until 19 August 2024. Approval for units 3&4 is still pending. Three AP1000 units have recently been selected for construction in Poland and nine others are planned in Ukraine.