AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. (TSX: ATRL) has submitted a Notice of Intent to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its CANDU reactor design, a move that formally opens pre-application engagement with the agency and marks the company’s first concrete step toward deploying large-scale nuclear power south of the border.
The filing arrives as U.S. electricity demand climbs, propelled by data centers, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. To reduce siting risk and compress deployment timelines, AtkinsRéalis is targeting the construction of its reactors at existing nuclear sites and states with favorable regulatory environments.
The company is also in discussions with U.S. utilities, state governments, and hyperscale data center operators as potential power purchasers.
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“As the United States enters a new chapter in its civilian nuclear program, AtkinsRéalis is uniquely positioned, as the steward of CANDU technology, to help advance the country’s ambitious energy policy through proven, low-cost reactor technology with a world-class reputation,” said Ian L. Edwards, President and CEO.
The Enhanced CANDU 6 is a 700+ MW pressurized heavy water reactor. Its two most commercially distinctive features are the use of natural, unenriched uranium as fuel and the ability to refuel while running at full power, which eliminates the planned outages that interrupt output at conventional reactors.
The unenriched fuel requirement has drawn fresh attention given concerns about Western dependence on Russian uranium enrichment capacity.
Thirty-four CANDU units have been built across Canada, Romania, Argentina, South Korea, and China, collectively logging nearly 1,000 reactor-years of operating experience.
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