Candu Energy, part of AtkinsRéalis, has been awarded a $450m contract by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for the delivery of the first of four small modular reactor (SMR) units at the Darlington New Nuclear Project.
Set to be located in Durham Region, east of Toronto, this 300MW BWRX-300 reactor will provide electricity to approximately 300,000 homes.
As agreed, AtkinsRéalis will offer comprehensive engineering services for the SMR, covering project management, licensing, design, procurement, construction support, commissioning, and digital delivery capabilities. These services will address both the nuclear island and the balance of plant scopes within the project.
AtkinsRéalis president and CEO Ian L. Edwards said: “As a world-class engineering services and nuclear organisation, we are advocates for the role of SMRs in the energy mix to create stable, affordable, and reliable power grids.
“Our involvement in the G7’s first grid-scale SMR and Canada’s first nuclear new build in roughly 30 years reaffirms our leading position in the global nuclear energy market, for both large and small reactor technologies. Our trusted relationship with OPG supporting hydropower assets and refurbishing CANDU reactors at Darlington and Pickering will support this project’s successful completion by 2030.”
AtkinsRéalis has been part of the Darlington New Nuclear Project alliance team since 2023. The company, working as architect-engineer, collaborated with GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Aecon Kiewit Nuclear Partners. Preliminary site preparation, conducted under a previous contract phase, was completed on schedule and within budget.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has already provided a construction licence for the SMR, while OPG received the green light from the Ontario government to proceed with it earlier this month.
OPG plans to invest a total of $20.9bn in the Darlington New Nuclear Project. This investment covers site preparation, engineering, and the construction of all four SMRs. The first SMR is projected to cost approximately $6.1bn, with an additional $1.6bn allocated for shared systems and services.
