MONTREAL, Aug. 7, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - SNC-Lavalin
(TSX: SNC) has signed an engineering service contract and a
licensing agreement with China's
Third Qinshan Nuclear Power Company Limited (TQNPC) to implement
37M Natural Uranium Equivalent (NUE)
fuel, a mixture of depleted and recycled uranium, in Qinshan's
CANDU® reactors Units 1 and 2. SNC-Lavalin's work under the
contract includes design definition, design verification, update of
reactor nuclear design and safety case, regulatory support and
licensing. The contract is valued at over CAD $12 million.
"The landmark agreement between SNC-Lavalin and TQNPC will see
the 37M fuel technology put into
commercial use outside of Canada
for the first time and takes advantage of the ample supply of
depleted and recycled uranium in China," said Sandy
Taylor, President, Nuclear, SNC-Lavalin. "A step closer to
closing the fuel cycle, 37M
technology enables better use of alternate fuels in existing CANDU
reactors. The two Qinshan CANDU reactors are already two of the
best performing reactors in China
and adding 37M NUE fuel further
improves their ability to continue to deliver that high
performance."
The development of 37M fuel in
Ontario was a collaboration
between OPG (Ontario Power Generation) - the originator of the
37M design and its CANDU industry
partners in the CANDU Owners Group to perform important testing and
technology development. OPG's subsidiary Canadian Nuclear Partners
licensed the 37M design to
SNC-Lavalin which facilitated collaboration and further development
by SNC-Lavalin, the original designer of the CANDU reactors used in
China and around the world. This
work contributes towards a version of the 37M fuel bundle design for use in those reactors.
The first-ever fuel bundle to test the use of recycled uranium from
light water reactors was successfully demonstrated in Qinshan Unit
1 in 2010.
About SNC-Lavalin
Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a global fully integrated
professional services and project management company and a major
player in the ownership of infrastructure. From offices around the
world, SNC-Lavalin's employees are proud to build what matters. Our
teams provide comprehensive end-to-end project solutions –
including capital investment, consulting, design, engineering,
construction, sustaining capital and operations and maintenance –
to clients across oil and gas, mining and metallurgy,
infrastructure, clean power, nuclear and EDPM (engineering design
and project management). On July 3,
2017, SNC-Lavalin acquired Atkins, one of the world's most
respected design, engineering and project management consultancies,
which has been integrated into our sectors.
www.snclavalin.com
About CANDU® technology
SNC-Lavalin is the
steward of Canadian-designed CANDU® reactor technology. CANDU
reactors are fuelled with natural uranium and use heavy water as a
moderator. Internationally, they are an important component of
low-carbon clean air energy programs on four continents with over
22,000 megawatts of installed capacity. CANDU reactors are
fuel-flexible, capable of using natural uranium for fuel or
advanced fuels like recycled uranium and thorium, as are being
developed for use in countries such as China.
SOURCE SNC-Lavalin