SNC-Lavalin and Aecon in for US$ 2bn nuclear project

SNC-Lavalin and Aecon Group have won a joint contract worth around CAN$ 2.75 billion (US$ 1.94 billion), to refurbish a nuclear power station in Ontario, Canada.

The 10-year project, to be undertaken on a 50-50 basis by SNC-Lavalin and Aecon, will commence this year and involves replacing the main reactor components at the Darlington nuclear power station.

According to the two companies, each of the station's four reactors will be taken out of service sequentially over a period of three years, allowing for the replacement of fuel channels, feeder pipes, calandria tubes and end fittings.

Operated by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), a company owned by the provincial government, the station produces around 20% of Ontario’s electricity.

Sandy Taylor, President, Power, SNC-Lavalin said, "Following almost four years of preparation and planning, this amendment to proceed with the physical refurbishment work demonstrates OPG's confidence in our joint venture team and in our capabilities in the nuclear industry,"

In the wake of the contract being awarded, SNC-Lavalin's chief nuclear officer, Preston Swafford, said, "Our team will immediately shift its focus to the execution phase of the project. This will include training and procurement of critical resources before the outage begins."

He added, "Our portion of the project is expected to create approximately 300 jobs within SNC-Lavalin and another 500 jobs in Ontario."