Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) today provided an update on the contract transition for the management and operation of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), as part of the Government-owned, Contractor-operated model.
In June, following a competitive procurement process, AECL announced that Nuclear Laboratory Partners of Canada Inc. (NLPC) had been selected as the Preferred Bidder for the contract to manage CNL. NLPC is a partnership with three primary joint venture partners, BWXT Government Group, Inc., Amentum Environment & Energy, Inc., and Kinectrics Inc., with Battelle Memorial Institute included as key subcontractor.
Since the announcement of the Preferred Bidder in June, AECL, CNL and NLPC, as well as AECL’s current contractor, Canadian National Energy Alliance (CNEA), have been engaged in activities to support a smooth transition. This includes, for example, finalizing plans and facilitating knowledge transfer between CNEA, NLPC and CNL.
The transition, however, will be delayed from the originally planned date of September 13, 2025, until such time as an outstanding regulatory review of the transaction is completed by the Competition Bureau. The exact date will be communicated at a later time.
In the interim period, AECL has put in place an extension to the contract with CNEA to provide continuity of operations and leadership at CNL. Teams at NLPC, AECL, CNEA and CNL will continue to plan and prepare for a smooth transition. Importantly, the focus continues to be on the continuity of safe and secure operations – this is a collective priority for all parties.
This change in the transition date does not affect ongoing work, projects and priorities of CNL, as CNL’s missions and mandate are not changing, and it continues to be responsible for operating AECL’s sites and assets.
About the Government-owned, Contractor-operated Model
Since 2015, AECL has delivered this mandate through a Government-owned, Contractor-operated model, which means that a private sector organization, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), is responsible for managing and operating AECL’s sites. With this arrangement, both AECL (owner) and CNL (operator) are enduring entities with the Contractor (currently Canadian National Energy Alliance) being either renewed or replaced through a competitive procurement process.
Under the Government-owned, Contractor-operated model, AECL owns the sites, facilities, assets, intellectual property and responsibility for environmental remediation and radioactive waste management. CNL is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the sites, is the employer of the workforce and responsible for all licences and permits.
AECL’s GoCo model is such that the vast majority of spending is being done in Canada through the funding provided to CNL to operate AECL’s sites in Canada – 95% of the spending is done in Canada.
CNL’s operations include more than 4,000 employees in Canada at AECL’s Chalk River Laboratories (Ontario), Port Hope Area Initiative (Ontario) and Whiteshell Laboratories (Manitoba), along with other satellite sites.
About Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is a federal Crown corporation with a mandate to drive nuclear opportunities for Canada. Working through a Government-owned, Contractor-operated (GoCo) model that is executed by its contractor, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, AECL enables nuclear science and technology through its Chalk River Laboratories, Canada’s largest research complex, and by engaging with academia and private industry to advance nuclear innovation. It is committed to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. It also manages the Government of Canada’s radioactive waste responsibilities. AECL continues to own the intellectual property for the CANDU® reactor technology and is accountable for deriving optimal benefit from this technology for Canada. Read more on AECL at www.aecl.ca.