Canadian group AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. has signed a major collaboration agreement with Électricité de France (EDF) to develop nuclear projects on a global scale. The agreement aims to expand their existing strategic partnership and pool their respective expertise in engineering, equipment supply, installation and commissioning of nuclear power plants.
A structuring partnership for the sector
The agreement includes enhanced cooperation between the centres of excellence of both companies, notably in waste management and fuel production. It also covers the sharing of operational best practices. Both companies will continue to compete independently in technology vendor selection processes, based on the requirements of governments and project developers.
Each group retains its proprietary technologies: CANDU® for AtkinsRéalis and EPR for EDF. The stated objective is to preserve industrial sovereignty while enabling deeper integration of the two countries’ nuclear industries.
International deployment and local impact
Under the terms of the agreement, the cooperation could lead to local economic opportunities, particularly in Canada, through the creation of specialised jobs in the nuclear sector. This strategy aligns with the global growth in demand for both large and small-scale nuclear capacity.
AtkinsRéalis and EDF are already working together in the United Kingdom and France on new nuclear build programmes. The reinforced partnership is intended to expand their ability to operate jointly in international markets.
A strong signal to the nuclear industry
Joe St. Julian, President of the Nuclear division at AtkinsRéalis, stated that this strengthened partnership will allow both companies to increase their global operational capacity while leveraging their combined technical expertise. Vakis Ramany, Senior Vice President for International Nuclear Development at EDF, highlighted the importance of this alliance in reinforcing energy sovereignty and supply security for both countries.
