Monday, July 7, 2025
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) announced that Nuclear Laboratory Partners of Canada Inc. has been selected as the Preferred Bidder for the contract to manage Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). Nuclear Laboratory Partners of Canada Inc. 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.
Nuclear Laboratory Partners of Canada Inc. will assume responsibility of CNL, with Dennis Carr as president and CEO, on September 13, 2025, following a transition period that will commence in the coming weeks.
The scope of work includes the management of all AECL’s sites and assets, including the Chalk River Laboratories and environmental remediation projects in Port Hope, Ontario, at the Whiteshell Laboratories site in Pinawa, MB, and at other AECL sites in Canada. Of particular importance will be the advancement of AECL’s agendas for nuclear science and technology, research, and innovation that will leverage capabilities at the Chalk River Laboratories to address the priorities of Canada, including climate change. The scope of work, a copy of which is available on AECL’s website, was developed following a public and Indigenous engagement phase where members of the public, local communities, and Indigenous Nations and communities were invited to provide comments.
“This is welcome news for the future of Canada’s national nuclear laboratories, putting our operations into the hands of a parent company with extensive experience managing national-scale nuclear sites, laboratories and projects, and whose management team brings knowledge and expertise that will benefit the Canadian nuclear industry,” said Jack Craig, CNL president & CEO.
“While the new contractor will bring about a change in leadership, CNL will continue to build on the progress made to date and take full advantage of – and help accelerate – the resurgence in nuclear energy, science and technology. With a scope of work that includes Canada’s largest and most complex decommissioning and remediation projects, execution of AECL’s innovation agenda in clean energy, health sciences and nuclear security, and the continued renewal of the Chalk River Laboratories campus, Nuclear Laboratory Partners of Canada’s experience and expertise will be invaluable to all that we do.”
This change in management will 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.
AECL would like to acknowledge the progress made over the last 10 years at CNL under the management of the outgoing contractor, Canadian National Energy Alliance (a consortium made up of AtkinsRéalis, Jacobs Engineering and Fluor Federal Services). Through their work and leadership, there has been an important acceleration of the decommissioning and environmental remediation mission, advancements in science and technology that have benefited Canada and Canadians in energy, health, safety and security, the revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories, and significant progress towards reconciliation.
Featured image: Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Science Collaboration Centre at Chalk River in the fall of 2023. (CNL)
