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Canadian AtkinsRealis Targets Sustainable Nuclear Ecosystem in Türkiye with CANDU Technology
CANDU International President Gary Rose: "Our goal is to select the right partners, hopefully from Türkiye, for the construction of the power plant."
Gary Rose, President of CANDU International—a subsidiary of the Canadian engineering and nuclear energy company AtkinsRealis—stated that they aim to establish a "100-year partnership" with Türkiye in the field of nuclear energy and build a sustainable nuclear ecosystem.
Rose, who also serves as Vice President of AtkinsRealis, shared assessments with an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent regarding the nuclear cooperation between Türkiye and Canada, as well as the Canadian-developed CANDU reactor technology, during the 12th Nuclear Power Plants Expo & Summit (NPPES) held in Istanbul.
Describing the technical information sharing and briefing process, which began with a memorandum of understanding signed between AtkinsRealis and Türkiye Nuclear Energy Inc. (TÜNAŞ) in early March, as a "period of cooperation and momentum," Rose noted that significant progress has been achieved in a short time.
Explaining that they have held numerous meetings with public institutions and private sector representatives, Rose said: "We are in the early stages of a process that I define as a '100-year partnership,' where we get to know each other, understand what the parties offer and how we can potentially work together, and build genuine relationships. For us, a 100-year relationship ultimately means creating a sustainable nuclear ecosystem from which Türkiye will benefit from its decisions in the long term."
"Does Not Require Enriched Fuel"
Rose pointed out that 5 out of the 6 major nuclear technologies used worldwide require enriched fuel, adding, "CANDU reactors, however, do not require enriched fuel. This is the distinguishing feature of CANDU technology."
Noting that CANDU technology was developed in Canada about 70 years ago, Rose stated that 22 reactors were commissioned in Canada over a 22-year period, and this technology is also utilized in countries like China, South Korea, Argentina, and Romania.
Rose indicated that energy independence is a decisive factor in choosing this technology, stating, "Our technology does not require enrichment. You can purchase uranium and process your own fuel within your country."
Sharing the example of Romania, Rose evaluated: "Cernavoda-1 completed over 30 years of operation this year. There is a fuel factory in the country. They possess complete energy independence. If we are talking about creating a nuclear ecosystem, we did it in Romania. They produce the fuel themselves. They operate the plant with the support of us and other Canadian suppliers."
Drawing attention to the importance of energy independence and security for national security, Rose said: "The design, site surveys, and construction of these reactors take 5 to 10 years, followed by an operational and decommissioning phase of 60-70 years or longer. This is a long-term process. If we can achieve this self-sufficiency within Türkiye with our technology, as we have done in other countries, I believe Türkiye will benefit from it, the Turkish people will benefit from it, and you will not be exposed to geopolitical risks."
"We Come with a 60-70% Localization Target"
Touching upon the online refueling feature of CANDU reactors, Rose said, "Thanks to online refueling, our reactors have high uptime. That means they operate with a high capacity factor. Among the 440 reactors in operation worldwide, Cernavoda-2 has the highest lifetime capacity factor, thanks to online refueling."
Rose stated that these reactors are not limited to electricity generation, adding, "CANDU reactors are the only commercial reactors that can produce life-saving medical nuclear isotopes while simultaneously generating electricity."
Addressing the safety performance of the reactors, Rose emphasized that there are more than 30 CANDU reactors in operation, representing a safe operating experience exceeding a total of 1,000 reactor-years.
Pointing out the importance of economic value-sharing in technology selection, Rose defined their approach as a "100-year partnership" and said: "It is a relationship where we want to create a nuclear ecosystem by working with universities, thereby enabling the country to maximize its economic value. For this reason, we come with a 60-70% localization target."
"A Long-Term Partnership Offering a Win-Win Opportunity"
Expressing that their supply chain teams held meetings with over 70 Turkish suppliers within the scope of NPPES, Rose continued:
"If CANDU technology is preferred, we will establish a partnership that creates direct economic value for Türkiye, while also providing an indirect economic contribution, as Turkish companies will be able to work with us in other parts of the world. I want to emphasize this again and again: this is a long-term partnership that offers a win-win opportunity. But at the same time, there is value in terms of Turkish companies and the Turkish people getting a share of the economic returns generated by this type of technology choice."
Rose stated that Türkiye’s approach toward owning and operating its second nuclear power plant aligns with global implementations of CANDU plants, saying: "Our role will be to ensure the completion of the design. We will partner with contractors for the nuclear island and the rest of the facility. We will make sure that nuclear-qualified materials and components, which are critical for the successful and safe performance of the reactor, are certified by us. We will ensure that construction is carried out under our supervision and in accordance with our standards because we will manage the relationship with the operating company and provide them with service and support throughout the operational lifetime. Therefore, we want to be an end-to-end integrator. Our goal is to select the right partners, hopefully from Türkiye, for the construction of the power plant. Furthermore, we intend to work with partners who will support the safe operation of the plant throughout its entire lifecycle, from the decision stage to construction, commissioning, 60-70 years of operation, and decommissioning."
Stating that they are very optimistic that a final decision will be reached within a reasonable timeframe, Rose concluded his words as follows:
"By the end of summer, we will provide the decision-makers with all the information they need. The evaluation and decision-making process regarding what the next step will be and when it will be taken will belong to the decision-makers. We hope that a decision will be made later this year to move the process to the next stage. Whether a single technology or multiple technologies will be carried over to this stage will be a decision for Türkiye to make. We will continue to support every step of this process, and we will be as responsible, transparent, and open as we can to provide all the information Turkish decision-makers need to make their decisions as quickly as possible. Therefore, we are hopeful that the process will move swiftly, but we also recognize that these are major decisions. These are decisions that will last for 100 years."
www.aa.com.tr
CANDU International President Gary Rose: "Our goal is to select the right partners, hopefully from Türkiye, for the construction of the power plant."
Gary Rose, President of CANDU International—a subsidiary of the Canadian engineering and nuclear energy company AtkinsRealis—stated that they aim to establish a "100-year partnership" with Türkiye in the field of nuclear energy and build a sustainable nuclear ecosystem.
Rose, who also serves as Vice President of AtkinsRealis, shared assessments with an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent regarding the nuclear cooperation between Türkiye and Canada, as well as the Canadian-developed CANDU reactor technology, during the 12th Nuclear Power Plants Expo & Summit (NPPES) held in Istanbul.
Describing the technical information sharing and briefing process, which began with a memorandum of understanding signed between AtkinsRealis and Türkiye Nuclear Energy Inc. (TÜNAŞ) in early March, as a "period of cooperation and momentum," Rose noted that significant progress has been achieved in a short time.
Explaining that they have held numerous meetings with public institutions and private sector representatives, Rose said: "We are in the early stages of a process that I define as a '100-year partnership,' where we get to know each other, understand what the parties offer and how we can potentially work together, and build genuine relationships. For us, a 100-year relationship ultimately means creating a sustainable nuclear ecosystem from which Türkiye will benefit from its decisions in the long term."
"Does Not Require Enriched Fuel"
Rose pointed out that 5 out of the 6 major nuclear technologies used worldwide require enriched fuel, adding, "CANDU reactors, however, do not require enriched fuel. This is the distinguishing feature of CANDU technology."
Noting that CANDU technology was developed in Canada about 70 years ago, Rose stated that 22 reactors were commissioned in Canada over a 22-year period, and this technology is also utilized in countries like China, South Korea, Argentina, and Romania.
Rose indicated that energy independence is a decisive factor in choosing this technology, stating, "Our technology does not require enrichment. You can purchase uranium and process your own fuel within your country."
Sharing the example of Romania, Rose evaluated: "Cernavoda-1 completed over 30 years of operation this year. There is a fuel factory in the country. They possess complete energy independence. If we are talking about creating a nuclear ecosystem, we did it in Romania. They produce the fuel themselves. They operate the plant with the support of us and other Canadian suppliers."
Drawing attention to the importance of energy independence and security for national security, Rose said: "The design, site surveys, and construction of these reactors take 5 to 10 years, followed by an operational and decommissioning phase of 60-70 years or longer. This is a long-term process. If we can achieve this self-sufficiency within Türkiye with our technology, as we have done in other countries, I believe Türkiye will benefit from it, the Turkish people will benefit from it, and you will not be exposed to geopolitical risks."
"We Come with a 60-70% Localization Target"
Touching upon the online refueling feature of CANDU reactors, Rose said, "Thanks to online refueling, our reactors have high uptime. That means they operate with a high capacity factor. Among the 440 reactors in operation worldwide, Cernavoda-2 has the highest lifetime capacity factor, thanks to online refueling."
Rose stated that these reactors are not limited to electricity generation, adding, "CANDU reactors are the only commercial reactors that can produce life-saving medical nuclear isotopes while simultaneously generating electricity."
Addressing the safety performance of the reactors, Rose emphasized that there are more than 30 CANDU reactors in operation, representing a safe operating experience exceeding a total of 1,000 reactor-years.
Pointing out the importance of economic value-sharing in technology selection, Rose defined their approach as a "100-year partnership" and said: "It is a relationship where we want to create a nuclear ecosystem by working with universities, thereby enabling the country to maximize its economic value. For this reason, we come with a 60-70% localization target."
"A Long-Term Partnership Offering a Win-Win Opportunity"
Expressing that their supply chain teams held meetings with over 70 Turkish suppliers within the scope of NPPES, Rose continued:
"If CANDU technology is preferred, we will establish a partnership that creates direct economic value for Türkiye, while also providing an indirect economic contribution, as Turkish companies will be able to work with us in other parts of the world. I want to emphasize this again and again: this is a long-term partnership that offers a win-win opportunity. But at the same time, there is value in terms of Turkish companies and the Turkish people getting a share of the economic returns generated by this type of technology choice."
Rose stated that Türkiye’s approach toward owning and operating its second nuclear power plant aligns with global implementations of CANDU plants, saying: "Our role will be to ensure the completion of the design. We will partner with contractors for the nuclear island and the rest of the facility. We will make sure that nuclear-qualified materials and components, which are critical for the successful and safe performance of the reactor, are certified by us. We will ensure that construction is carried out under our supervision and in accordance with our standards because we will manage the relationship with the operating company and provide them with service and support throughout the operational lifetime. Therefore, we want to be an end-to-end integrator. Our goal is to select the right partners, hopefully from Türkiye, for the construction of the power plant. Furthermore, we intend to work with partners who will support the safe operation of the plant throughout its entire lifecycle, from the decision stage to construction, commissioning, 60-70 years of operation, and decommissioning."
Stating that they are very optimistic that a final decision will be reached within a reasonable timeframe, Rose concluded his words as follows:
"By the end of summer, we will provide the decision-makers with all the information they need. The evaluation and decision-making process regarding what the next step will be and when it will be taken will belong to the decision-makers. We hope that a decision will be made later this year to move the process to the next stage. Whether a single technology or multiple technologies will be carried over to this stage will be a decision for Türkiye to make. We will continue to support every step of this process, and we will be as responsible, transparent, and open as we can to provide all the information Turkish decision-makers need to make their decisions as quickly as possible. Therefore, we are hopeful that the process will move swiftly, but we also recognize that these are major decisions. These are decisions that will last for 100 years."
Kanadalı AtkinsRealis, CANDU teknolojisiyle Türkiye'de sürdürülebilir nükleer ekosistemi hedefliyor
- CANDU International Başkanı Gary Rose: "Amacımız, santralin inşası için, umut ediyorum ki Türkiye'den, doğru ortaklar seçmek." - Anadolu Ajansı
www.aa.com.tr
