PETERBOROUGH, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 17, 2024--
Westinghouse Electric Company and Aecon announced today the signing of two major agreements creating a collaborative framework for the development and deployment of advanced nuclear new-build projects in Canada and around the world.
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Under a Strategic Cooperation Agreement, Westinghouse and Aecon will work together on opportunities for the construction of AP1000 ® power plants in markets throughout Canada, potentially generating $28.7 billion Canadian dollars in gross domestic product (GDP) for a four-unit AP1000 project. Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU), Aecon can build on its experience of supplying AP1000 modules and nuclear components at Vogtle and other projects to potentially expand the supply of key AP1000 and advanced nuclear reactor components to projects in Canada and abroad.
“Nuclear energy is essential to powering Ontario’s future, providing unmatched reliability, affordability, and carbon-free energy to meet soaring energy demands,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Electrification. “Ontario welcomes strategic partnerships and enhanced collaboration in nuclear to secure our energy needs, create value-added jobs and supply chain benefits in our province as we emerge as a global clean energy leader.”
Headquartered in Ontario, Aecon is a North American construction and infrastructure development company and is a Tier 1 Canadian constructor with significant nuclear experience. Aecon will support Westinghouse’s advanced nuclear technologies to provide a way to quickly deploy significant new nuclear to meet economic, environmental and energy security needs in Canada and globally.
"With extensive nuclear EPC expertise, strong technical knowledge, as well as specialized nuclear fabrication and manufacturing solutions tailored to meet the stringent demands of the North American nuclear power industry, Aecon is at the forefront of delivering nuclear infrastructure,” said Aaron Johnson, Senior Vice President, Aecon Nuclear. “We are proud of our role in advancing the energy transition to help ensure the supply of clean, reliable and affordable electricity for generations to come. We look forward to collaborating with Westinghouse through these framework agreements as we continue supporting our clients in their technology selection and deployment.”
“By partnering with Aecon, we are underscoring our commitment to helping to ensure that nuclear new build projects of all scales will benefit the Canadian economy by employing local trades and creating jobs in Canada,” said Dan Lipman, President of Westinghouse Energy Systems. “For each four-unit AP1000 project Westinghouse builds in Canada, we expect to create nearly 8,000 Canadian jobs during construction and another 12,000 full-time jobs for ongoing operations.”
“With Canada’s urgent need to bring more nuclear generation online to meet its objectives, the proven, fully operational AP1000 reactor becomes the natural choice because it can be deployed now,” said John Gorman, President of Westinghouse Canada. “Today’s agreement with Aecon further strengthens Westinghouse’s construction and supplier relationships across Canada with an experienced AP1000 project partner to ensure it can move quickly to meet the nation’s requirements.”
This announcement is the latest in a series of agreements with Canadian firms that provide opportunities for expansion and diversification by supporting Westinghouse’s advanced nuclear technologies globally. For each AP1000 unit built outside Canada, Westinghouse could generate almost $1 billion of Canadian dollars in GDP through local suppliers.
Owned by Canadian energy powerhouses Brookfield and Cameco, Westinghouse is the only nuclear vendor with a proven, fully operational Generation III+ reactor technology that is ready to be deployed in Canada and generate electricity by as early as 2035. Currently there are six AP1000 reactors in operation globally, setting operational performance and availability records. The AP1000 technology has been selected for nuclear energy programs in Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria, and is also under consideration at multiple other sites in Central and Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, India and North America. There will be 18 units based on AP1000 technology in operation globally by the end of the decade.
Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear and other clean power technologies and services globally. Westinghouse supplied the world’s first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957 and the company’s technology is the basis for nearly one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of innovation makes Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X.
Westinghouse and Aecon sign collaborative agreements for advanced nuclear new builds. From left: Greg Thede (Aecon), Thomas Clochard (Aecon), Elias Gedeon (Westinghouse), Kyle Nicholas (Westinghouse), and David Tanel (Westinghouse). (Photo: Business Wire)
SAINT-DENIS, Reunion (AP) — An overnight curfew goes into force Tuesday evening as authorities try to stabilize Mayotte in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, the most intense storm to hit the French Indian Ocean archipelago in 90 years.
The French military said it is sending four to five planes a day with up to 50 tons of assistance, including food, water and medicine. Hundreds of military personnel have arrived in Mayotte since the weekend.
The official death toll from Saturday's cyclone rose to 22 according to the latest report from Mayotte Hospital quoted by Ambdilwahedou Soumaila, the mayor of the capital, Mamoudzou.
The newly appointed Prime Minister François Bayrou provided an update later on Tuesday saying that more than 1,500 people were injured, including more than 200 critically. However, authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he will be traveling to Mayotte soon. “Our compatriots are living through the worst just a few thousand kilometers away, and I will be by their side in a few hours in Mayotte.”
“The priority today is water and food,” Soumaila told RFI radio, adding that “there are people who have unfortunately died where the bodies are starting to decompose that can create a sanitary problem.”
The curfew requires people to stay in their homes between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. as authorities try to prevent looting of damaged buildings.
“We don’t have electricity. When night falls, there are people who take advantage of that situation,” Soumaila said.
Speaking on France Inter radio Tuesday morning, Mayotte lawmaker Estelle Youssouffa described the challenges in accounting for victims, especially among migrants.
“The real toll of those swept away by the mud, winds and tin from shanty towns will never be known,” Youssouffa said. “This population, by definition undocumented migrants, are the main victims of this tragedy because they feared going to shelters.”
Youssouffa shared a harrowing account from an imam she spoke to on Monday, who reported burying more than 30 people in a single day in La Vigie, a makeshift settlement.
“I don’t even know if these figures are included in the official count,” Youssouffa said.
Soumaila, Mamoudzou’s mayor, said he planned to visit areas hit hardest by the cyclone on Tuesday, where survivors are still reeling from the destruction. Nearly 70% of Mayotte’s population has been impacted, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.
The latest report from the French Interior Ministry says that 80% of telecom services were down, making communication on the archipelago difficult. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it has lost contact with more than 200 volunteers on the ground.
French military aircraft were delivering water and food daily. The island’s main hospital remains severely damaged, and a field hospital is expected to arrive Thursday.
“Our compatriots are living through the worst just a few thousand kilometers away, and I will be by their side in a few hours in Mayotte,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.
Meanwhile, the government released an initial 655,000 euros ($687,000) to finance urgent needs on the island. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has pledged 250,000 euros ($262,00) from the city’s emergency fund for recovery efforts.
Cyclone Chido is the deadliest storm to strike the territory in nearly a century, underscoring the vulnerability of the island’s impoverished population.
The cyclone is also threatening to escalate political tensions in France. Just days after taking office, Bayrou has faced criticism from across the political spectrum for his handling of the crisis. Critics have taken issue with Bayrou’s decision not to travel to Mayotte or attend a crisis meeting in person, choosing instead to chair a town hall in Pau, where he serves as mayor.
Bayrou responded by saying he participated in the crisis meeting via video and worked closely with Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who was on the ground in Mayotte. He explained that his focus has been on forming a new government.
Bayrou also announced a call for innovative housing projects, seeking designs for “easy-to-assemble” and “affordable” structures to aid in reconstruction.
“French companies and architecture schools will undoubtedly contribute to reshaping Mayotte,” Bayrou said.
He dismissed calls to declare a state of emergency on the archipelago, suggesting instead that Mayotte use European Union recovery funds and national solidarity initiatives. He highlighted the temporary field hospital set up by the French army to prevent disease outbreaks as a key example of ongoing support.
“We rebuilt Notre Dame in five years,” Bayrou said. “We’ve got less time than that to restore normal living conditions in Mayotte.”
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Nouvian reported from Paris.
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This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows damage of Collège de Kwalé on the French Territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean after Cyclone Chido, Dec. 16, 2024. (Maxar Technologies via AP)
This photo provided on Monday Dec. 16, 2024 by the Civil Security shows rescue workers clearing a street in French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after the island was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (UIISC7/Securite Civile via AP)
French civil security personnel load pallets of water on a transport plane for Mayotte from Saint Denis on Reunion Island, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)
This undated photo provided on Tuesday Dec. 17, 2024 by the French Interior Ministry shows a devastated part of the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after the island was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (Ministere de l'Interieur/ Securite Civile via AP)
This photo provided on Monday Dec. 16, 2024 by the Civil Security shows part of the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after the island was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (UIISC7/Securite Civile via AP)
This photo provided by the French Interior Ministry Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, shows debris in a street in the Indian Ocean French territory of Mayotte. Survivors wandered through streets littered with debris, searching for water and shelter, after Cyclone Chido leveled entire neighborhoods on Saturday when it hit Mayotte, the poorest territory of France. (Ministere de l'Interieur/DICOM via AP)
This undated photo provided on Tuesday Dec. 17, 2024 by the French Interior Ministry shows a devastated part of the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after the island was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (Ministere de l'Interieur/ Securite Civile via AP)
