Sale AECL division could be "death knoll" for CANDU
Submitted by OCAA on Mon, 10/19/2009 - 04:00.
The Ottawa Citizen Re: Sale AECL division could be 'death knell' for CANDU: insiders, Oct. 15 It is important to remember the reasons our government is restructuring Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL). We are working to strengthen the nuclear industry in Canada. This will put it in a better position to build on Canadian technology and access opportunities at home and around the world. We have 30,000 men and women working in Canada's nuclear industry. We believe that restructuring AECL, along with a decision by the Ontario government to build new nuclear reactors at Darlington, can set the stage for the Canadian industry to compete for contracts all around the world. Other nuclear vendors have spent the past decade getting stronger, forming companies that have access to the money and resources they need to compete effectively. This includes having the power to borrow large sums of money from private institutions. A small Canadian Crown corporation, with all of its constraints, cannot compete with that over the long-term. To be truly globally competitive, and to leverage CANDU technology, AECL needs private partners, and a commercial model. Every other company in the Canadian supply chain operates on a commercial basis. AECL needs to be free to do the same. Finally, let's not take our eye off of the goal of emissions-free energy. At the International Energy Agency Meetings in Paris last week, leaders around the world restated what we have known for some time: without a significant increase in nuclear power, the world will be unable to meet required greenhouse gas reduction targets. So there's a market for nuclear power -- and restructuring AECL will give Canada's industry the power to access it. Lisa Raitt
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