The Media Room

Backgrounder

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL)

Background

  • AECL was established in 1952.  Since that time it has evolved to become a global nuclear reactor design and servicing company and a leader in civilian nuclear research and development. 
  • AECL is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario.  It has laboratories at Chalk River, Ontario and Pinawa, Manitoba, and offices in Montreal and Saint John, as well as in Argentina, China, Romania, South Korea and the United States. 
  • The Mississauga location also houses AECL’s commercial CANDU Reactor Division.  The Division is responsible for the management of nuclear reactor construction, servicing and refurbishment projects and business development and marketing of CANDU reactors.
  • The Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) focus on AECL’s public policy role.  CRL provides research and development and support for AECL’s commercial design activities and for CANDU owners both domestically and abroad.
  • CRL also conducts advanced materials research for the National Research Council and is responsible for the production of medical isotopes and the management of nuclear waste. 

Employees

  • AECL has a highly skilled workforce consisting of engineers, scientists and technical professionals.  In total, AECL has over 4,800 full time employees.
  • About 2,900 full-time employees work in the Research and Technology Division.  The bulk of these employees are located at Chalk River.
  • Approximately 1,600 full-time employees work in the CANDU Reactor Division in Mississauga. 
  • A small contingent of AECL’s labour force is employed in the Liability Management Unit.    

Governance

  • AECL is a parent Crown Corporation under the Financial Administration Act .  It is wholly owned by the Crown and reports to Parliament through the Minister of Natural Resources. 
  • AECL is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Government through Order-in-Council.  In January 2008, the Government appointed a new Board Chair, Glenna Carr, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Hugh MacDiarmid.  
  • AECL manages its operations through a Corporate Plan, which is approved annually by the Government. 

Funding

  • AECL receives Government funding through the annual Budget process. It receives an on-going annual appropriation, supplemented as necessary by single-year appropriations.
  • Since 2006/07, AECL has received $1.74 billion in public funding. The majority of Government funding is to maintain safe and reliable operations at CRL and to meet regulatory requirements. 
  • The Government has also supported the development of the Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR), providing  $433.5 million since 2003/04.
  • AECL also derives income from its commercial activities: new reactor design and construction, refurbishments, services, and medical isotope production. 
  • In 2007/08, the CANDU Reactor Division generated revenue of $558 million, while the commercial activities of the Research and Development Division provided a further $41 million in revenues.

AECL’s CANDU Reactor Designs

  • AECL’s flagship products are its fleet of CANDU reactors, including the Enhanced CANDU-6 (EC-6) 750 MWe reactor and the Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR) 1200MWe, which is completing development.  The EC-6 is essentially an upgrade of the original CANDU-6 first built at Point Lepreau, New Brunswick.
  • The CANDU-6 reactor uses natural uranium and heavy water as both a moderator and coolant.  This contrasts with the majority of installed nuclear reactors, which are light-water designs.
  • The ACR is an evolution of the original CANDU-6 design.  It is also a heavy water-moderated but uses light water as a coolant and slightly enriched uranium as fuel.  These design features reduce capital costs and improve operating efficiencies.
  • CANDU technology accounts for almost 10 percent of the installed reactor base around the world. 
  • In Canada, there are a total of 22 CANDU reactors, 20 in Ontario and one each in New Brunswick and Québec.  Two Ontario reactors are shut down; two others are undergoing refurbishment.  Refurbishment work is also underway or planned for the reactors in New Brunswick and Québec.
  • Around the globe, CANDU reactors have been built in Argentina, China, Romania and South Korea.

 

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