AtkinsRéalis assumes Owner's Engineer role to Advance Energy Northwest's Clean Energy SMR in Support of Amazon

MONTREAL, Dec. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. (TSX: ATRL), a world-class engineering services and nuclear company with offices around the world, announced today that it has been selected as the Owner's Engineer for Energy Northwest's small modular reactor (SMR) project in Washington state, US.

"We are thrilled to see utilities worldwide turning to AtkinsRéalis to support strategic public-private-partnerships by leveraging the deployment of nuclear power technology," said Ian L. Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer, AtkinsRéalis.  "This partnership with Energy Northwest will highlight SMRs capability to support the AI revolution with safe and clean electricity for generations." 

Energy Northwest, a public power agency leading the development of next generation nuclear technologies, owns and operates Columbia Generating Station, the Pacific Northwest's only nuclear generating facility, as well as hydroelectric, wind and solar projects and battery storage. Energy Northwest recently announced an agreementwith Amazon and X-energy to develop four to 12 SMRs. This SMR development will lead to clean, reliable, sustainable and carbon-free energy for the Northwest.

Under the Owner's Engineering Services Contract, AtkinsRéalis will support the design, licensing, construction and commissioning of the SMR project. Work will be supported by the recently opened state-of-the-art 32,000 ft² AtkinsRéalis Technology Center (ATC) in Richland. The ATC is a fully integrated engineering and technology facility dedicated to advancement and testing of technical innovations. 

Energy Northwest has just begun a multi-year feasibility phase agreement with Amazon, which will focus on comprehensive environmental, safety, permitting, licensing and risk analyses. If the project is approved, the next phase will lead to submission of a construction permit application to build the SMRs.

"AtkinsRéalis possesses extensive technical expertise on developing complex energy projects, which makes them an ideal partner," said Greg Cullen, Vice President for Energy Services & Development at Energy Northwest. "This collaboration not only supports the proposed development of next-generation nuclear technology, but will bring lasting benefits to our region, including job creation, economic growth, and clean, firm and reliable energy."

"Leveraging our well-documented global nuclear design capabilities and exceptional engineering experience, we are excited to be part of the Energy Northwest team for this first of its kind facility in the Pacific Northwest where we've been working for many decades," said Joe St. Julian, President, AtkinsRéalis, Nuclear. "The future of clean energy must include nuclear power and AtkinsRéalis and Energy Northwest are uniquely positioned to make this vision become a reality."

AtkinsRéalis has about 40,000 employees around the world and more than 70 years of experience in the nuclear industry. The Company has successfully delivered nuclear projects in Argentina, Canada, China, France, Japan, Korea, Romania, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. AtkinsRéalis understands the intricacies of nuclear licensing and is uniquely positioned to provide novel technology guidance in SMR designs. AtkinsRéalis is the steward of Canadian CANDU® technology and supports SMR facilities in Canada, the United Kingdom and the development of six proposed sites in Poland. 

About AtkinsRéalis   

Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital.  News and information are available at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.  

About AtkinsRéalis' Nuclear Business

AtkinsRéalis has over 70 years of global nuclear expertise, delivering nuclear technology products and full-service solutions to nuclear utilities around the world. AtkinsRéalis is the steward of CANDU® nuclear technology, operating on four continents, and provides advisory and engineering services to other nuclear developers. With an innovative technology portfolio, including access to over 500 patented solutions, AtkinsRéalis solves technically complex challenges across the whole nuclear lifecycle from design and new build through asset management and from life extension and late life management through decommissioning and waste management. AtkinsRéalis operates and manages government nuclear research sites, transforming ageing infrastructure and safely managing legacy nuclear waste. AtkinsRéalis' CANDU technology also allows for the co-production of medical radioisotopes for cancer detection and treatment. The company also supports cancer treatment through its partnership with TerraPower to extract isotopes from legacy nuclear material. Learn more on our Nuclear market page.  

Forward-Looking Statements

References in this press release to the "Company", "AtkinsRéalis", "we", us" and "our" mean, as the context may require, AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. or all or some of its subsidiaries or joint arrangements or associates. Statements made in this press release that describe the Company's expectations or strategies constitute "forward-looking statements", which can be identified by the use of the conditional or forward-looking terminology such as "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "intends", "may", "objective", "plans", "projects", "should", "will", "likely", or other variations thereon. Forward-looking statements also include any other statements that do not refer to historical facts. The Company cautions that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and that its actual actions or results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are presented for the purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding certain key elements of the Company's current objectives, strategic priorities, expectations and plans, and in obtaining a better understanding of the Company's business and anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements made in this press release are based on a number of assumptions believed by the Company to be reasonable as at the date hereof. The assumptions are set out throughout the Company's 2023 annual management disclosure & analysis ("MD&A") (particularly in the sections entitled "Critical Accounting Judgments and Key Sources of Estimation Uncertainty" and "How We Analyze and Report our Results") filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and on the Company's website at www.atkinsrealis.com under the "Investors" section. If these assumptions are inaccurate, the Company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. In addition, important risk factors could cause the Company's assumptions and estimates to be inaccurate and actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements. Those risks are identified in the Company's 2023 annual MD&A (particularly in the sections entitled "Risk and Un certainties"), as updated in the first and second quarters 2024 MD&A, are not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements herein reflect the Company's expectations as at the date of this press release and are subject to change after this date. The Company does not undertake to update publicly or to revise any such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable legislation or regulation. The forward-looking information and statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

About Energy Northwest

Energy Northwest is a Washington state public power joint operating agency and a premier provider of carbon-free electricity. Energy Northwest comprises 29 public power member utilities, serving more than 1.5 million customers, and provides its members and regional customers with safe, reliable, cost-effective, responsible power generation and innovative energy and business solutions. The agency owns and operates hydroelectric, solar, battery storage, wind and the Northwest's only nuclear power facility. Energy Northwest also actively supports transportation electrification and new generation projects to the benefit of public power. www.energy-northwest.com.       

SOURCE AtkinsRéalis