What's happening with CANDU?

About this episode

Joe St. Julian discusses Canada's potential for a new nuclear fleet and the factors influencing its development.

This episode features Joe St. Julian, President of Nuclear at AtkinsRéalis, outlining why Canada may be closer to a new nuclear fleet build than most observers realize. Drawing on his background delivering complex U.S. nuclear megaprojects, St. Julian explains why the recent refurbishment programs at Darlington and Bruce have rebuilt the workforce, supply chain, and execution capability needed for repeatable construction. The conversation explores the Monark concept, the strategy of replicating Darlington to minimize first-of-a-kind risk, and the licensing work required to bring legacy designs into alignment with modern standards. The discussion then turns to export markets and geopolitical strategy, including projects in Romania, Poland, and Asia. St. Julian contrasts Canada’s position, a fully active supply chain without a coordinated national build program, with emerging U.S. efforts to align policy, financing, and deployment around Westinghouse’s AP1000. The episode closes on the central question shaping Canada’s nuclear future, whether the country will mobilize its existing industrial base into a sustained build program or allow that capability to remain underutilized…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Chris Keefer

Guest: Joe St. Julian

Topics covered

• nuclear energy
• CANDU
• nuclear fleet
• geopolitical strategy
• supply chain
• construction
• licensing

Keywords

• nuclear
• Canada
• CANDU
• construction
• supply chain
• geopolitics
• licensing
• megaprojects

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AtkinsRéalis, Westinghouse

Products: AP1000

Places: Canada, Darlington, Bruce, Romania, Poland, Asia

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