EDF agreements with Canadian, Czech and Indian firms

Wednesday, 29 November 2023

The agreements include:

• A memorandum of cooperation between EDF and India's BHEL to "collaborate with an intent to maximise the local content of the Jaitapur project", which is proposed to be a six EPR-unit one at the site in the state of Maharashtra. EDF and BHEL "will also explore larger collaboration for the EPRs" and for EDF's Nuward small modular reactor.
• Cooperation agreements have been signed with potential Czech suppliers relating to the on-going bidding process for the new nuclear unit planned for Dukovany in the Czech Republic. The agreements were signed with the Czech Power Industry Alliance, ADAMEC, EnerSys, ISH Pumps, KLIKA BP, LDM, and Nopo Engineering.
• EDF and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) have signed a letter of interest for a comprehensive joint evaluation of the potential deployment of EPR technology in Ontario and other parts of Canada. There was also a joint statement issued by France and Canada on broad bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy and a Canadian-French Supply Chain Workshop held at WNE with more than 20 firms taking part, "including AECON, Assystem, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Bruce Power, BWXT, Framatome, GE Vernova and OPG".
• An international cooperation agreement with Egis to support EDF's localisation approach for its international projects. The "architect-engineers" company is already working with EDF in its UK Hinkley Point C project and in Poland and "envisages to set up with EDF and other partners an engineering platform in India".

Luc Rémont, EDF Chairman and CEO, said the agreements "demonstrate our ambition to secure robust partnerships with local supply chains for EPR-technology-based projects, as well as for NUWARD SMR" with the company seeking to establish "a community of qualified European and worldwide suppliers" as part of its plans for  "the successful delivery of our nuclear newbuild worldwide".

Ken Hartwick, OPG President and CEO, said: "To meet the demands of an electrified economy, we’ll need an array of clean generating technologies, including large nuclear. We are exploring a range of technology options to ensure we deliver value to Ontario ratepayers, while building out the clean, reliable electricity system our province needs."

The joint statement between the French and Canadian governments said they "consider that enhancing collaboration amongst like-minded partners in the field of civil nuclear energy is more important than ever given the current global challenges we face" and they "recognise the contribution of their respective operating or planned fleet of large nuclear power plants and encourage the deepening of the cooperation between the French and Canadian nuclear industries in this field".

The agreement says it will also "encourage the deepening of our cooperation on research and development, whose role is crucial for the support of new nuclear projects, either large nuclear reactors or advanced nuclear reactors and small modular reactors" and the two countries agree to "increase the depth and resilience of their respective domestic nuclear supply-chains, as well as to support countries interested in utilising nuclear energy to meet their climate and energy security goals, through both new build projects and existing plant refurbishments".

There are also commitments to collaborate on safe long-term management of radioactive waste, tackling training and workforce challenges and to support work to "contribute to the security of supply of radioisotopes for medical and industrial purposes" and it concludes: "The participants recognise the need to consider pathways to facilitate full treaty relations, including with respect to both nuclear technology cooperation and third-party liability relations."