SNC-Lavalin Nuclear has a long history of impressive achievements in the nuclear industry. The following is a brief summary of just a few of these achievements. For examples of current and recent projects see the Projects page.

Cernavoda



Cernavoda is a multi-unit CANDU-6 generating station located on the River Danube in Romania. Contracts were signed in 1979 for the construction of the first unit and in 1981 for the second. Cernavoda 1 achieved full power in 1996. Foundation and concrete construction was initiated for units 3, 4, and 5. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear provided engineering services for the detailed design of the reactor and service buildings including most of the service building process systems. It also supplied personnel for design and construction site management and commissioning assistance.



Tokamak de Varennes



The Tokamak de Varennes was Canada’s major contribution to the world’s magnetic confinement fusion research during its period of operation from 1987 to 1999. This machine was built at IREQ, Hydro Quebec’s research facility in Varennes, Quebec. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear was responsible for project management, engineering design and construction of the facility. It also provided commissioning assistance and support during plant operations.



Embalse



The Embalse generating station is a single 648 MWe CANDU-6 unit located on the shores of Lake Embalse, in the province of Cordoba, Argentina. Embalse achieved full power in 1983 and was built for Nucleoeléctrica Argentina Sociedad Anónima (NASA). SNC-Lavalin Nuclear designed the Balance of the Nuclear Steam Plant (BNSP), supplied dynamic analysis and conceptual design for reactor building structures and designed several process systems. It also provided site construction and management personnel to supervise the work of local engineers in the design and construction of civil, mechanical and electrical systems and participated in station commissioning and training of local operators.



Point Lepreau



Point Lepreau Generating Station is located on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada and is owned by NB Power. It is a single 680 MWe CANDU-6 unit and achieved full power in 1983. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear performed the initial site studies, designed the Balance of Nuclear Steam Plant (BNSP) Plant including main steam supply to the turbine and station’s electrical distribution system. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear also won an award for its design of the unusually tall low-tuned turbine block and provided project and construction management, commissioning and operating plant services.



Gentilly 2



Gentilly 2 is a 675 MWe CANDU-6 unit located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, near the village of Gentilly, in the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was built for Hydro Quebec and went into service in 1983. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear designed the reactor, service and turbine buildings, the pump house and most of the service and turbine building process systems. Part of the design work included the development of specialized analysis software for civil, piping and electrical applications. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear also assisted with site engineering, design coordination and commissioning and prepared system training manuals and abnormal plant operating procedures.



Wolsong 1



Wolsong 1 is a CANDU-6 station located on the southeast coast of the Republic of Korea. The design of this station began in 1976; the construction was completed in record time, with the station achieving full power in 1982. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear provided site investigation studies, engineering and design services for buildings, facilities and process systems excluding the nuclear steam supply. Through joint ventures, it also provided engineering and design services for the turbine and auxiliary buildings, as well as construction management. The calandria tubes were installed in the calandria in a temporary building on site. This innovation reduced the construction schedule considerably. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear also provided project management services and participated in commissioning and operator training.



RAPP



Two 220 MWe CANDU reactors were built in the state of Rajasthan, India and put into service in 1973 and 1981 respectively for the Rajasthan Power Project (RAPP). SNC-Lavalin Nuclear provided consulting services to the Department of Atomic Energy of the government of India. The scope included complete plant design, based on the Douglas Point design, planning and cost control, purchasing, expediting, and inspection services.



Glace Bay



Located at Glace Bay near Sydney, Nova Scotia, this plant was originally the property of Deuterium of Canada Ltd., but had only been partly constructed and then mothballed. The new owners turned to SNC-Lavalin Nuclear to re-design and re-construct the plant based on new technology. The re-design required the preparation of a new process concept, flow sheets, heat and mass balances, specifications and detailed construction drawings. Production of heavy water at the re-built plant began in 1976. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear also provided engineering, construction and maintenance services during later operation of the plant.



La Prade



The company was awarded a contract in 1974 for site investigation analysis for a 725 tonne/year heavy water plant to be built next to the Gentilly Nuclear Power Station. The work scope expanded and eventually encompassed the entire mechanical, electrical, civil and process design. It was also responsible for procurement of all materials and equipment, project and construction management. However, La Prade was only partly constructed – no piping installed – then mothballed due to an excess capacity in worldwide heavy water production.



Taiwan



This 40 MWe multi-purpose research reactor that uses natural uranium fuel, a heavy water moderator and light water cooling was supplied to the Atomic Research Council of Taiwan in 1973. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear provided design, project management services, technical supervision of construction, procurement, inspection services and commissioning assistance. The Engineers devised a major technical innovation by fabricating the calandria entirely in zircalloy – A material which is nearly transparent to neutrons. The company won an Engineering Award of Merit for this innovative design.



KANUPP



This 125 MWe CANDU unit was designed and constructed for the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) on a turnkey basis by Canadian General Electric and entered service in 1972. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear undertook the civil design of the station and electrical and mechanical design for the convention portion of the station. It also provided purchasing, inspection and expediting services for the conventional equipment, construction supervision of the civil, mechanical and instrumentation phases, and commissioning assistance. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear was also employed directly by PAEC to review the design of the plant and recommend the approval of significant proposed changes from the Douglas Point (reference) design. Examples of these changes include the change of Zirc 2 to Zirc Niobium and the first use of a digital computer alarm system. After the plant went into service SNC-Lavalin Nuclear provided operational support on site and design and procurement services in Canada, from 1972 to 1976.



Gentilly 1



Gentilly 1 is a 250 MWe CANDU BLW prototype using natural uranium fuel, a heavy water moderator with boiling light water as a reactor coolant. Power to the grid was first achieved in 1971 but the plant never reached commercial operation because of unstable conditions. It was later decommissioned. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear’s staff performed detailed design, procurement, planning, cost control, construction supervision and commissioning assistance.



ITER

SNC-Lavalin Nuclear was a key stakeholder in ITER; actively involved in the site selection process for the Canadian team and also performed advanced engineering and estimation activities as part of the Canadian bid.

ITER is an international project sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Commission to develop fusion energy as the way to a clean and sustainable energy source. The ITER facility is not a power plant but rather an international research facility whose goal is to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of fusion power. This is an important next step toward developing fusion technology to the point where it can meet a large share of the planet's future energy requirements.

Canada was one of three countries that was interested in hosting this important research and development project. The other competing countries were France and Japan. The Canadian bid was sponsored by ITER Canada Inc, a collection of federal, provincial and local governments and agencies, private sector companies such as SNC-Lavalin Nuclear, Aecon Construction, Ontario Power Generation and others, and educational institutions such as University of Toronto, Université du Québec INRS and University of Saskatchewan.





Managment Performance of Nuclear Power Stations in the US

Prudence audits and investigations were conducted at the following nuclear power stations in the USA: