Commencing construction on nuclear facility
By Adam Freill
Construction Infrastructure LeadershipThe Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre at Chalk River Laboratories will be one of the largest nuclear research facilities ever constructed in Canada.
(Image courtesy of CNL)
On September 9, members of government and representatives from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL) commemorated the start of construction for the Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre (ANMRC) at Chalk River Laboratories.
ANMRC is set to become the cornerstone of a $1.2 billion site revitalization plan at Chalk River Laboratories, and is expected to be the future facility for Canada’s world-class research of next generation nuclear technologies.
Once complete, it will be one of the largest nuclear research facilities in Canada. The 10,000-square-metre ANMRC is expected to be critical to the life extension and long-term reliability of existing reactors, including Canada’s fleet of CANDU reactors and other designs deployed around the world. It will also support the national nuclear laboratory’s other research priorities, such as public health, environmental stewardship and global security.
Construction of the new laboratory research complex is being managed via an integrated project delivery (IPD) agreement, which was unveiled in 2021. The IPD team leading the construction of ANMRC includes CNL, Chandos Construction Inc., Bird Construction Inc., M. Sullivan & Son Limited, Eclipse Automation, JP2G Consultants, RJC Engineers, Merrick & Company, Modern Niagara, MSE, Plan Group and Siemens.
The centre is part of a 10-year transformation of the Chalk River campus, funded through a $1.2 billion investment from Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, the owner of the site, on behalf of the Government of Canada.
