Jeremy L. Dillon
RW Monitor
11/7/2014
Natural Resources Canada has extended the deadline for submittals to the Request for Response Evaluation on the government’s procurement to manage Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s nuclear laboratories, the agency said last week. The deadline of Sept. 9, an extension from the previous Aug. 6 deadline, and the Oct. 29 deadline to add supplemental team members have now been pushed back until Nov. 10. “The deadline for responses to the RFRE was extended to November 10, 2014,” Natural Resources spokesperson Annie Joannette said in an email. “The RFRE will remain active until December 22, 2014 to allow the Government to continue to engage with industry. The RFP is expected to be provided to qualified respondents in late fall 2014.”
The Canadian government’s procurement for a contract to manage Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s nuclear laboratories, including the Chalk River Laboratories, the Whiteshell Laboratories, the three prototype reactor sites and the Laprade heavy water storage site under a Government-owned Contractor-operated (GoCo) model, is still in the Request for Response Evaluation phase. Four teams have been announced to have qualified for the RFP stage of the procurement. The teams include: Canadian Nuclear Revitalization Partners, made up of Bechtel , Hatch Ltd. Golder Associates; Innovation Canada Alliance, made up of B&W, Battelle, and the U.K. firm Cavendish Nuclear; Canadian Nuclear Energy Alliance, made up of EnergySolutions, CH2M Hill, Lockheed Martin and SNC Lavalin; and Northern Nuclear Laboratories Alliance, which is made up of URS and Ontario Power Generation.
AECL Launches New Subsidiary as Part of Re-Structure
AECL, meanwhile, launched the initial step in its restructuring of the AECL-operated sites by forming a wholly-owned subsidiary named Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, which will then be transferred to the winning GoCo contractor. CNL employs approximately 3,400 people at 12 locations across Canada, and its responsibilities will include: Managing Canada’s radioactive waste and decommissioning responsibilities; continuing Canada’s nuclear science and technology capabilities while maintaining public safety; and providing industry access on a commercial basis to nuclear expertise. “CNL may be a new organization, but it stands on the shoulders of a Crown corporation with a proud history that spans over six decades of cutting-edge nuclear science and technology,” CNL President and CEO Robert Walker said in a statement. This new model of operation will capitalize on burgeoning market opportunities and private sector management, opening up a promising new era before us.”
The launch of CNL is the first of two steps in the restructure of the AECL-owned sites. The new CNL subsidiary provides the organizational structure and workforce that will be needed for the next step in the process. The second step will occur after the Canadian government chooses a winning contractor. Transfer to the new GoCo contractor is anticipated in autumn of 2015, AECL said. While a contractor will operate the sites, AECL will oversee the performance of the contractual obligations of the contractor while also retaining ownership of the Nuclear Laboratories’ physical and intellectual property assets and liabilities.
