Nuclear power generates nearly 50 percent of the electricity for Ontario, and the province is home to world-class universities and colleges, including the renowned faculty of engineering at the University of Waterloo.
Last week, we opened our fifth global engineering hub in the city of Kitchener, Ontario, joining the region’s already blossoming tech sector commonly referred to as the “Silicon Valley of the North.”
The proximity to top talent and the strong knowledge base for nuclear provides built-in momentum for our plan to hire 100 new engineers by next year to work at the Kitchener site. That’s in addition to the 250 Westinghouse employees already working in Canada.
The opening of the new 13,000-square-foot facility comes at an exciting time for the Canadian nuclear energy industry. There is growing interest in building new reactors big and small like Westinghouse’s advanced AP1000® reactor, the AP300™ small modular reactor and the eVinci ™ microreactor: to power cities and towns in southern regions, and to replace fossil fuels for remote communities and industries in the north.
Deploying four of our AP1000 reactors in Canada could support CA$28.7B in GDP (Gross Domestic Product), create more than 7,900 jobs and add 4,800 MW of added nuclear capacity (enough to power more than 3 million homes and eliminate 28 million metric tons of CO2 emissions).
“This is the future of nuclear energy, and it starts here in Waterloo Region,” said Tony LaMantia, President & CEO of Waterloo Economic Development Corporation, at the ribbon-cutting for the new Kitchener hub. “Westinghouse’s new engineering hub in Kitchener will drive innovation in nuclear energy, setting new standards for the industry at large. By tapping into our highly skilled, work-ready talent pool, Westinghouse is sure to make a huge and lasting impact."
On June 11, 2024, we welcomed our first visitors to the Kitchener hub as Westinghouse leaders and officials from government and regional economic development celebrated its grand opening.
Equipped with training facilities and a fire protection laboratory, the site will house engineering teams who support Canada’s existing CANDU® fleet of reactors as well as our growing list of new-build projects in Canada and across the globe.
We recently signed an agreement with Saskatchewan Power Corporation (SaskPower) and Cameco Corporation (one of our Canadian owners) to evaluate the potential of Westinghouse’s nuclear reactor technology and the associated nuclear fuel supply chain required for Saskatchewan’s future clean power needs.
The Kitchner hub also will provide the local Canadian supply chain with opportunities to support AP1000 reactor deployment in the country and globally, with each new-build project potentially bringing a billion dollars in economic benefits to Canada.
“We are immensely proud to continue investing in Canada and to grow our presence in this dynamic energy market,” Westinghouse President and CEO Patrick Fragman said.
Westinghouse’s connection to Canada’s nuclear industry dates to the 1950s when our Hamilton plant manufactured equipment for Canada’s prototype CANDU reactors, and our bond with the country has strengthened in recent years. We have been fully Canadian owned since 2018.
The Kitchener site is close to Canada's two biggest nuclear power plants - Bruce Power and Pickering Nuclear Generation Stations. The new location also positions us nearby the Canadian nuclear supplier community.
“Ontario is home to the second largest tech cluster in North America, with thousands of highly talented tech workers, many located in the Kitchener-Waterloo region,” said Victor Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Westinghouse’s investment in their new global engineering hub in Kitchener recognizes our province’s excellence in innovation and will drive new advancements in nuclear energy technologies. We congratulate Westinghouse on this milestone and welcome their expansion within Ontario’s innovation ecosystem.”
Earlier this year, the province of Ontario updated its nuclear capacity target for clean electricity by 2050 earlier this year, including 18GW of new nuclear power. Westinghouse in May published a detailed report by PwC that shows the big economic benefits of building four AP1000 reactor units in Ontario. This supports Ontario's clean energy goals.
The Kitchener facility is a CA$5.5 million investment, exemplifying our commitment to Canada.
"Establishing one of its five global engineering hubs in our community – and the only one in Canada – will bring new jobs and continue an exciting chapter in our long history of research and development, innovation, and collaboration," Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said at the ribbon-cutting.
The Westinghouse global engineering hub in Kitchener is now open. Learn more about career opportunities for Westinghouse in Canada: https://westinghousenuclear.com/canada/about-us/careers/.
You can see highlights from our June 11 grand opening, as well as hear from local and regional Canadian leaders, in this video from the event: