On the economic argument, a recent CERI study reported the construction of two new CANDU units would generate between 81,000 and 95,000 person years of employment. While the foreign-based technology would also generate construction jobs in Ontario, studies have shown the number of person years of employment that would be forfeited would be between 20,000 to 22,000. The net difference between the two reactor technologies shows that the EC-6 or the new reactor design (ACR-1000) would have close to a $2 billion advantage over the PWR over construction and operation of the plants.
The most significant benefit of Ontario buying Canadian is in the ability to generate export sales from leveraging business success in the home market, which would be lost if the France’s technology was chosen for new build in Ontario. For example, of all the nuclear plants completed over the last 10 years, CANDU leads in export success with twice as many export projects as Areva. If CANDU continues to capture a comparable portion of the non-Canadian market for nuclear power plant construction, this would generate export orders for Canadian goods and services worth tens of billions of dollars.
Ontarians have already shown their support for CANDU. Recent surveys have shown three-quarters (77%) think that the provincial government should use Canadian-developed technology so that economic benefits remain in the country. More than 80 per cent of Ontarians said they prefer CANDU technology to foreign technology.
While buying foreign technology might provide us with construction and operation jobs, Canada would lose the underlying Science, Technology and Research and Development jobs, which are critical to advancing a country's knowledge and innovation capacity in nuclear and other high value-add industries. We will also lose much of the fuel manufacturing that now totally resides in Canada.
The French government would never grow an export industry in Canada for its reactor technology, so Canada would essentially kiss our successful export industry goodbye.
For the sake of the 30,000 Canadians working in the nuclear industry, I hope the Ontario government looks beyond the hollow sales pitch from Areva and buys strong and competitive CANADIAN!
Martyn R Wash
President