Ontario zeroes in on two nuclear reactor designs: Enhanced Candu 6 reactor by Candu Energy Inc and AP 1000 reactor by Westinghouse

Ontario zeroes in on two nuclear reactor designs: Enhanced Candu 6 reactor by Candu Energy Inc and AP 1000 reactor by Westinghouse: http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1168935--ontario-zeroes-in-on-two-nuclear-reactor-designs ..."Ontario is in talks with two nuclear suppliers about submitting detailed plans for proposed new reactors at the Darlington nuclear station.
But provincial sources say it will be more than a year before a decision is made on which design to choose – if any.
The two designs in the running are:
• The Enhanced Candu 6 reactor made by Candu Energy Inc., a unit of SNC-Lavalin, which bought the assets of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. last year.
• The AP 1000 reactor made by Westinghouse.
Both reactor designs are currently be assessed by Canada’s nuclear regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
Public documents show that the CNSC is not actively examining the technology of a third potential candidate, made by the French nuclear manufacturer Areva.
The province and Ontario Power Generation are currently negotiating the terms of “service level agreements” with Westinghouse and Candu Energy.
The agreements would commit the companies to preparing detailed construction plans, schedules and cost estimates for the proposed reactors, a process that would take a year or more.
The province is considering building two new reactors, each of about 1,000 megawatts, at Darlington.
But a source emphasized there’s no guarantee either proposal would be accepted, and the province could still forego building new reactors altogether."