Atkins Réalis positive about nuclear

Segment growth helped bump revenue up 12% to $2.26B

- CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS

Atkins Réalis chief executive lan Edwards says the company, formerly known as SNC-Lavalin, sees more opportunity for growth in Ontario as the province ramps up its refurbishment of the Pickering nuclear power station in addition to other projects.

AtkinsRéalis enjoyed a thriving nuclear business in its latest quarter, as the engineering firm looks to build on a gradual global transition away from fossil fuels.

The company formerly known as SNC-Lavalin reported organic revenue growth of 21 per cent year over year in its nuclear segment, while its backlog of nuclear contracts rose by 87 per cent to $1.8 billion.

The bigger order book stemmed mainly from business linked to Atkins subsidiary Candu Energy over the past year.

Chief executive Ian Edwards pointed to the Ontario government’s plan to build a new nuclear station at Bruce Power on the shores of Lake Huron, on top of the ongoing refurbishment of the Toronto-area Darlington nuclear plant.