AtkinsRéalis submits Notice of Intent to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for CANDU® reactor licensing

Company begins formal regulatory engagement to bring large-scale nuclear technology to U.S. market amid surging power demand

MONTREAL, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. (TSX: ATRL), a world-class engineering services and nuclear company with offices around the world, announced that it has formally submitted a Notice of Intent to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to begin the licensing process for its CANDU^® reactor technology in the United States.

The filing marks the start of formal pre-application engagement with the NRC and represents a key milestone in the Company's strategy to deploy proven large-scale nuclear power in support of significant U.S. electricity demand driven by data centers, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and broader electrification.

"As the United States enters a new chapter in its civilian nuclear program, AtkinsRéalis is uniquely positioned, as the steward of CANDU technology, to help advance the country's ambitious energy policy through proven, low-cost reactor technology with a world-class reputation," said Ian L. Edwards, President and CEO, AtkinsRéalis. "This Notice of Intent marks a critical milestone in the development of CANDU's international market. It's also the first step in a process that supports our ambition to provide the U.S. with the reliable, affordable and safe large-scale nuclear power that is central to providing energy security and creating investment, jobs and economic opportunity in the country."

AtkinsRéalis owns the exclusive commercial rights to the CANDU technology, one of the world's most established large reactor platforms, with 34 units built globally and nearly 1,000 reactor-years of experience. The Enhanced CANDU®6 design is a 700+ MW-class pressurized heavy water reactor that uses natural uranium fuel and online refuelling, enabling continuous operation without shutdown for refuelling outages.

Unlike first-of-a-kind reactor concepts, CANDU^® reactors have operated for decades across multiple jurisdictions – Canada, Romania, Argentina, Korea, China – and regulatory frameworks. The design incorporates two independent fast-acting shutdown systems and has demonstrated strong operational and safety performance internationally.

CANDU technology also co-produces medical grade life-saving isotopes to sterilize medical equipment worldwide, and for use in both detecting and fighting cancer. CANDU reactors in Canada produce 50% of the world's supply of the Cobalt-60 isotope¹.

The Company is engaging U.S. utilities, state governments and prospective anchor power purchasers, including hyperscale data center operators and large industrial users, to evaluate potential deployment opportunities. AtkinsRéalis is focusing on existing nuclear sites and jurisdictions with supportive nuclear policy frameworks to reduce siting risk and accelerate timelines.

"CANDU reactors strengthen U.S. energy security in a very tangible way as they use natural uranium and do not require enrichment, ultimately reducing reliance on foreign enrichment services," said Joe St. Julian, President, Nuclear, AtkinsRéalis. That fuel flexibility, combined with decades of on time and on budget performance, will give the United States greater control over its nuclear fuel supply chain, which is of paramount importance in the current geopolitical climate, while delivering dependable, low-carbon baseload power."

AtkinsRéalis has over 40,000 employees around the world, including 7,000 nuclear professionals dedicated to its global nuclear business, and provides end-to-end services across the nuclear lifecycle, including new build, refurbishment, reactor support and waste management. The Canadian nuclear supply chain is composed of 250 companies and employs 90,000 professionals.

About AtkinsRéalis
Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital advisory services. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services and Nuclear, as steward of CANDU^® nuclear technology. News and information are available at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us LinkedIn. 

About AtkinsRéalis' Nuclear Sector

AtkinsRéalis has over 70 years of global nuclear expertise, delivering nuclear technology products and full-service solutions to nuclear utilities around the world. AtkinsRéalis is the steward of CANDU^® nuclear technology, operating on four continents, and provides advisory and engineering services to other nuclear developers. With an innovative technology portfolio, including access to over 500 patented solutions, AtkinsRéalis solves technically complex challenges across the whole nuclear lifecycle from design and new build through asset management and from life extension and late life management through decommissioning and waste management. AtkinsRéalis operates and manages government nuclear research sites, transforming ageing infrastructure and safely managing legacy nuclear waste. AtkinsRéalis' CANDU technology also allows for the co-production of medical radioisotopes for cancer detection and treatment. The company also supports cancer treatment through its partnership with TerraPower to extract isotopes from legacy nuclear material. Learn more on our Nuclear market page.

Forward-Looking Statements

References in this press release to the "Company", "AtkinsRéalis", "we", "us" and "our" mean, as the context may require, AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. or all or some of its subsidiaries or joint arrangements or associates. Statements made in this press release that describe the Company's expectations or strategies constitute "forward-looking statements", which can be identified by the use of the conditional or forward-looking terminology such as "aims", "anticipates", "assumes", "believes", "cost savings", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "goal", "intends", "likely", "may", "objective", "outlook", "plans", "projects", "should", "synergies", "target", "vision", "will", or other variations thereon. Forward-looking statements also include any other statements that do not refer to historical facts. The Company cautions that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and that its actual actions or results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are presented for the purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding certain key elements of the Company's current objectives, strategic priorities, expectations and plans, and in obtaining a better understanding of the Company's business and anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements made in this press release are based on a number of assumptions believed by the Company to be reasonable as at the date hereof. The assumptions are set out throughout the Company's 2025 annual management disclosure & analysis ("2025 MD&A") (particularly in the sections entitled "Critical Accounting Judgments and Key Sources of Estimation Uncertainty" and "How We Analyze and Report our Results") filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and on the Company's website at www.atkinsrealis.com under the "Investors" section. If these assumptions are inaccurate, the Company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. In addition, important risk factors could cause the Company's assumptions and estimates to be inaccurate and actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements. Those risks are identified in the 2025 MD&A (particularly in the section entitled "Risk and Uncertainties"), as may be updated from time to time in the Company's interim quarterly MD&A, are not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements herein reflect the Company's expectations as at the date of this press release and are subject to change after this date. The Company does not undertake to update publicly or to revise any such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable legislation or regulation. The forward-looking information and statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

SOURCE AtkinsRéalis