The new 13,000-square-foot (1208-square-metre) facility will be home to global design engineering teams dedicated to supporting the Candu operating fleet and international projects, as well as the global deployment of Westinghouse new-build technologies - including the AP1000 reactor, AP300 small modular reactor and eVinci microreactor. The site features high-tech training capabilities and a laboratory dedicated to further advancing the company's leading fire protection engineering services.
The Kitchener site is one of Westinghouse's five global engineering hubs that drive advancements in the delivery of nuclear energy technology. The location - chosen from a shortlist of 15 cities globally - was selected for its proximity to customers and supply chain, as well as to the University of Waterloo and other colleges and universities.
Westinghouse said the opening of the new facility "further demonstrates the company's ongoing commitment to Canada, its customers and its workforce".
"We are immensely proud to continue investing in Canada and to grow our presence in this dynamic energy market," said Westinghouse President and CEO Patrick Fragman. "Today, Westinghouse has more than 250 employees based in Canada across a diverse range of technical and professional roles. The new engineering hub in Kitchener will expand our employee base with approximately 100 additional engineers by 2025. This - coupled with our robust domestic supply chain and our proven technology offerings - uniquely positions Westinghouse to meet Canada’s clean energy needs for generations to come."
Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said: "We're thrilled that Westinghouse has chosen to Kitchener, joining the many other global organisations that have seen so much potential in the City of Kitchener and our local ecosystem that they decided to make a home here.
"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."
In February, Westinghouse released a comprehensive, independent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers outlining the significant economic impact from deploying four AP1000 reactors in Ontario. Their deployment could have an impact of more than CAD28.7 billion (USD21.2 billion) on Canada's GDP during the manufacturing, engineering and construction phase alone, the study found.
In November last year, the provincial government of Saskatchewan announced it was providing CAD80 million (USD59 million) for the Saskatchewan Research Council to pursue the demonstration of a microreactor in Saskatchewan, with plans for a Westinghouse-designed eVinci microreactor to be operational in the province from 2029.
