The NWMO, as the owner of the project, will be working with WSP Canada Inc., Peter Kiewit Sons ULC (Kiewit), Hatch Ltd., Thyssen Mining Construction of Canada Ltd. and Kinectrics Inc.
The chosen companies will work on facility infrastructure design and engineering, construction planning, mine design, mine construction, nuclear management advising and nuclear systems and facilities design.
Construction will only begin once the deep geological repository has successfully completed the federal government’s multi-year regulatory process and the Indigenous-led Regulatory Assessment and Approval Process, a sovereign regulatory process that will be developed and implemented by Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation.
The NWMO is using an Integrated Project Delivery model to design and build the deep geological repository — an innovative approach for an innovative project.
The companies and the NWMO will work as one team, co-located to move the project forward. This approach encourages trust and open communication among all parties, putting what is best for the project first by enabling collaboration between the NWMO and the selected companies. All companies involved, including the NWMO, will work hand-in-hand throughout the entirety of the process.
This integrated and collaborative contracting approach is ideal for such a unique, long-term, first-of-its-kind mega-project that relies on input from our host communities, the regulator and other stakeholders.
The selected vendors will have the following responsibilities:
Design/engineering
WSP will be responsible for all architectural design and engineering for the project, excluding the engineering and design of the mine and waste rock pile, shafts, headframes and hoisting design and the Used Fuel Packaging Plant.
Constructor
Kiewit will be responsible for all above-ground construction design required to build the deep geological repository.
Mine design
Hatch will be responsible for all aspects of the project related to underground mine and waste rock management, as well as shaft, headframe and hoisting systems related to the design and construction of the deep geological repository.
Mine construction
Thyssen Mining will be responsible for the underground mine construction design of the service, test and demonstration area, as well as the sinking of three shafts into the repository.
Nuclear management advisor
Kinectrics will be responsible for in-depth nuclear operations management expertise and advice to inform the development and planning of the project, design, oversight and assurance framework and quality assurance programs.
Nuclear systems and facilities
Hatch will be responsible for all aspects of the project related to nuclear facilities and the Used Fuel Packaging Plant.