CNL senior executive looks back on a year marked by major accomplishments in clean energy, public health, environmental remediation and campus revitalization
It was only a little over a year ago that CNL launched its new corporate strategy, known as Vision 2030, but Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO, says that it is already starting to come to life in 2023. CNL’s most senior executive was looking back on what he felt was a year once again marked by major accomplishments across all of its mission areas.
“The end of the year is a great opportunity to look back on your performance as an organization, to determine whether you are on track and meeting the needs of your customers,” commented McBrearty. “I believe that 2023 was a year of tremendous progress for CNL. Whether it was the pursuit of a promising new medical isotope in the fight against cancer; ongoing research to advance next-generation clean energy solutions; continued engagement and formalizing relationship with Indigenous partners; or the continued execution of our major environmental remediation projects, CNL realized tangible progress across all our core missions. And with a new ten-year plan now in place that aligns with Vision 2030, we have clear direction for the years ahead as we pursue a new era of scientific discovery at Canada’s national nuclear laboratories.”
Under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is fulfilling three strategic priorities of national importance on behalf of the Government of Canada – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians. Each of these strategic priorities is executed within the framework of an overarching commitment to further reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples through substantive engagement and partnership. And in addition to modernization of the Chalk River site, CNL has increased its focus on collaborative research, working to advance innovative products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.
Some CNL accomplishments from 2023 include:
- Alongside ITM, CNL announced the launch of Actineer, a new joint venture company that will pursue the industrial scale production of Actinium-225, a promising new medical isotope that has the potential to serve as a powerful weapon in the fight against cancer.
- CNL, AECL and Global First Power (GFP) announced that GFP has selected a location at the Chalk River Laboratories to site its proposed Micro-Modular™ Reactor (MMR®) project. The organizations celebrated the milestone with a sign unveiling this summer, marking the next phase of the clean energy demonstration project.
- CNL celebrated the official opening of the Science Collaboration Centre, an innovative and sustainable new facility that will serve as the central planning and collaboration space for the company’s science and technology program.
- To help facilitate the advancement of hydrogen as a key enabler of global decarbonisation, CNL launched the Canadian Hydrogen Safety Centre, fostering development of hydrogen safety solutions across multiple industrial sectors and regions.
- CNL continued to grow its Academic Partnership Program (APP) by signing agreements with the University of New Brunswick and Queen’s University, bringing the partnership program to seven Canadian universities.
- CNL signed a Strategic Alliance Agreement (SAA) with Kyoto Fusioneering, enabling the organizations to explore opportunities to accelerate development and commercialization of fusion fuel cycle technology.
- AECL, CNL and the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation (AOPFN) announced the signing of an historic long-term relationship agreement (LTRA) that formalizes relations between two of Canada’s leading nuclear organizations and the Algonquin First Nation. CNL also signed a five-year contribution agreement that establishes a cooperative relationship with the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF).
- CNL continued to sustain industry-leading performance in safety, outperforming many of its peers in key metrics. CNL also operated for 2.6 million consecutive hours in 2023 without a lost-time injury.
- CNL employees once again demonstrated their generosity, raising over $85,000 for the company’s annual United Way Campaign, and through its parent company, donated another $190,000 to various community causes as part of CNL’s annual crowdfunding campaign.
- CNL released its 2023 Sustainability Report, which outlines its company-wide efforts to become a more sustainable organization and its commitment to become a carbon neutral organization by 2040.
- CNL continued to fulfill the commitments of the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) in 2023, with progress that included the safe remediation of 47 private properties and various industrial sites, with 220,000 metric tonnes of waste safely moved to the Long-Term Waste Management Facility for long-term storage.
- The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for CNL’s Whiteshell Reactor – 1 (WR-1) Closure Project has passed the CNSC’s completeness check and is now in the final technical review stage, marking a major milestone in the decommissioning project.
“2023 wasn’t without its challenges at CNL, but I think our staff deserve an enormous amount of credit for everything that was accomplished this year across our missions,” added McBrearty. “On behalf of the Government of Canada and our commercial customers, we continue to advance nuclear science and technology solutions to help build a brighter, more sustainable future for this country. Our team has never wavered from that mission, and I have no doubt that we will build on these accomplishments with a successful 2024.”
About CNL
As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory, and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.
By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.
To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.
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CNL Contact:
Philip Kompass
Director, Corporate Communications
1-866-886-2325
[email protected]
