AtkinsRéalis, Indiana Sign MOU to Evaluate Up to 6 GW of CANDU Nuclear Capacity

AtkinsRéalis said Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding with the State of Indiana and Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative to evaluate building up to eight CANDU nuclear reactors capable of delivering as much as 6 gigawatts of baseload electricity, as the state seeks to meet rising demand from data centers, artificial intelligence and industrial development. The agreement is an initial evaluation rather than a firm investment commitment. The partners will assess potential sites, financing, power purchase agreements and grid requirements, and may build smaller natural gas-fired plants to bring generation online sooner. They will also study converting retired or retiring fossil fuel sites to nuclear. Hoosier Energy, a nonprofit generation and transmission cooperative, supplies wholesale power to distribution cooperatives serving more than 700,000 consumers across central and southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois. No construction schedule, final location or capital investment figure has been announced. Any decision will depend on financing, regulatory approvals, environmental assessments and transmission planning.