Team Canada Nuclear Business Delegation Expands Supply Chain Opportunities in Romania and Poland

Last week, the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI), in partnership with the Government of Ontario, led a high-profile nuclear business delegation to Romania (October 25–27) and Poland (October 28–30). The trade mission focused on opening global commercial opportunities for Canada’s domestic supply chain, building strategic partnerships with like-minded partner nations, and showcasing Canadian nuclear expertise and capabilities on the international stage. 

The delegation brought together over 40 delegates from 25 member companies and 7 partner organizations representing Canadian manufacturers, engineering firms, and automation and digital technology providers to engage with key government officials, utility executives, and industrial suppliers in both countries. 

The mission to Romania underscored nearly 50 years of civil nuclear cooperation anchored by CANDU reactor technology at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant. Activities kicked off in Bucharest with briefings at the Embassy of Canada featuring senior Romanian energy officials, Nuclearelectrica, regulatory authorities, and project leads from AtkinsRéalis. 

A primary highlight of the Bucharest program was the official renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between OCNI and the Romanian Atomic Forum Association (ROMATOM) at a ceremony attended by Ambassador Kevin Rex, Secretary of State Marius Poșa, and Ontario’s Agent-General in London, Sophia Arvanitis. The agreement sets out a roadmap to align supply chain capabilities, streamline pre-qualification, and foster joint ventures for Cernavodă Unit 1 refurbishment, the construction of Units 3 and 4, and future third-country export projects. 

“Building on years of cooperation, this renewed agreement supports efforts to translate shared vision into concrete, two-way commercial opportunities,” said Ivette Vera-Perez, President & CEO of OCNI. ” Together, our supply chains are positioned to deliver major project expansions in both nations and win new business in third-country markets.” 

On October 27, the Canadian delegation traveled to the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant for an extensive facility site visit and direct one-to-one business-to-business meetings with key Cernavodă NPP operating departments. Canadian delegates engaged with plant personnel to discuss upcoming procurement needs for life-extension work and site expansion. 

Transitioning to Warsaw on October 28, the delegation turned its attention to Poland’s ambitious commercial nuclear expansion, which includes over 6 GW of planned large-scale capacity alongside the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). 

During a high-level briefing and networking event featuring a presentation on the Polish Nuclear Energy Program by Ministerial Counsellor Andrzej Sidło, OCNI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Polish Chamber of Power Industry and Environmental Protection (IGEOS). The MOU establishes a three-year cooperation framework aimed at cross-qualifying suppliers, hosting B2B workshops, facilitating academic/R&D exchanges, and encouraging joint participation across Canadian, Polish, and international nuclear projects. 

“We have just come from Romania, where Canada’s nuclear partnership is nearly fifty years old,” noted Ivette Vera-Perez during her opening address in Warsaw. “We are here to begin a partnership with Poland that can last just as long, built on Polish jobs, Polish capability and shared success.” 

To learn more about local manufacturing capabilities and identify immediate partnership opportunities, the Canadian delegation spent two days conducting site visits across Polish industrial facilities: 

• Energomontaż-Północ Gdynia (EPG) (Gdynia): Visited heavy fabrication workshops, assembly yards, and port infrastructure where EPG is progressing through NQA-1 qualification for AP1000 structural modules. 

• AIC S.A. (Gdynia): Toured advanced precision engineering and automated manufacturing space for specialized stainless-steel and titanium heat-exchangers. 

• Rockfin S.A. (Małkowo/Gdańsk area): Inspected engineering and assembly facilities for auxiliary turbine/generator skids, fluid systems, and SMR balance-of-plant systems. 

• Mostostal Siedlce (Siedlce): Visited large-scale structural steel fabrication plants currently undergoing ASME NQA-1 trial fabrication of an AP1000 containment dome mock-up. 

• APS Energia S.A. (Stanisławów Pierwszy / Warsaw): Toured manufacturing and testing laboratories dedicated to class 1E/safety-grade UPS systems and nuclear electrical infrastructure. 

The successful trade mission to Romania and Poland demonstrates OCNI’s commitment to opening opportunities for Canada’s domestic supply chain overseas. By building robust, bilateral supply chain partnerships with like-minded countries, the Canadian industry is positioning itself as a reliable partner for large-scale energy infrastructure projects.  

Showcasing Canadian nuclear expertise globally not only strengthens international trade but ensures that Canada’s manufacturers, engineering firms, and technology providers remain at the forefront of the global clean energy transition.