印第安纳州签备忘录评估引进CANDU核电：最多8座反应堆共6吉瓦，州长称兼顾电价与高薪岗位
印第安纳州消息：加拿大工程与核能公司 AtkinsRéalis 10月19日宣布，该公司、印第安纳州政府与 Hoosier Energy 农村电力合作社已签署谅解备忘录（MOU），评估在印第安纳州开发一座由最多8座 CANDU 反应堆组成的核电园区，可提供最高6.0吉瓦的新增基荷电力。据《Indianapolis Star》报道，这项宣布在 Purdue University 全球核能经济峰会收官时作出，州长 Mike Braun 在会上与各方签署了这份协议。
Braun 在公告中表示：「确保电价可负担、为印第安纳州的技术工人提供高薪机会，是首要任务。通过评估这项技术，我们正在探索一条既能提供更可负担电力、又能创造长期技术岗位、让本州社区更强壮的路径。」AtkinsRéalis 核能业务总裁 Joe St. Julian 表示，州长的领导体现了在满足不断增长的用电需求的同时、保持电价可负担并支持经济增长的务实取向。AtkinsRéalis 首席执行官 Ian Edwards 在宣布时表示，八座反应堆将分阶段建设，在 Hoosier Energy 的服务区域内逐步达到满负荷。
Hoosier Energy 是一家非营利发电与输电合作社，为 Indiana 中南部与 Illinois 东南部的配电合作社提供批发电力与服务，这些合作社共服务70多万用户。其总裁兼首席执行官 Donna Walker 表示，该社奉行「全方位」（all-of-the-above）能源战略，乐意以自身专业参与评估先进核能是否值得考虑的初步讨论。据印第安纳州能源发展办公室2025年12月的一份报告，该州公用事业现有发电能力约27吉瓦；若6.0吉瓦规划全部建成，相当于全州发电能力增加逾22%。
备忘录写明，谅解备忘录将启动对 CANDU 技术在该州部署情景的初步讨论与评估；任何潜在项目的时间表，都取决于选址、融资、公用事业或购电安排、适用的监管与许可活动、环境审查、输电与并网规划、社区与利益相关方沟通等环节。评估范围包括多机组项目的选址、商业结构与购电协议、劳动力培养与电网整合，并考虑在核电站建成前先建若干小型燃气轮机电厂以加速电力投放，以及在已退役或即将退役的火电厂址实施「气转核」。AtkinsRéalis 已就 CANDU 技术在美国的许可与美国核管理委员会（Nuclear Regulatory Commission，NRC）开展申请前沟通：2026年6月提交意向书，8月举行与许可程序相关的首次公开会议，七份专题报告中的第一份（质量保证计划）已经提交。
CANDU 是使用天然铀燃料的加压重水反应堆技术，全球运行经验逾60年、累计近1,000个反应堆年，迄今已在四大洲建成34座反应堆。公告同时说明，这项合作仍属评估阶段，项目能否推进取决于后续各项尽职调查与批准。
关联：
AEP携手X-energy与亚马逊 评估在印第安纳州沙利文县建960兆瓦核电项目
Indiana Signs MOU to Evaluate CANDU Nuclear Deployment: Up to Eight Reactors Totaling 6.0 GW, Governor Cites Affordability and Skilled Jobs
Indiana: AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. announced on October 19 that the company, the State of Indiana and Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the potential development of a campus of up to eight CANDU nuclear reactors that could provide up to 6.0 GW of new nuclear-powered baseload generation for the state. According to the Indianapolis Star, the announcement came at the conclusion of Purdue University's Global Nuclear Energy Economic Summit, where Governor Mike Braun signed the agreement with the parties.
'Ensuring affordable electricity and high-wage opportunities for Indiana's skilled workforce are top priorities,' Governor Mike Braun said in the announcement. 'By exploring this technology, we're evaluating a path to deliver more affordable power while creating the kind of long-term, skilled jobs that strengthen Hoosier communities.' Joe St. Julian, President, Nuclear, at AtkinsRéalis, said the governor's leadership reflects a practical, forward-looking commitment to meeting growing electricity demand while preserving affordability and enabling economic growth. AtkinsRéalis CEO Ian Edwards said at the announcement that the partnership would reach full capacity over time through eight reactors located in Hoosier Energy's coverage area.
Hoosier Energy is a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative that provides wholesale power and services to distribution cooperatives in central and southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois, whose member cooperatives serve more than 700,000 member-consumers. Its President and CEO Donna Walker said the cooperative supports an 'all-of-the-above' energy strategy and is pleased to offer its expertise in early discussions evaluating whether advanced nuclear energy could be an option worth considering. According to a December 2025 report by the Indiana Office of Energy Development, the state's utilities produce about 27 GW of electricity; if the full 6.0 GW were built, it would increase the state's generating capacity by more than 22 percent.
The MOU will facilitate initial discussions to evaluate potential deployment scenarios for CANDU technology in the state. Any potential project timeline will depend on site selection, financing, utility or offtake arrangements, applicable regulatory and licensing activities, environmental review, transmission and interconnection planning, and community and stakeholder engagement. The assessment will cover site selection, commercial structures and power purchase agreements, workforce development and grid integration for a multi-unit program of up to 6.0 GW; it also considers building several smaller gas turbine plants in advance of the nuclear plants to accelerate power deployment, and gas-to-nuclear conversion at retired or retiring generation sites. AtkinsRéalis has initiated pre-application engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), building on its June 2026 letter of intent to begin the U.S. licensing process for CANDU technology; the first public NRC meeting was held in August 2026, and the first of seven planned topical reports, covering the quality assurance program, has been submitted.
CANDU is a pressurised heavy-water reactor technology using natural uranium fuel, with more than six decades of operating experience and nearly 1,000 reactor-years of operation globally; 34 CANDU reactors have been built on four continents. The announcement notes that the collaboration remains at the evaluation stage, and any project would depend on further diligence and approvals.
Related:
AEP, X-energy and Amazon Evaluate a 960 MW Nuclear Project in Sullivan County, Indiana
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：加拿大 Ontario 省 Pickering 核电站全景，该站8座反应堆均为 CANDU 型，是此次印第安纳州评估引进的同型技术。Mdf 摄，经 Wikimedia Commons 发布，CC BY-SA 3.0。Photo: Panoramic view of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario, Canada, whose eight reactors are all CANDU units, the same technology Indiana is evaluating. By Mdf, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
GSM Global · 本篇英文版 English edition of this story
