Mississauga, 2006 February 21 — Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to design, test and manufacture Emergency Core Cooling (ECC) Strainers for the V.C. Summer nuclear power station, owned and operated by South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G).

“We are extremely pleased that V.C. Summer selected our technology over several competing designs,” stated AECL’s General Manager of Technology Commercialization Jack Scott. “Our ECC Strainers provide flexibility of design, allowing the solution to be custom fit within the existing, irregularly-shaped sump area. In addition, AECL’s modular Finned Strainer^TM is backed by stringent large-scale testing and meets regulatory requirements.”

ECC strainers are designed for use in emergency situations to filter debris from the water used to maintain the cooling of the reactor core. SCE&G’s decision to upgrade the ECC strainer in VC Summer, is in response to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) Generic Letter 2004-02, requiring assurance that they will maintain long-term core cooling following a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA).

“Utilities like SCE&G are being aggressive in quickly and decisively addressing NRC requirements, and utilizing robust technology, supplemented by sound risk mitigation techniques such as AECL’s three-dimensional laser scanning,” added Mr. Scott.

Drawing on the company’s 50 years of experience in the nuclear industry, the unique Finned Strainer^TM has been developed as AECL’s solution to ECC strainer clogging concerns. The AECL design incorporates porous fins attached to a common header. It is modular and can be sized and configured to fit a wide range of plant layouts and operating conditions. AECL originally developed these finned strainers for use in the AECL-designed CANDU® reactors worldwide and has since designed strainers for international utilities who operate pressurized water reactor (PWR) plants.

About AECL

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is full service nuclear technology company providing services to nuclear utilities around the world. Established in 1952, AECL is the designer and builder of CANDU technology including the CANDU 6, one of the world’s top-performing reactors.

AECL’s 4,000 employees deliver cutting edge nuclear services, R&D support, design and engineering, construction management, specialized technology, waste management and decommissioning in support of CANDU reactor products. We work in partnership with our clients to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy solutions. More information on AECL and CANDU technology can be found at www.aecl.ca.

Contact: