Trump gets into bed with Cameco and Brookfield to push uranium and nuclear.
Cameco and Brookfield establish transformational partnership with United States Government to accelerate deployment of Westinghouse nuclear reactors
Cameco Corporation (TSX: CCO; NYSE: CCJ) today announced that it, along with Brookfield Asset Management (Brookfield), has entered into a binding term sheet with the United States Department of Commerce (US Government) to establish a strategic partnership, which is expected to accelerate the global deployment of Westinghouse Electric Company’s (Westinghouse) nuclear reactor technologies and reinvigorate supply chains and the nuclear power industrial base in the US and abroad.
The agreement provides for the US Government to arrange financing and facilitate the permitting and approvals for new Westinghouse nuclear reactors to be built in the US, with an aggregate investment value of at least US$80 billion, including near-term financing of long lead time items. Once constructed, the reactors are expected to generate reliable and secure power for the American grid, including powering significant data center and compute capacity to drive growth in artificial intelligence in the United States.
“We are pleased to see the US government make this commitment to expanding nuclear power capacity using Westinghouse's proven technology. We expect that our highly successful partnership with Brookfield as owners of Westinghouse will be further strengthened through this strategic collaboration with the US Government,” said Tim Gitzel, CEO of Cameco. “At the center of this new partnership is value creation. When coupled with the May 23, 2025 Executive Orders, we believe the US Government’s participation in the partnership creates the right incentives to deploy its full suite of tools behind the construction of Westinghouse reactors, including financial, regulatory, policy and diplomatic support. That support is expected to drive additional value for the partnership and the many stakeholders who are expected to benefit from enhanced energy, national and climate security around the world.
“We expect that the new build commitments from the US will bolster broader confidence in the durable growth profile for nuclear power, and support increased demand for Westinghouse’s and Cameco’s products, services and technologies. This new partnership highlights the role that Westinghouse’s reactor technologies, based on fully designed, licensed and operating reactors, are expected to play in the planned expansion of nuclear capacity and diversification of global nuclear supply chains. Cameco remains well positioned as a secure and reliable supplier that can fuel the long-term reliable operation of Westinghouse’s technology in the US and globally.”
The launch of a nuclear power plant construction program is expected to accelerate growth in Westinghouse’s energy systems segment during the construction phase, along with its core fuel fabrication and reactor services business for the life of the reactors. Upon closing of the transaction and with financing facilitated by the US Government, Westinghouse plans to commence project execution and initiate orders for critical equipment with long lead times, which is expected to leverage the nuclear industry supply chains that were established during the construction of Vogtle units 3 and 4.
Cameco, as one of the world’s largest and most reliable suppliers of uranium and nuclear fuel services and components, is well-positioned with what is expected to be tremendous upside optionality to benefit from the continued expansion of nuclear power in the US and globally, through the anticipated acceleration of nuclear fuel demand growth as a result of this partnership.
Partnership StructureUnder the new strategic partnership, the US Government will be granted a participation interest (Participation Interest), which, once vested, will entitle it to receive 20% of any cash distributions in excess of US$17.5 billion made by Westinghouse after the granting of the Participation Interest. For the Participation Interest to vest, the US Government must make a final investment decision and enter into definitive agreements to complete the construction of new Westinghouse nuclear reactors in the US with an aggregate value of at least US$80 billion.
Additionally, in recognition of the anticipated acceleration of long-term value creation that the US Government is expected to help unlock by deploying its financial, regulatory, policy and diplomatic tools to support the objectives of the partnership, if, on or prior to January 2029 the Participation Interest has vested, and if the valuation in an initial public offering (IPO) of Westinghouse is expected to be US$30 billion or more at that time, the US Government will be entitled to require an (IPO). Immediately prior to, or in connection with the IPO, the Participation Interest will directly or indirectly convert into a warrant, with a five-year term, to purchase equity securities equivalent to 20% of the public value of the IPO entity at the time of exercise after deducting US$17.5 billion from the public value.
Brookfield and Cameco acquired Westinghouse in November 2023. The partnership brought together Cameco’s expertise in the nuclear fuel supply chain with Brookfield’s recognized position as one of the world’s largest investors in energy generation technologies.
The transactions and other matters contemplated by the term sheet with the US Government are subject to, among other risks, the factors discussed below under Forward Looking Information. The expectation is that the US Government, Brookfield, Cameco and Westinghouse will negotiate and enter into definitive agreements replacing the binding term sheet, but, in the event such agreements are not reached, the term sheet will remain effective.
The transactions are subject to obtaining required regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary conditions. |
