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SAINT JOHN - New Brunswick Energy Minister Jack Keir says it's "highly unlikely" that the Ontario government would not select Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's Advanced Candu reactor for its nuclear expansion project.

Keir pointed out that AECL, a federal Crown corporation, employs more than 4,800 people in Ontario.

"Let's just be frank here for a minute. With the car industry the way it is in Ontario - I don't want to get into their politics - it'd be tough for them I'd suggest, it'd be pretty tough for them not to pick AECL," said the plain-spoken energy minister during an editorial board meeting with the Telegraph-Journal.

Keir's comment comes after NB Power chairman Francis McGuire said that a decision by Ontario to endorse either the French nuclear giant Areva or U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Company to provide new nuclear reactors it could spell trouble for the AECL's ACR-1000.

The Ontario government is in the middle of a procurement process to build a two-reactor expansion at its Darlington facility east of Toronto.

The ACR-1000 is at the heart of the Team Candu New Brunswick consortium's proposal to build a second nuclear reactor at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station southwest of Saint John. Team CANDU New Brunswick draws on the experience and expertise of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Babcock & Wilcox Canada, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Canada Inc., Hitachi Canada Ltd and SNC-Lavalin Nuclear Limited.

Keir said even if Ontario decides to go with the Areva or Westinghouse reactors, it wouldn't necessarily be a blow to Lepreau 2.

"Let's say Ontario doesn't (choose the ACR-100), they pick Areva. The private sector here is going to say 'hold on, we'd better slow down here, because I don't want an orphan technology', but it's the private sector that's going to make that decision, not NB Power, not Francis McGuire, not Jack Keir, not our government" he said, "It's the private sector that's paying the money, it's the private sector that will pick the technology. I can clearly tell you that every indication I've been given from the private sector investors that I've talked to is that AECL is their (preferred) technology."

Keir said the Lepreau 2 backers believe the AECL ACR-1000 reactor technology is less expensive to build than competing units.

"(AECL) has a track record around the world of developing these Candu-6's on budget and on time and I think the private sector investors like that idea."

Dale Coffin, a spokesman for AECL, said the Crown corporation is pitching its ACR technology to Saskatchewan and Alberta in addition to Ontario and New Brunswick.

Coffin said the Team Candu NB group is confident the New Brunswick government will support their proposal.

"We're very confident that we're close to getting a positive decision to move forward with our proposal," he said.

If the project receives the blessing of the Graham government, Team Candu NB will apply for a site license from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and commence the environmental impact assessment process.

"We're optimistic we'll be moving forward to the next phase."