Netherlands new nuclear: Amentum selected to evaluate options
Amentum has been selected by the Netherlands to review and advise on the technical feasibility studies for two new reactors in the country submitted from three potential reactor vendors.
In December 2021, the Netherlands' new coalition government placed nuclear power at the heart of its climate and energy policy. Based on preliminary plans, two new reactors will be completed around 2035 and each will have a capacity of 1000-1650 MWe. The two reactors would provide 9-13% of the Netherlands' electricity production in 2035. The cabinet announced in December 2022 that it currently sees the existing Borssele nuclear power plant site as the most suitable location for the construction of the new reactors.
It has since awarded contracts to Westinghouse and to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power to conduct feasibility studies on the deployment of their respective reactors at Borssele, with the Dutch government also saying it intended to award a similar contract to EDF.
Amentum said the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth had received technical feasibility studies and market consultations from three potential reactor vendors, and had asked Amentum "to carry out a full review of this information, to provide independent advice on the technical and market viability of constructing two nuclear power plants, and to deliver advisory input to enable an informed decision on design and financing".
Andy White, Senior Vice President of Amentum Energy & Environment International, said: "This important contract advances our growth strategy by taking us into a new country and plays to many of our strengths. We are technology agnostic, so we are able to apply our experience of nuclear new build programmes in the UK, Poland and the United Arab Emirates, along with our extensive technical knowledge to assess the compatibility of reactor designs within the specific Dutch context."
The Amentum team will be supported by CMS Lawyers, PA Consulting and ENCO nuclear consultants.
The Netherlands currently has the one, relatively small, nuclear power reactor, at Borssele in the south west of the country. It is a 482 MWe pressurised water reactor which was connected to the grid in 1973 and generates about 3% of the country's electricity. As well as considering the two new large units, the country is also looking into the development of small modular reactors.
Amentum was created in early 2020 from the spin-off of US-based global infrastructure firm AECOM's Management Services business. In September, Amentum completed a merger with Jacobs Solutions Inc's Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence government services businesses to form an independent, publicly traded company called Amentum Holdings, Inc. The combination was described by Amentum CEO John Heller as transformational for the company, forming a "global leader in advanced engineering and innovative technology solutions".
