The Reactor Operations Department at Kjeller | Photo: IFE/Espen Solli

Multiconsult to plan Norwegian nuclear decommissioning program

Norsk Nukleær Dekommisjonering (NND) has notified Multiconsult Norge AS, in a joint venture with Jacobs U.K. Limited of the award of the technical support contract for the planning of the decommissioning of Norway's nuclear facilities. The contract is a frame agreement and includes a wide range of disciplines in the line of work required in the decommission phase. The initial focus of the framework contract will be on two research sites – the nuclear fuel and materials testing reactor at Halden and the JEEP-II neutron scattering facility at Kjeller – which were shut down in year 2018 and 2019 respectively.

28. June 2022

Multiconsult and Jacobs are ranked number one, and the frame agreement will be awarded to three contract parties. The total value of these frame agreements is estimated to be NOK 750 million, and maximum NOK 900 million, in addition to an option estimated to NOK 100 million.

The distribution of work between the contract parties will take place according to the Cascade method. In other words, Multiconsult and Jacobs will be asked first. The work is expected to start immediately and expected to last for a period of six-years.

Decommissioning of the facilities includes removing radioactive sources, dismantling equipment and systems, demolishing structures and buildings, and transferring radioactive material to a facility approved for storage. The scope of the assignment includes design and planning of new facilities and upgrading of existing nuclear and non-nuclear facilities that will be transferred to NND during the ongoing business takeover, as well as support for license applications. The framework agreement shall support NND in the work of establishing all necessary technical documentation, as well as preparing safety cases for new and existing facilities so that these meet the ownership and operating license requirements.

“We are proud to be awarded this important task of assisting Norsk Nukleær Dekommisjonering in the planning of the decommissioning of Norway’s nuclear facilities. The strong team of Jacobs and Multiconsult look forward to working with Norsk Nukleær Dekommisjonering and all parties involved. Together, we will work towards restoring the sites and prepare them for future sustainable redevelopment”, says Grethe Bergly, CEO in Multiconsult.

“This important contract expands our footprint in the European nuclear decommissioning market, whose value is estimated to grow to USD 63 billion (EUR 60bn) by 2025 (Source: Energy Industries Council, U.K.),” said Jacobs Energy, Security and Technology Senior Vice President Karen Wiemelt. “We are looking forward to carrying out this work to lay the foundations for a safe and effective cleanup that will protect people and the environment from the radioactive legacy on these two sites.”

«The decommissioning of the nuclear facilities in Norway is a complicated assignment, and NND is pleased to see that there is a big interest from both international and local/national suppliers to assist NND in this task. NND welcome the international decommissioning experience that Jacobs U.K. Limited brings onboard and acknowledge that it will be of valuable help for NND. At the same time, we also greatly appreciate the Norwegian experience that Multiconsult Norge AS have, which means that the two companies will be a strong partner for NND in the coming years,” says Nils Bøhmer, CTO in NND.

The overall program for used fuel treatment and decommissioning of the Halden and Kjeller reactors is expected to cost about NOK 20 billion and take 20-25 years.