Realization of the PALLAS-reactor one step closer

Pit & Foundation phase completed: the foundation has been laid 

Today, the construction pit and the foundation have been completed, marking the end of phase Pit & Foundation of the PALLAS project. ‘A significant step forward on the path to realizing the PALLAS-reactor’, says Peter Dijk, Program Director and member of the Executive Board at NRG PALLAS. ‘This has laid the foundation for the next phase of construction. The arrival of the PALLAS-reactor is crucial for the production of medical isotopes. Patients with life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, depend on these isotopes for diagnosis or therapy. The construction of the new reactor will ensure that millions of patients can continue to receive help in the future.’

From sandy plain to construction pit

In 2023, BESIX began preparations for the construction pit and the foundation. In May 2023, the first concrete was poured. Since then, the construction site at the Energy & Health Campus in Petten has undergone a transformation, resulting in the completion of the pit. Highlights of this phase include 30 deep walls, 162 drilled grout anchors equipped with 15 pre-stressing strands per anchor, 380 foundation piles drilled to a depth of -47 NAP, an underwater concrete floor 1.5 meters thick, and on top of this, a reinforced foundation slab measuring 50 by 50 meters and also 1.5 meters thick. BESIX, a contractor known for its technically demanding projects, successfully integrated engineering and construction, delivering the construction pit in accordance with the required quality standards. Nic De Roeck, Managing Director of BESIX Nederland: "This unique construction project has brought together all of our expertise and innovative capabilities. Both in terms of technical aspects and the stringent security requirements of a nuclear site, as well as the construction site surrounded by the dune area. All of this introduced additional considerations for how we had to execute the work. I look back with satisfaction on how we carried out this challenging work together with NRG PALLAS and our partners; this was work at a Champions League level."

Next phase: installing the cooling water pipeline and constructing the reactor building

Currently, NRG PALLAS, together with main contractor FCC and designer ICHOS, is preparing the next phase of the project. The construction site is being restructured so that work on the lower section of the reactor can begin later this year. Additionally, preparations are underway for the installation of the cooling water pipeline. The pipeline will extract water from the North Holland Canal and discharge it into the sea.

The PALLAS-reactor: vital for life

Every day, more than 30,000 patients rely on the production of medical isotopes from Petten in North Holland. This number is expected to increase with the introduction of new treatments using medical isotopes from reactors and the growth of patients with cancer and cardiovascular diseases worldwide. As a result, NRG PALLAS has taken the initiative to develop the PALLAS-reactor in Petten, which will replace the currently operational High Flux Reactor (HFR).