en.Wedoany.com Reported - U.S. engineering and construction company McDermott has signed a cooperation agreement with Dutch nuclear development company ULC-Energy to support the deployment of the Rolls-Royce SMR project in the Netherlands. The agreement covers the integration of small modular reactors (SMRs) with energy-intensive industrial processes, combining McDermott's expertise in energy transition and industrial decarbonization—including low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and carbon capture and utilization (CCU)—with ULC-Energy's nuclear project development capabilities.

The Rolls-Royce SMR features a 470 MWe small pressurized water reactor design, with 90% of construction completed under factory conditions to minimize on-site construction risk. The core focus of the project is to directly supply SMR heat and electricity to energy-intensive industries for the production of low-carbon hydrogen, green ammonia, and SAF; electricity generated by the SMR will also power CCU networks for capturing and reusing industrial emissions.

Rob Shaul, Senior Vice President of McDermott's Low Carbon Solutions division, stated that the agreement builds on the existing relationship between the two companies and reflects their shared commitment to advancing low-carbon energy solutions in the Netherlands. With a long-standing presence in the Netherlands and a major hub in The Hague supporting European projects, McDermott possesses the engineering and execution capabilities to undertake the Rolls-Royce SMR development and its integration into industrial energy systems. ULC-Energy CEO Dirk Rabelink noted that nuclear energy delivers its maximum utility only when integrated into the energy system, and that SMRs can flexibly provide electricity, heat, or hydrogen, deployed where value is highest; previous collaboration has already demonstrated this concept, and ULC-Energy looks forward to expanding cooperation in other applications.

The two companies have an established foundation of prior collaboration. In 2023, they jointly completed a hydrogen cogeneration study assessing a Rolls-Royce SMR plant combined with solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC) for industrial-scale hydrogen production, with ULC-Energy serving as project coordinator and McDermott providing engineering design and cost inputs for balance-of-plant and thermal integration systems. This agreement combines heavy engineering execution with nuclear project development, aiming to position the SMR as a multi-purpose industrial utility facility.

The deployment of the Rolls-Royce SMR in the Netherlands is governed by an exclusive development agreement. In August 2022, Rolls-Royce and ULC-Energy signed an exclusive deployment agreement designating the latter as the exclusive nuclear project developer in the Netherlands and identifying the 470 MWe factory-built pressurized water reactor as the preferred technology for the region. Subsequently, the two parties signed a secondary cooperation agreement to establish local supply chains, engineering frameworks, and regulatory pathways.

Multiple agreements around supply chain and regulation have been successively concluded. In January, Bureau Veritas signed a cooperation agreement to oversee industrial-grade safety, certification, and risk compliance for the reactor. In 2025, Rolls-Royce SMR selected Siemens Energy as the conventional island technology partner and exclusive supplier of turbines, generators, and auxiliary systems for the SMR fleet; ULC-Energy signed a cooperation agreement with France's Orano to establish a logistics framework for spent fuel treatment, transport, and interim storage. In November 2023, Rolls-Royce SMR signed a memorandum of understanding with BAM Infra to explore infrastructure, civil engineering, and construction logistics within the Netherlands.

McDermott now joins the regional industrial partner network assembled by ULC-Energy. The network also includes Siemens Energy, BAM, Mammoet, Bureau Veritas, Urenco, Orano, and Fugro, supporting the delivery of SMR-driven energy solutions in the Netherlands and Belgium.

These corporate agreements proceed in parallel with Dutch government climate policy. In December 2021, the Dutch coalition government allocated a cumulative €5 billion ($5.75 billion) in nuclear energy funding to build new standard reactors by 2030 and establish a regulatory framework for SMR deployment. This initial €5 billion baseline was subsequently expanded, with coalition agreement outlines in 2024 and 2026 adding climate fund resources, raising the target funding pool to €9.5 billion and extending the timeline to 2035, while the Netherlands' nuclear program expanded from two large reactors to at least four, including SMRs.