TerraPower Rebids $4B Natrium EPC Contract After Bechtel Exit
Engineering News-Record reports that TerraPower will rebid the engineering, procurement and construction contract for its roughly $4 billion Natrium nuclear project in Kemmerer, Wyoming, after longtime contractor Bechtel declined to move forward into the full EPC phase.
Market Impact
The split comes five months after TerraPower began full construction on the 345-MW Kemmerer Unit 1, following U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval. Bechtel had held the EPC role since 2020, according to ENR’s prior reporting, and its scope included NRC permitting support, major procurements, completion of the exterior enclosure on the Sodium Test and Fill Facility, and the start of foundation work for Unit 1.
TerraPower says Bechtel will stay on site to finish the Sodium Test and Fill Facility, and existing subcontractors and commercial-grade EPC support firms will keep working while the prime contract is rebid. “TerraPower is managing this transition to protect the overall construction schedule for Kemmerer Unit 1 and will rebid the EPC contract,” a company spokesperson told ENR. Bechtel spokeswoman Molly Edwards said the earlier work was performed under a prior phase of the agreement, and that “Bechtel and TerraPower decided to move forward separately” as the project entered full EPC scope, without specifying a reason. TerraPower still targets 2030 completion and has not named potential bidders or a procurement timetable. Separately, Bechtel filed a WARN notice in Virginia flagging about 200 potentially affected Reston positions, but the company now says it does not expect actual layoffs, with staff shifting to other nuclear projects.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- A prime EPC seat on a $4 billion nuclear build is open again: TerraPower has not named a replacement contractor or set a bidding timetable, so firms with nuclear-grade civil, structural steel, E&I, and mechanical experience should watch for a formal solicitation announcement rather than assuming a near-term award.
- Current subcontractors and commercial-grade EPC support firms on site remain active during the transition, meaning existing scopes tied to the Sodium Test and Fill Facility and Unit 1 foundation work continue uninterrupted for now.
- Separate contracting tracks are already locked in for future Natrium units: KBR’s March 2025 alliance covers engineering, procurement and construction management for repeat plants, and Hyundai Engineering & Construction was named EPC contractor last month for up to eight future reactors. Neither has been tied to the Kemmerer rebid, so subs chasing follow-on Natrium work should track those two contractors’ subcontracting plans separately from the Kemmerer prime award.
- Bechtel says displaced Reston-based nuclear staff will move to other company nuclear projects rather than face layoffs, a sign that nuclear-experienced labor and management capacity remains in demand industry-wide, not just at Kemmerer.
- TerraPower’s public timeline still targets 2030 completion, giving prime bidders a defined construction window once the EPC contract is reawarded, but no bid due date has been disclosed.
