Duet acts as legal counsel to NRG PALLAS and has advised, among other things, on the procurement and contracting of the PALLAS Reactor in Petten, North Holland.

The PALLAS Reactor is the new medical isotope reactor that will replace the existing High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten. The PALLAS Reactor is specifically designed for the production of isotopes for diagnosis and therapy and for (medical) nuclear research. With the commissioning of the PALLAS Reactor, the Netherlands will be able to continue supplying millions of people with isotopes for medical treatments over the next 50 years.

Duet’s team worked closely with the PALLAS project team to guide the procurement and contracting of the main contractor for this project. As contractors in the current market are unwilling or only very selectively willing to tender for high-risk large-scale projects, an innovative contract model was chosen. Under this model, a target price is established on the basis of a detailed cost estimate, with settlement based on actual costs incurred. A pain/gain mechanism incentivises keeping the actual costs below the target price. At the market’s request, an NEC4 Cost+ contract was used for this project.

With the award of the contract to the Spanish construction company FCC Construcción, the procurement process was completed fully in line with the planned schedule, without any legal proceedings, and successfully concluded. During the execution phase of the project, Duet will continue to provide legal support to PALLAS as a strategic sparring partner.

Read more about the award to FCC here.