With more than 140 years of construction experience, we bring proven results as a direct-hire contractor to the nuclear industry. Our fully integrated engineering and construction solutions span the entire project life cycle — from preliminary design and nuclear grade procurement to NQA-1 quality construction. We serve as trusted partners on Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear security and commercial nuclear projects through engineering, procurement and construction services for advanced and small modular reactors, national defense-related infrastructure, plant modernization and life-extension, research facilities and test reactors, fuel fabrication, waste management and more.
In the rapidly evolving nuclear market, predictability drives success. Our data-driven approach to constructability and risk analysis as well as advanced construction software contributes to reliable results and schedule certainty. With experience across all major contract models — from early contractor involvement (ECI) and front-end engineering design (FEED) to engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and progressive design build — we help clients select the right project delivery model to fully enable innovation, optimize costs and accelerate timelines across nuclear projects of every scale.
Through conceptual and preliminary design, early capital cost estimates, constructability reviews and modularization planning, we integrate construction expertise into engineering decisions that reduce rework, enhance design efficiency and accelerate project readiness. Our engineers stay engaged through construction, delivering responsive design updates, procurement integration and on-site technical expertise.
Our dedicated commissioning personnel develop detailed plans to meet project-specific requirements and to verify that systems, structures and components function safely and reliably. Operational readiness and startup activities include walkdowns and inspections, system testing, quality documentation and verification and operator training.
We self-perform the vast majority of our work, enabling consistent training, procedures and direct oversight that drive greater safety and quality. It allows us to mobilize quickly, sequence work efficiently and seamlessly integrate with engineering on designs that are ground in real-world execution. NQA-1 requirements are embedded into construction operations, with established processes for hold points, inspections, approvals and traceability.
With over $10 billion annual spend across an extensive supplier network, we take a proactive approach to procuring equipment and materials that optimize cost and support on-time delivery. For items not originally manufactured under NQA-1 standards, we implement commercial grade dedication programs — including testing, audits and other verification methods — to comply with quality assurance standards.
Since our first nuclear project more than 70 years ago — a uranium enrichment facility in Ohio for the U.S. government — we have continued to build our construction expertise and advance our design and engineering capabilities.
We are NQA-1 certified for nuclear quality assurance, accredited under American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section III for the design and construction of nuclear facility components, and maintain the ASME N-Stamp, authorizing us to install code-compliant nuclear equipment. Through active collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), technology providers and first-of-a-kind innovators, we are providing engineering, constructability and off-site modularization and fabrication support to help move projects from concept to reality.
From nuclear power facility construction, upgrades and decommissioning to spent fuel storage and containment, we have contributed to a wide range of engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and maintenance and modification projects. Today, our legacy continues as we support the installation of the first small modular reactor in North America and the development of new fuel fabrication and advanced reactor technologies.
The United States Atomic Energy Commission awards Kiewit a $1.2 billion contract to build its Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Portsmouth, Ohio. It required over 20,000 craft and finished six months ahead of schedule, resulting in a cost savings of $400 million.
Kiewit begins work on the first of four major contracts at the Atomic Energy Commission’s Hanford nuclear production complex.
Kiewit begins site work for Portland General Electric Company to prepare the area for Oregon’s first atomic power plant.
Kiewit completes a 455 MW nuclear plant for Omaha Public Power District in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.
Kiewit builds thousands of linear feet of exploratory tunnel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
Kiewit begins serving as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) partner to deliver the next generation of reactors deployed across North America, supporting reliable, carbon-free energy goals.
Kiewit forms Kiewit Power Nuclear, establishing an ASME Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA-1) Program and associated nuclear certifications to pursue the emerging ‘nuclear renaissance’ new-build nuclear market.
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) awards Kiewit its first nuclear decommissioning project for the Humboldt Bay Nuclear Power Plant. Kiewit also constructs the Department of Energy’s Pantex High Explosive Pressing Facility and is awarded a maintenance and modifications contract on the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant in Nebraska.
Tennessee Valley Authority awards Kiewit multiple nuclear facility projects from 2013 to 2016, including Fukushima Upgrades, Tritiated Water Storage Tank and Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Maintenance Building inside the plant.
In support of the Navy’s Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization Project at Idaho National Laboratory, Kiewit installs approximately 17,000 tons of NQA-1 structural steel. This large new facility provides secure storage of spent fuel from the U.S. naval nuclear fleet of submarines and aircraft carriers.
Kiewit constructs the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System Project, the largest containment fan system among DOE facilities. The system provides +/- 540,000 cfm of air to operations underground to help ensure the facility can safely continue its mission of transuranic waste disposal for decades.
As the Y-12 National Security Complex Lithium Processing Facility constructability partner, Kiewit supports over 240 major process equipment procurements and improves project constructability as the construction manager at risk.
Kiewit establishes Kiewit Nuclear Solutions to design and build Nuclear Security Enterprise infrastructure supporting national security and lead the next generation of reactors deployed across North America.
Kiewit establishes SRNS presence with Task Order No. 1 support for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF). Begins supporting the first market’s movers in commercial nuclear for enrichment, large reactor and small modular reactor.
We support clients on nuclear security and commercial nuclear projects through a decentralized network of engineers, construction professionals and other technical experts.
Connect with our team to learn more about how Kiewit’s engineering and construction capabilities can help transform your next project from vision to reality.