Konecranes Awarded Four-Crane Order for TerraPower Natrium Plant

Konecranes received an order in 2025 for four cranes to support the construction of TerraPower’s Natrium Plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The Natrium project is an advanced nuclear reactor facility with an integrated energy storage system.

The cranes will be supplied to Bechtel, TerraPower’s engineering, procurement and construction partner, and will support operations across the plant’s nuclear island, energy island and an on-site fabrication facility. The order follows a separate 2024 contract, bringing the total number of cranes supplied by Konecranes for the project to five.

The four newly ordered cranes will be installed in different areas of the facility and are designed for specific construction and operational roles.

A reactor fabrication building crane will be a high-capacity maintenance crane with a lifting capacity of up to 125 tons, plus a 15-ton auxiliary hoist. It is intended to handle large components during on-site assembly and fabrication, supporting TerraPower’s approach to performing some manufacturing activities at the plant.

A fuel handling bridge crane will be a nuclear-rated crane built to ASME NOG-1 Type 1 Single Failure Proof standards, with a main lifting capacity of 150 tons and a 30-ton auxiliary. The crane will be used for fuel handling and cask movements within the fuel handling bay.

A reactor building crane, also nuclear-rated and designed to ASME NOG-1 Type 1 standards, will have a lifting capacity of 150 tons with a 30-ton auxiliary and will support overhead lifting for reactor assembly and maintenance.

A turbine facility bridge crane will be rated for a 100-ton main lift and a 20-ton auxiliary lift. While not nuclear-rated, it is intended for turbine assembly, maintenance and repair and meets the quality requirements associated with turbine operations.

According to Konecranes, the nuclear-rated cranes will include features designed to meet industry safety and quality standards, such as seismic restraints, radiation-resistant coatings and components, redundant hoist machinery, sister hooks and additional structural safeguards intended to prevent dropped loads.

Andrew Grooms, regional sales manager, Konecranes Nuclear Equipment & Service, said, “This order reflects the commitment and expertise Konecranes brings to meeting Bechtel’s strict and precise standards at TerraPower’s Natrium Plant site. Working alongside such a skilled and experienced project management team has been a great experience — they expect the highest quality and precision from the start. With this order, Konecranes continues to strengthen its position as a global leader in nuclear material handling equipment. Since 1942, we have proudly supported the nuclear industry and remain at the forefront of innovation in both traditional nuclear power and emerging technologies like small modular reactors.”

Bechtel Project Director Suchit Chopra said, “We continue to move the Natrium project forward with the help of our supplier partners, including Konecranes. This is another step in delivering nuclear power commitments for the people of Wyoming.”