Work has begun on the construction pit for the Pallas research reactor in the Netherlands with diaphragm walls being erected into which first concrete for the new plant will be poured.

Pallas programme director Peter Dijk said all construction permits were in place for the work, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. At that point the construction pit will be ready for the next phase, the actual construction of the reactor.

The construction pit, which houses the nuclear plant itself, will be 50 metres wide and 21 metres deep.

The work is being carried out by Brussels-based Belgian-French construction group BESIX, which was awarded the contract in November 2022.