Ostermark Grouting enters the SMR industry

Nuclear energy is entering a new phase.

Around the world, governments and energy companies are investing in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as part of their future energy system.

One of the most closely watched projects is currently being built in Canada, where Ontario Power Generation is constructing what is expected to become the first SMR in operation in a G7 country.

Projects of this scale involve hundreds of companies, thousands of people and countless specialised disciplines.

Earlier this year, Ostermark Grouting was brought into the project to help solve a highly specialised grouting challenge.

For Thomas Bak, CEO of Ostermark Grouting, the significance reaches far beyond a single project.

"This is the first SMR project we have been involved in. We can see the market developing rapidly, and we believe our experience, products and way of solving problems fit very well into that space," he says.

For a company best known for wind turbine foundations, offshore projects and specialised grouting works, the project marks an important step into a new part of the energy sector.

A highly specialised challenge

Ontario Power Generation's Darlington SMR project recently reached a major milestone when a massive steel basemat module was lowered into place at the bottom of the reactor building shaft.

The structure is significant in both scale and function, serving as the foundation for the first reactor building at the Darlington SMR project, where four SMRs are planned in total. As the base of the reactor building and containment structure, the basemat is one of the most critical elements of the entire construction.

While the milestone attracted attention across the nuclear industry, it also involved a highly specialised construction challenge.

The space beneath the steel structure had to be filled with grout in a way that ensured full load transfer and structural support, while avoiding voids, trapped air and uncertainty during execution.

The scale of the structure made the challenge even more complex.

“But solving difficult tasks is a big part of who we are, especially when there isn’t a standard solution ready,” says Thomas Bak.

Ostermark Grouting was asked to help develop an alternative approach to the grouting operation. The task required a solution that could be tested, documented and executed under highly demanding conditions. What followed was an intensive development and validation process.

The solution combined Ostermark Grouting's installation expertise with materials supplied by Y-MatTec.

Following months of testing and preparation, the final grouting operation was carried out in spring 2026 and completed in May.

Proof of what experience can do

The grouting operation was successfully completed as part of Ontario Power Generation's Darlington SMR project and became part of a milestone that is helping pave the way for the next generation of nuclear energy.

“It is a special feeling to know that our work is part of the foundation for a new generation of nuclear energy,” says Thomas Bak. “That is not something we take lightly.”

For Ostermark Grouting, the project is about more than a successful delivery.

It is proof that decades of experience from offshore energy, wind energy and other large-scale infrastructure projects can be applied to entirely new sectors.

The requirements within the nuclear industry are among the most demanding in the world. Every process, material and installation method must be documented, tested and verified.

“For us, this project proves that our experience travels well. Even in a new sector, we can develop solutions that meet some of the strictest requirements in the energy industry,” says Thomas Bak.

“We may be new to SMR projects, but we are not new to solving complex grouting challenges under strict requirements. Projects like this don’t happen by coincidence. They happen because customers trust that you can deliver when the requirements are at their highest.”

Why nuclear makes sense for Ostermark

Although the nuclear industry is new territory for Ostermark Grouting, many of the challenges are familiar.

The company has spent decades working on complex projects within offshore energy, wind energy and heavy industrial construction, where quality, documentation and execution are critical and where standard solutions are rarely available.

That experience proved highly relevant in the Canadian SMR project.

"We are a very agile organisation. We are used to developing solutions together with customers and project teams when the answer is not already sitting on a shelf somewhere," says Thomas Bak.

The project also required extensive qualification processes, approvals and quality documentation before work could begin. In nuclear, it is not enough to have the right technical solution. The company, the people, the materials and the systems behind the work all have to meet the required standards.

For Ostermark Grouting, that process has been significant. Through the project, the company, its personnel and its systems have gone through the required approval processes for work within the nuclear sector.

A new chapter for Ostermark Grouting

For Ostermark Grouting, its contribution to Ontario Power Generation's Darlington SMR project is about more than a single delivery.

It represents entry into a sector that is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

Several countries are currently evaluating or developing SMR programmes, and many of those projects will require specialised construction methods, grouting solutions, repair technologies and quality assurance capabilities.

Ostermark Grouting is already exploring how both the company and Y-MatTec can contribute to future projects.

This includes not only grouting solutions for new-build projects, but also repair and maintenance materials for existing nuclear facilities.

"Wind energy remains our core business and will continue to be so," says Thomas Bak.

"But we also see a strong future in nuclear. We believe our experience, products and problem-solving approach are a very good fit for this industry, and we want to be part of that journey."

Building on 30 years of experience

Looking back, Thomas Bak sees a clear connection between the company's history and its latest step into nuclear.

The industries and technologies may have changed, but the underlying challenge remains the same: helping customers solve difficult problems where quality matters.

For more than three decades, the people behind Ostermark Grouting have worked on projects where there was no obvious answer from the outset.

The Canadian SMR project was no different.

"We are not just contractors," says Thomas Bak.

"We are a development partner. We like the projects where people call because they have a challenge that is difficult to solve. That is where we create the most value."

As the global energy sector continues to evolve, Ostermark Grouting sees opportunities to bring that approach into new industries and new technologies.

The company has already established itself as a trusted partner within wind energy. Now, it aims to become a trusted partner within the growing SMR industry as well.

“Over the past year, we have gone through the approval processes, qualified our systems and demonstrated that our products and people can meet the requirements of the nuclear industry. We are ready to take part in more projects like this," says Thomas Bak.