All shares in NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH, as well as valuable assets of its parent company NUKEM Technologies GmbH, have been acquired by Tokyo-based company Muroosystems Corp.
The decision to sell NUKEM was made in 2022 in face of the difficult geopolitical situation and the challenges involved in continuing the company under a Russian owner. Since then, intensive negotiations have been held with potential buyers who recognised the enormous potential of NUKEM, both in terms of its products and its highly qualified team.
NUKEM Technologies GmbH is a nuclear engineering and consulting company managing radioactive waste and used fuel and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The company is located in Alzenau, Germany. It was established in 2006 as a subsidiary of NUKEM Energy. In December 2009, NUKEM Technologies was sold to Russia’s Atomstroyexport (part of Rosatom) for €23.5m ($25.4m) and transferred in 2019 to Rosatom fuel company TVEL.
In April it filed for insolvency under self-administration and was under creditor protection, saying the challenges the company was facing were “attributable to the deteriorating business environment due to the ownership structure following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022”. It noted that efforts at a sale could not then be finalised “mainly due to legal uncertainties related to the Russian ownership and the permissibility of such an acquisition”.
NUKEM said the takeover by the Japanese investor marks a new beginning for NUKEM in turbulent times. The new owner provides the opportunity to return to the markets that were no longer accessible due to the previous ownership structure. As part of the ongoing closing process, all necessary approvals for the transaction will be obtained and obligations to third parties will be diligently fulfilled.
“We are delighted to have found a partner in the new owner who not only wants to continue NUKEM’s established business, but also to expand it – both in terms of new markets and new technologies such as nuclear fusion,” said Managing Director Thomas Seipolt. “We are confident that we can shape a successful future together and would like to thank our customers and partners for their trust.”
“The completion of this capital transaction is scheduled for mid-August this year, and Muroosystems Corp. is excited to embark on this new journey with NUKEM. We anticipate that the fusion of German and Japanese professionalism will create new synergies in the nuclear decommissioning and nuclear markets across Europe, Japan and other Asian countries.” said Muroosystems COO and Executive Director, Nobuaki Ninomiya.
Muroosystems Corporation, established in 2006, is a Japanese IT company. It focuses on IT solutions centred around decentralised data centres and engages in power development projects primarily based on renewable energy.
