Urenco appoints new Managing Director for Urenco Nederland

Joost will succeed Ad Louter on 1 November 2026 and joins Urenco from NRG PALLAS, where his most recent position was Executive Director Nuclear Energy Services on the Executive Committee. He led a team of 250 professionals in Arnhem and Petten and was responsible for providing international consultancy and services in the fields of nuclear safety, compliance, asset integrity, decommissioning, waste management and radiation protection. In addition, Joost was responsible for the execution of the Dutch Nuclear Energy Research programme, steering committee member of the European Utility Requirements Association and representative for the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs. Joost was trained as a Master of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Twente and has over 20 years’ experience in the energy and nuclear sector.

Joost’s appointment as Managing Director follows Ad’s 12 years in the role at Urenco Nederland, and a career spanning four decades, and he has now chosen to retire. Under Ad’s energetic and expert leadership, the enrichment site in Almelo has thrived. Major milestones were the construction of new halls for the uranium enrichment plant SP5 – each adding 15% capacity, and new enrichment cascades for Urenco Isotopes, which enriches and depletes isotopes of elements other than uranium for industrial, research and medical purposes. A new, state-of-the-art office building has been inaugurated and the size of the site Recycling Centre has been doubled. Under Ad’s leadership, Urenco Nederland also grew from 250 to 480 employees and reached ambitious net zero targets ahead of time.

In addition to his day job, Ad held a number of national and international honorary positions. He served as Chairman of the Nuclear Netherlands association for 14 years and he was key in advocating for a level playing field for all low-carbon energy sources: solar, wind and nuclear power, with the aim of achieving a robust energy mix for the Netherlands and Dutch industry. Internationally, he represented the Netherlands as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Euratom Supply Agency and as member of the Executive Board of NuclearEurope.

Commenting on his retirement, Ad said: “I have greatly enjoyed working for Urenco and contributing to a vital step in the generation of nuclear energy on a global scale. It has been a privilege to work with unique, world-class technology, but above all with the people who make this organisation what it is. Every day, I have seen the expertise, commitment and dedication of colleagues in Almelo and across the Urenco Group. The scale and impact of our company is growing, but the culture remains collaborative and supportive. I wish Urenco all the best for a promising future and am happy to leave the Almelo site in the capable hands of my successor, Joost van den Broek.”

Bridget Sparrow, Chief Operating Officer, said: “At Urenco, we have highly valued Ad’s commitment and leadership in shaping the success of the site and creating a strong foundation for the future. Ad has delivered on many key projects important to fuelling the future of a sustainable nuclear industry while maintaining the safety and reliability we expect of a Urenco facility. We thank him for his expert dedication and energetic commitment to our organisation and the wider nuclear sector.”

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