How to setup .npmrc file in Next.js application that is dependent on an authtoken?

I have a Next.js application that is dependent on a npm package that uses an authentication token. I don't want to commit this token to source control.

I created a .env file in the root of my application that contains the token.

.env

DATATABLES_NPM_TOKEN=MYSUPERSECRETTOKEN

I also created a .npmrc file.

.npmrc

@datatables.net:registry=https://npm.datatables.net/  
//npm.datatables.net/:_authToken=${DATATABLES_NPM_TOKEN} 

When I run npm install '@datatables.net/[email protected]'
I get a 403 because it cannot find the token.

I then created a file, populate-npmrc.mjs with the following content:

import fs from 'fs-extra';
import path from 'path';
import './envConfig.mjs';
import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
import { dirname } from 'path';

const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
const __dirname = dirname(__filename);

const npmrcPath = path.join(__dirname, '.npmrc');
const token = process.env.DATATABLES_NPM_TOKEN;

if (!token) {
    console.error('DATATABLES_NPM_TOKEN is not defined in the .env file.');
    process.exit(1);
}

const npmrcContent = `
@datatables.net:registry=https://npm.datatables.net/
//npm.datatables.net/:_authToken=${token}
`;

fs.writeFileSync(npmrcPath, npmrcContent.trim());
console.log('.npmrc file has been populated successfully.');

I added a script to the package.json file to execute this file.

My package.json file looks like this:

{
  "name": "prosectus",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "private": true,
  "scripts": {
    "prepare": "npm run create-npmrc && npm run install-datatables",
    "copy-assets": "node copy-assets.mjs",
    "dev": "npm run copy-assets && next dev --turbopack",
    "build": "npm run copy-assets && next build --turbopack",
    "start": "next start",
    "lint": "eslint",
    "lint:fix": "eslint --fix",
    "create-npmrc": "node populate-npmrc.mjs",
    "install-datatables": "npm install @datatables.net/[email protected] --registry=https://cdn.datatables.net/releases"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "@next/env": "^15.5.2",
    "bootstrap": "^5.3.8",
    "fs-extra": "^11.3.1",
    "next": "15.5.0",
    "react": "19.1.0",
    "react-dom": "19.1.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@eslint/eslintrc": "^3",
    "@types/node": "^20",
    "@types/react": "^19",
    "@types/react-dom": "^19",
    "eslint": "^9",
    "eslint-config-next": "15.5.0",
    "typescript": "^5"
  }
}

The problem I am facing is once npm install is run then "@datatables.net/editor-dt": "^2.4.0", is added to the dependencies. Which is what I want to happen but when another developer pulls this code down, they receive an error running npm install

npm error code E404
npm error 404 Not Found - GET https://registry.npmjs.org/@datatables.net%2feditor-dt - Not found
npm error 404
npm error 404  '@datatables.net/editor-dt@^2.4.0' is not in this registry.
npm error 404
npm error 404 Note that you can also install from a
npm error 404 tarball, folder, http url, or git url.

The populate-npmrc.mjs file is dependent on the fs-extra package. The datatables.net/editor-dt package is dependent on the .npmrc file being created and populated with the authtoken.

Is there a better way to do this?