A joint venture between Amec Foster Wheeler, Hertel (UK) Ltd, and Shepley Engineers Ltd has been awarded a key framework agreement by Sellafield Ltd under the new Decommissioning Delivery Partnership (DDP) to support the accelerated clean-up of the Sellafield nuclear site in West Cumbria.
The 10-year framework, predicted to be worth around £125 million over its duration plus extra headroom for further project work, will help prepare the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) facility as it moves to a new phase of retrieving waste from its compartments. Due to the age of the building, asset care work also forms an integral part of the scope and the joint venture will also help support Sellafield Ltd’s strategic planning and design capability.
The joint venture partners have been working collaboratively at Sellafield through the existing Multi-Discipline Site Works (MDSW) framework. Under the new agreement, they will continue to share knowledge and experience and allocate work accordingly to provide the necessary skills.
A key factor in being part of the framework was the commitment by the joint venture partners to support the Cumbrian economy by using local sub-contractors and creating jobs, apprenticeships and skills development opportunities.
The safe and cost-effective clean-up of the Sellafield site is a vital part of the NDA’s mission and this joint venture brings world-class expertise to face what is a huge challenge. This work will enable the partner companies, all of whom have a significant presence in Cumbria, to sustain the local workforce and continue to provide training and development opportunities. The work will also create the possibility of further opportunities into the wider Cumbrian supply chain.
This is a hugely significant piece of work as part of the clean-up of Sellafield. During the last two years, we have developed a close working relationship with our partners and Sellafield Ltd and together we have been able to demonstrate our ability to deliver real value for money in a safe and efficient manner. The new framework provides the opportunity of working collectively in the shared pursuit of accelerated risk reduction for the site.
Along with our two delivery partners we are delighted to have won the opportunity to be playing an integral part in supporting Sellafield in delivery of their primary mission. Our collaborative team are looking forward to building on our current knowledge, skills and right first time approach to ensure safe delivery of the pre-requisites for decommissioning. Using predominantly local labour and the supply chain, we will seek to build on this success throughout the lifetime of the framework by continually looking to remove barriers and maximise future opportunities.
The Decommissioning Delivery Partnership is going to be a crucial part of our mission to reduce the risk on the Sellafield site by getting waste out of high-hazard facilities as soon as possible.
Work on the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo is a key part of this mission and we look forward to working with Amec Foster Wheeler, Hertel (UK) Ltd, and Shepley Engineers Ltd over the next decade to ensure this work delivers benefits not only on the site but also in the wider community. Everyone in the framework is committed to achieving the best possible socio-economic outcomes in areas such as building skills for young people and ensuring small to medium sized enterprises also benefit from this major investment in decommissioning the site.
The joint venture partners have a long-standing relationship with the site with Amec Foster Wheeler having worked there for more than 40 years, Hertel 26 and Shepley Engineers for 60. This provides invaluable experience and provides the knowledge with which to deliver the new work and support the site clean-up during the next decade.