Suppliers sought for UK nuclear clean-up

Sellafield Limited is currently engaged in a search for specialist suppliers who would be able to assist with the clean-up and decommissioning work at the UK’s historic nuclear site in Cumbria. The work will cover a 10 year period and is currently valued at £1.5 billion (US$2.6 billion). Sellafield Ltd will concentrate on its core skills and will use the new framework to work seamlessly together with suppliers on priority decommissioning jobs.

The work has been split into three lots and the consortia chosen will work collaboratively with Sellafield Ltd to provide services including surveying and assessing jobs; planning and engineering; decontamination; manufacturing and installation of plant and equipment; dismantling and demolitions, and waste management.

The Decommissioning Delivery Partnership (DDP), as the programme is called, will not be a traditional contract but a commercial framework agreement that can be activated as and when support is required. There is no guaranteed work or committed expenditure, but Sellafield believes that the rewards for chosen suppliers could be substantial.

According to chief decommissioning officer Jack DeVine: “Our job in decommissioning is very simple and very, very important - it is to accelerate risk and hazard reduction at Sellafield. To help us complete this clean-up mission, and building on our own experience, we are adding a new dimension to our engagement with the supply chain. Essentially we will put in place a commercial mechanism so that we can very quickly and efficiently pull together specialist resources for decommissioning work to supplement our existing workforce.”