Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRéalis and French engineering group Assystem have been selected as strategic engineering partners under EDF and Sizewell C Limited’s new five-year Professional Services Framework (PSF). This agreement expands the companies’ ongoing operations across the UK’s civil nuclear roadmap as the fleet transitions from legacy assets to new-generation capacity.
EDF Energy manages the UK’s NPP sites. These include five operating plants (Sizewell B, Torness, Heysham 2, Heysham 1 and Hartlepool) and two that been closed for decommissioning (Hinkley Point B and Dungeness B as well as the new construction projects at Hinkley Point C in Somerset and Sizewell C in Suffolk.
the PSF encompasses the full lifecycle of the UK’s nuclear power infrastructure. It targets critical operations during a major transitional phase for the country’s energy grid. For the existing nuclear fleet, they will support EDF Nuclear Services and EDF Nuclear Operations during life-extension programmes, as well as in managing plants shifting toward the end of their operational lifetimes.
For Hinkley Point C (HPC), they will provide continuous field engineering, project management, and construction expertise as the UK’s first large-scale modern reactor prepares for commercial operations. For Sizewell C the initial construction phase of the 3.2-gigawatt project on the Suffolk coast. The framework aims to actively duplicate design efficiencies, lessons learned, and cost-effective digital strategies directly from HPC.
Both firms will deploy deep multi-disciplinary technical specialist teams to fulfil the contract demands. The framework ensures that both companies continue their decades-long relationships with EDF Energy while advancing the UK’s broader strategic target of deploying 24 GWe of operating nuclear capacity by 2050.
AtkinsRéalis will deploy more than 3,000 civil nuclear employees across the region to cover more than 60 different technical delivery disciplines. This includes structural and mechanical engineering, digital design, programme management, consultancy, and decommissioning. The initial five-year appointment retains an optional five-year extension.
“The framework ensures AtkinsRéalis will continue to support EDF as a trusted delivery partner during a vital transition period as some of its existing plants enter vital life extension programmes, others shift towards the end of operational life, and as Hinkley Point C prepares for operations as the UK’s first large-scale reactor for a generation,” the company said. “The inclusion of Sizewell C will also help to realise the full benefits of replication as the AtkinsRéalis team applies the knowledge and experience from Hinkley Point C to the new build programme as it enters construction phase.”
AtkinsRéalis President and CEO Ian Edwards said: “EDF has been a major client to our Nuclear business for over two decades, and this framework is a continuation of the vital work we have been delivering across operational and new build programmes for EDF Energy and Sizewell C in the UK. Our proven ability to provide a breadth of capabilities strengthens our role as a strategic partner with EDF and reinforces our leading position as a truly end-to-end engineering services provider in the global nuclear industry.”
Assystem will operate as a key strategic partner focusing heavily on power plant design authority, digital transformation, construction management, and technical compliance. The company will leverage their digital project management systems to boost safety, security, and competitiveness across the generation fleet.
Last year, Assystem announced plans to double its UK workforce by creating 1,000 new engineering, digital, and project management jobs by 2030 to support the delivery of these crucial nuclear projects, boosting skills and regional economic investment across the UK – strengthening domestic nuclear capabilities and international industry collaboration between France and the UK.
“Assystem is proud to stand alongside EDF and Sizewell C as a strategic partner at this pivotal moment for the UK’s new nuclear programme,” said Andrew Bedford, Senior Business Unit Director, Nuclear New Build, at Assystem. “Our position on the Professional Services Framework not only strengthens our long-standing collaboration with EDF but also accelerates the delivery of world-class nuclear capabilities in the UK. With our commitment to double Assystem’s UK workforce by 2030, we’re bringing vital skills, innovation, and engineering momentum to help meet domestic energy transition needs.”
