Three companies have won contracts worth a total of £2.9bn ($3.87bn) to supply key non-nuclear infrastructure works to the UK Sellafield site. Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Costain, and Hochtief (UK) Construction will be part of the long-term Infrastructure Delivery Partnership (IDP). The contracts will be for an initial nine years with an option for a further six years, through to 2040.
The IDP, which replaces the existing Infrastructure Strategic Alliance, will deliver projects and tasks to support essential services at Sellafield such as electricity distribution, water, road and rail networks, bridges, foundations and security installations. It aims to deliver value for money and create investment in skills, innovation, capability, and sustainability to benefit Sellafield and its local communities.
The work packages are split into three specialist lots. Morgan Sindall has been appointed electrical distribution partner and will lead upgrades and maintenance of the site’s electrical network, supported by design partners GHD and Baker Hicks.
Costain will act as utilities partner, a package the company said could be worth up to £1bn. It will be responsible for refurbishment and replacement of on‑site and off‑site utility systems including steam, water supply and treatment and compressed gas. Arup has been appointed by Costain as a key supply chain partner to deliver multidisciplinary design services under the contract. This builds on Arup’s previous 15 years’ experience on the Infrastructure Strategic Alliance at Sellafield.
Hochtief has taken the civils partner role under a framework worth as much as £595M for design, engineering and delivery of civil infrastructure works in support of nuclear operations and decommissioning.
The contracts also include commitments to support a thriving and sustainable local community in west Cumbria, aligned to Sellafield’s Social Impact strategy. These include:
- supporting local business growth;
- enabling companies to access work at Sellafield and beyond;
- creating employment;
- developing a skilled labour pool for IDP which local businesses can also access;
- opportunities for apprenticeships, internships, upskilling, work placements, and work experience; and
- significant commitment of employee volunteering hours to support third sector organisations.
Sellafield said the companies will also develop a joint sustainability plan to ensure a joined-up approach which is aligned to local priorities and delivers maximum impact and return on investment.
James Riddick, Sellafield Ltd Chief Supply Chain Officer, said: “Our job at Sellafield is to create a clean and safe environment for future generations. That means safely, securely, and cost effectively dealing with the legacy of historic operations on our site. To deliver this we need robust and reliable infrastructure to support our nuclear decommissioning and waste management activities.”
He added: “IDP is a long-term strategic partnership designed to provide that support while unlocking investment and opportunities for our local community and delivering sustainable value for money to the taxpayer. We’re excited to welcome our new partners, and we look forward to working together to progress our mission while creating transformational and enduring social value.”
Costain CEO Alex Vaughan noted that Costain had been working with since 2005. “This long-term award further demonstrates our integral position in the UK’s civil nuclear energy market,” he said. “The Government is clear that the safe and responsible decommissioning of the UK’s nuclear legacy is a critical part of creating a sustainable future and delivering local and national economic prosperity. As one of Sellafield’s trusted partners we will deliver safe, high-quality utilities upgrades in a complex working environment.”
Simon Smith, Managing Director for Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, said: “We have been delivering in West Cumbria for over 15 years, and we are delighted to build on this further with the award of the Infrastructure Delivery Partnership. This long-term programme is not only nationally significant for Sellafield and its decommissioning programme, but we know first-hand the benefits to local communities and the region from an award of this nature.”
Hochtief CEO Juan Santamaría Cases said Hochtief has been working in the nuclear sector since the 1950s “Together with Sellafield and its delivery partners, we have secured this strategic, long-term partnership. The award builds on Hochtief’s expanding portfolio of long-term delivery contracts with globally significant clients across the nuclear and infrastructure sectors.”
GHD Industrial Solutions Technical Director Nathan Woods said: “I am extremely proud that GHD, along with Baker Hicks, has been named as design partner for Morgan Sindall Infrastructure on the Sellafield IDP framework. This design partnership is the culmination of over 15-years of past and present UK team members, delivering multi-faceted engineering projects for UK Nuclear Duty Holders.”
Arup Associate Director Ann-Marie Cowperthwaite commented: “Arup’s knowledge of the site combined with our extensive expertise in process and mechanical engineering enables us to plan for an extensive range of scenarios and complex system interdependencies. This will help assure all the right conditions for all the different utility elements of the site are maintained thereby enabling Sellafield to operate the site with greater safety, security, and confidence…. We look forward to working alongside Costain and other partners to provide integrated solutions throughout the site as well as career development opportunities for the next generation of engineers.”
