Cammell Laird gets £200K funding for nuclear projects
Merseyside shipyard and engineering company Cammell Laird has been awarded around £200,000 in Government funding to develop the concept of building off-site modules for nuclear new build projects.
Cammell Laird energy division managing director Jonathan Brown said the funding from the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) would be used run a series of events examining how best to build and test large modules at ‘off-site’ locations before transporting them to nuclear sites for installation.
Brown said there are many advantages to building off-site including cost savings, more efficient build and schedule times as well as not having to recruit a large temporary workforce to build on-site.
The project is being led by Cammell Laird supported by industry heavyweights including the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC), Arup, Fraser Nash and Laing O’Rourke.
“We are absolutely delighted to win this funding for our Fit for Modules project,” said Brown. “It allows Cammell Laird to apply its maritime experience in the nuclear industry, building on our extensive track record of building large modules of up to 5000 tonnes for the aircraft carrier programme and the Sir David Attenborough polar ship.
“Our aim is to bring together key industry players, including end users and supply chain companies, to brainstorm the challenges and propose solutions.
“We plan to publish a final report with our findings in April next year detailing areas for improvement known as ‘interventions’. The report will then be considered by Government which will run further programmes to implement the agreed interventions.”
Brown said working out the best way to build a supply chain would be a prime objective of the Fit for Modules project.
“From Cammell Laird’s viewpoint it is essential we develop a robust reliable supply chain to support the construction of modules,” he said.
“That is precisely what we have developed for our maritime operations and what we want to replicate for nuclear new build. And we know that organisations like Nuclear AMRC can really help develop the small and medium business supply chain bringing companies up to speed with what is required and expected in a highly regulated industry.”
Brown said finding significant cost efficiencies is fundamental to the project’s success.
“The nuclear new build programme estimates a potential spend up to £100bn over 30 years,” he said.
“It is therefore imperative that as an industry we make the programme work from a cost and schedule perspective, stripping out waste and any unnecessary expense. Building modules off-site is one way to make the new build process much more efficient, cost effective and less risky for our investors.”
