Nuvia wins share of £304m decommissioning contract

NUCLEAR specialist Nuvia, which has its UK base in Warrington, has been appointed to a framework contract worth £304m for the decommissioning of 10 nuclear power stations.

Nuvia is one of a number of contractors winning a share of the Magnox Demolition, De-planting and Bulk Asbestos removal work.

Magnox operates the sites on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning
Authority, and is beginning work to wind-down the ageing ‘first generation sites’  in the next few months, beginning with the de-planting of the boiler houses at Bradwell  in Essex and the demolition of admin and ancillary buildings at Dungeness A Site in Kent.

The framework contract will allow more efficient commercial arrangements between Magnox and its contractors, reducing tendering costs and providing a ‘toolbox’ for the various projects over the coming years.

Keith Collett, chief executive of Nuvia, which has 300 staff in Risley, Warrington, said: “We are most pleased to be able to support Magnox in the delivery of this programme which has the potential to accelerate their decommissioning plans.

“Nuvia’s appointment to this framework is continued recognition of our capability and expertise in the delivery of decommissioning programmes.”

Alan Bladon, programme director, added: “We have brought together a number of related projects in line with our approach to optimised decommissioning which, overall, is expected to save the taxpayer more than £1.3bn as sites are delivered into care and maintenance.”

Nuvia is an international business and is part of French engineering group Soletanche Freyssinet, which has 17,000 staff and a turnover of more than €2bn.