Published at 16:24, Wednesday, 15 October 2008

THE Sellafield parent body competition has come to an end as the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority finalised an agreement with Nuclear Management Partners (NMP). The agreement marks the end of the competitive process to appoint a new organisation to take control of the Sellafield plant.

Title
Author
Copyright

Description

A period of formal transition between the NDA and US-led consortium NMP will lead to a transfer of shares in Sellafield Ltd – the Sellafield site licence company – on November 24.

The NDA competition for a new parent body for Sellafield Ltd was launched in October 2006 and NMP, headed by American-based URS Corporation, British engineering group Amec and French nuclear firm Areva, was unveiled as the winner in July 2008.

The consortium is responsible for the decommissioning and eventual closure of the Sellafield site - a process which could take up to 100 years.

NMP will be handed £1.3bn a year to run the plant, described as one of the most complex nuclear sites in the world. It will be awarded a five-year contract initially, with another 12 years on offer subject to performance.

Following the announcement a parent body agreement between the NDA, NMP and Sellafield Ltd was signed along with a management and operations contract.

The end of the competition process is a significant milestone in the NDA’s drive to attract world class management and expertise to the UK’s nuclear decommissioning industry.

Stephen Henwood, NDA chairman, said: “The successful conclusion of the competition to secure a new parent body for Sellafield Ltd involved a tremendous amount of hard work, drive and determination from all three parties, the NDA, NMP and Sellafield Ltd.

“Work continues to ensure the new parent body is well prepared to take over the control of the Sellafield licence company on the 24th November.

“We can look forward to entering into new contracts with NMP and Sellafield Ltd on that day, which we firmly believe will secure exemplary operations on the site and value for money for the taxpayer.

“The Sellafield sites involve the most significant challenges we face and the successful completion of this competition, as with its forerunner for the national Low Level Waste Repository, clearly demonstrate that the NDA is well placed to achieve its mission for the safe and secure clean-up and decommissioning of the UK’s civil nuclear legacy.”

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk