NDA awards £6 billion nuclear decommissioning contract

Government today named Cavendish Fluor Partnership the preferred bidder for a £6 billion nuclear decommissioning contract.

The consortium of Cavendish Nuclear and Fluor Corporation is set to take charge of 12 nuclear sites, including Sizewell A, Dungeness A and Hinkley A, on 1 September. It will own the sites and bring in a new executive team while Magnox and RSRL continue to provide the workforce.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, awarding the contract, said it would save taxpayers money. While it did not reveal the precise value of the deal, the NDA said savings of “at least” £1 billion were expected, compared to its forecast cost of £7 billion over 14 years.

John Clarke, NDA chief executive, said: “We have undergone a comprehensive and rigorous process aimed at securing the best possible parent body for these challenging sites. Cavendish Fluor Partnership brings a successful track record and extensive nuclear experience that will bring enormous benefits to the decommissioning and clean-up programme.”

Trade unions sought assurances the cost savings would not come at the expense of jobs. Magnox, the licencee for 10 of the sites, employs 3,500 workers across the UK.

Kevin Coyne, national officer for Unite, said the change would be “unsettling”. The union would want to meet Cavendish Fluor “as soon as practically possible” to make sure working conditions were protected, he added.

Gary Smith, GMB national secretary for energy, said: “We want to ensure that this is a positive move for the workforce and nuclear communities.

“We do know Fluor have a tradition of training. They have a state of the art training facility at Farnborough which is testimony to their investment in training. We hope we see similar commitments to training and development in Magnox.”