The 3M3 (three metre cubed) box contract (the contract) is now worth up to £70m and represents an approximately £20m uplift to the original contract awarded in 2015. The agreement to exercise the option marks Metalcraft’s successful transition to the second phase of the 3M3 box work with Sellafield.
The boxes will be used to store intermediate level waste (ILW) retrieved from silos at legacy locations in Cumbria.
As part of this transition, Metalcraft will be producing circa 1,000 boxes over phase two of the programme, which is currently expected to take 6 years
Austen Adams, managing director of Avingtrans’ process solutions and rotating equipment division, said: “Moving on to phase two of the contract is just reward for the hard work and expertise the team has put into developing the 3M3 programme over the last five years.
“Having proven the technology and manufacturing processes involved, we are now in a position to ramp up production and begin the transition towards volume production, which will enable us to support Sellafield in this essential decommissioning work over the coming years.
“Metalcraft and Avingtrans are proud to be working alongside a number of suppliers and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (“NDA”) on the project of decommissioning the Sellafield nuclear site, in a way which is both safe and environmentally friendly.”
Susan Lussem, supply chain director, Sellafield Ltd, said: “Retrieval of wastes from Sellafield’s legacy ponds and silos is nationally important work, and we’re dedicated to ensuring this is done as safely, quickly and cost-effectively as possible.”
“Moving the waste into modern storage will mean a huge reduction in the UK’s nuclear hazard, but before we can remove the waste, we have to be confident we have somewhere safe to put it and that we have a reliable supply of containers for decades to come.”
“The development, innovation and investment that Sellafield Ltd and Metalcraft have delivered on this project to date gives us this confidence.”
Steve McQuillan, CEO of Avingtrans PLC, said: “Winning the initial contract back in 2015 was a landmark moment for Metalcraft, allowing us to invest significantly in both infrastructure and personnel to create a world-class centre for the manufacture of ILW containers, and boosting our apprenticeship programme. This training programme can now be securely extended for the long term, providing skilled engineering apprentice roles in a relatively deprived area of the UK.”
“Securing the next phase of works wholly justifies that investment and vindicates the Board’s decision to refocus what was our Energy and Medical Division on new markets. Sellafield’s trust in Metalcraft to deliver this next phase of the project endorses the quality of our management processes in this highly sensitive technology.”
