The work covers two nuclear facilities where water ingress has damaged equipment and raised concerns about operational shutdowns.
Contract and procurement
The contract was awarded through Pagabo’s Major Works Framework, according to the Construction Enquirer. Morgan Sindall was the only bidder for the refurbishment package.
Sellafield originally put the work out to tender in 2022, with an estimated value of £15.5m. At that stage, it warned that continuing to patch the roofs was no longer viable on either cost or operational grounds.
Roofing package
Morgan Sindall expects to subcontract 57% of the work. That package covers roofing materials, stripping off the existing coverings, installing the replacement roof and providing temporary works.
The replacement system is intended to protect staff and equipment. According to the Construction Enquirer, it will enable the facilities to remain in operation into the 2060s and 2070s.
The facilities
The buildings covered by the contract are the Fuel Handling Plant and the Site Ion Exchange Effluent Plant, known as SIXEP. Both were built in the 1980s and remain important to Sellafield’s nuclear operations.
The two plants perform different functions. The Fuel Handling Plant takes in spent nuclear fuel and stores it, while SIXEP treats contaminated water to remove radioactive material.
Questions readers are asking
- Who won the Sellafield roofing contract?
- Morgan Sindall won the £35m contract through Pagabo’s Major Works Framework. It was the only bidder, according to the Construction Enquirer.
- Which Sellafield buildings need new roofs?
- The work covers the Fuel Handling Plant and the Site Ion Exchange Effluent Plant, known as SIXEP. Both buildings date from the 1980s.
- Why are the roofs being replaced?
- Longstanding water ingress has damaged equipment and raised concerns about operational shutdowns. Sellafield warned in 2022 that repeated patch repairs were no longer viable on cost or operational grounds.
- How much of the work will be subcontracted?
- Morgan Sindall expects to subcontract 57% of the work, covering roofing materials, removal of existing coverings, installation of the new roof and temporary works.
- What was the original estimated cost?
- The refurbishment had an estimated value of £15.5m when Sellafield first tendered it in 2022.
- What do the two plants do?
- The Fuel Handling Plant receives and stores spent nuclear fuel. SIXEP removes radioactive material from contaminated water.
- How long are the facilities expected to keep operating?
- According to the Construction Enquirer, the replacement roofing system will allow the facilities to continue operating into the 2060s and 2070s.
