Babock JV cleans up with £1.9bn nuclear job win

A joint venture headed by engineer Babcock has been awarded the contract to manage the decommissioning of the Dounreay nuclear site on the northern coast of Scotland, which is worth up to £1.9bn.

The joint venture between Babock, consultant CH2M Hill and engineer URS will manage the decommissioning and restoration of the nuclear site, which is due to be complete by 2025.

The programme has been accelerated under the new contract and the end date has been brought forward from 2038. The joint venture will also have a target incentive in its contract from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

The faster completion time is expected to save the NDA £1bn.

The contract is worth up to £150m a year meaning the job could be worth a total of £1.9bn if it is completed in 2025.

Roger Hardy, managing director for Dounreay, said: “We will be reducing costs through introducing proven innovation, not just by doing the same thing better. We will be setting new standards for decommissioning delivery and safety and we will be seeking to establish Dounreay as the European reference site for nuclear decommissioning and closure.”