Major projects progress is transforming Sellafield’s skyline
Tower cranes mark latest Programme and Project Partners achievement
The Sellafield SIXEP Continuity Plant site taking shape with 3 new tower cranes being erected.
Three giant cranes have been assembled at the Sellafield SIXEP Continuity Plant site, on the Sellafield site.
It means the project can accelerate into the next construction phase, which will involve concrete pouring and erection of reinforcing steel.
But that’s just part of the story.
The plant is one of a portfolio of projects being delivered under our Programme and Projects Partnership model.
The model, which is unique in the UK construction industry, is transforming major project delivery at Sellafield. It brings together KBR, Jacobs, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure Ltd, Doosan Babcock and Sellafield Ltd as the fifth partner.
And its impact goes way beyond just cranes and concrete.
The partnership is also driving improvements in procurement, design, environmental remediation, job creation, and social impact.
Because it’s a 20 year partnership, it creates certainty in the Sellafield project delivery environment.
That’s unlocking long-term investment in the site, giving security to supply chains, providing job opportunities, and generating significant savings for the UK taxpayer.
The SIXEP Continuity Plant cranes are a neat example of the approach. The partnership has banked savings of about £1 million by buying, rather than hiring, the cranes. And as an added benefit the cranes can be passed onto other Sellafield Ltd projects saving even more money in future.
The idea was taken from another Sellafield Ltd project – The Sellafield Product and Residue Store Retreatment Plant – demonstrating an additional partnership benefit: sharing learning across projects.
Jeremy Hunt, Sellafield Ltd’s head of projects, said:
It’s fantastic to see the SIXEP Continuity Plant project powering ahead.
The plant will play a vital role in delivering our mission to create a clean and safe environment for future generations.
The erection of the cranes is an important enabling step and a visible skyline change.
But the story behind it is even more crucial. Through the partnership we are transforming the way our major projects are delivered, creating benefits for our mission, our communities, and the local and national economies.
The aligned delivery team, led by our main construction partner Doosan Babcock, have worked really well with key suppliers Liebherr and PPS to undertake this work safely and efficiently.
I’d like to thanks everyone involved for their dedication and professionalism in achieving this milestone.
The SIXEP Continuity Plant (SCP) will ensure the continued availability of the Site Ion Exchange Effluent Plant, known as the ‘kidneys of the Sellafield site’.
The system treats effluent from our legacy waste storage facilities, removing radioactivity before it can be safely discharged to sea. The addition of SCP will ensure this service can continue until 2060.
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