Aecom Appointed to Support Nuclear Waste Programmes

Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) has named Aecom as a framework partner to deliver design and engineering services in support of its remediation and disposal programmes at the low-level waste repository near Drigg in Cumbria. 

The appointment forms part of NWS’s new Integrated Design and Engineering Framework (IDEF), awarded for an initial term of four years.

Under the agreement, Aecom will provide front-end programme delivery for asset refurbishment, demolition and remediation projects, and the design of future waste management facilities such as vaults and leachate treatment systems. 

To meet the full scope of works, Aecom will collaborate with radioactive waste characterisation experts, Nuvia, and environmental consultancy, Quintessa.

“Through this new framework, Aecom will support NWS as it continues its vital work to safely and efficiently manage the UK’s radioactive waste,” said Nuclear practice lead for Aecom’s UK Environment & Energy business, Karen Armstrong-Telfer.

“We’re excited to apply our extensive multidisciplinary expertise and deep industry knowledge to deliver innovative, timely, and safe project outcomes”.

Director of sites and operations at Nuclear Waste Services, Mike Pigott, welcomed the appointment as “a significant step forward in our work to deliver safe, sustainable, and innovative solutions for the management of the UK’s radioactive waste”.

“This work will enhance and prolong the life of critical infrastructure at the repository site, essential for our enduring mission of making radioactive waste permanently safe sooner”.

Aecom’s selection follows the recent appointment of John Graham Construction as the contractor for an integrated £50 million site works framework at Drigg. 

These agreements aim to accelerate key improvement works and support Government and regulator objectives for the UK’s low-level waste programme.

Established in 2022, Nuclear Waste Services consolidates the expertise of LLW Repository Ltd, Radioactive Waste Management Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Integrated Waste Management Programme (IWMP) under the NDA group. Its overarching mission is to clean up and decommission nuclear sites safely, securely and cost-effectively.

Over the next four years, Aecom’s design teams will engage with NWS engineers and regulators, developing detailed plans for vault upgrades, containment structures and treatment facilities that handle leachate and other effluents. 

With the IDEF framework now in place, NWS is positioned to fast-track critical works at Drigg, removing legacy hazards and modernising the repository for future waste returns.
 

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