Actemium UK has secured a £5.7 million contract to replace the ageing distributed control system at Sellafield’s Waste Packaging & Encapsulation Plant, a move that keeps one of the site’s key waste conditioning assets aligned with current automation and safety requirements.
The Cumbria project covers the design and build of a new Rockwell Automation-based DCS for WPEP, the plant that mixes radioactive waste with cementitious material before sealing it into stainless steel drums for monitored interim storage. The existing control platform dates back to the 1980s, and replacing it is intended to maintain safe operation while improving system reliability, diagnostics, and long-term maintainability at a facility where continuity matters as much as compliance.
Actemium said the programme brings together mechanical, automation, and electrical engineering teams from across its UK businesses. Alongside new hardware and software, the scope includes configuration work, a simulation model for factory and site testing, operator training, and commissioning support. The company said the replacement system will mirror the current interface closely enough to limit retraining and reduce disruption during cutover — a practical consideration on a plant that cannot afford a messy transition.
“Our breadth of capability, proven track record, and ability to deliver end-to-end solutions under strict compliance standards were critical to securing this project,” said Aidan McManus, Head of Project Delivery at Actemium Design UK. For Sellafield, the contract sits within a broader pattern of renewing older control and handling systems as the site’s decommissioning mission stretches across decades and depends on equipment that can be supported, tested, and verified against modern standards rather than legacy assumptions.
Work started in March 2026 and is scheduled to run through the first quarter of 2028. Actemium has also tied the award to a package of West Cumbria STEM activity, including school mentoring and support for FIRST LEGO League teams, giving the contract a local skills dimension alongside its nuclear engineering brief.
