Sellafield concrete pour signals return to normal(ish)
Around 450 cubic metres of specialist concrete was poured for the foundations of the Sellafield product and residue store retreatment plant site. This facility will be where special nuclear materials will be stockpiled for 100 years.
Sellafield Ltd head of projects Steve Harnwell said: “This is great news – the team have done some exceptional work to get to this moment; and it is really a great achievement during the uncertainty of Covid-19 to get the project back to delivery of critical path scope.
“Over the last 16 weeks, the team have worked incredibly hard and collaboratively alongside our supply chain One Aim to achieve this. The arrangements put in place to ensure a safe, work place and safe close proximity work methods with engagement with trade unions has all been key to achieving this success.”
OneAIM is a joint venture between Interserve and Jacobs that is responsible for delivering the operations site works framework for Sellafield Ltd. It’s head of operations Adrian Eve said: “Another challenging milestone with the current situation but proof that effective progress can still be made.”
Sellafield Ltd interim projects director Neil Crewdson added: “It’s a testament to the skills and dedication shown by all our people, supply chain and trade union engagement throughout lockdown and into restart; that we have been able to continue vital work like this, safely and at pace, with the extra constraints we have in place.”
This week has also seen the start of installation for the welfare cabins for the main construction workforce on the facility, work that had been scheduled for March before lockdown paused it. The installation of the cabins is the first step to providing a construction hub that will provide welfare accommodation, a canteen and kitchen and office accommodation to be in place for the main construction workforce following completion of the base slab.
The major build is set to start in October this year.
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