Aureos appointed to deliver decommissioning project at Dungeness A

Worth up to £190 million, the contract will help accelerate the safe decommissioning of the site, reduce long-term national risk and support British industry, skills and economic opportunities for local communities, said NRS.

The project will remove eight boiler units, each weighing around 800 tonnes and estimated to be 7 metres in diameter and 21 metres long, together with associated plant and infrastructure. It follows four years of enabling work to prepare the site for this phase of delivery.

The first boiler arriving on site in 1962 (Image: NRS)

Highlighting this engineering challenge as a landmark project for NRS, CEO Rob Fletcher said, “By working closely with Aureos, our supply chain and regulators, we will explore new approaches in line with the recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Review to safely decommission our sites, deliver better value for taxpayer and maintain our unwavering commitment to safety.”

The boilers will be moved using a specialist jack and slide system. Their removal will reduce the number of large structures remaining at the station and the site’s future maintenance requirements, according to NRS.

Aureos (formerly Keltbray Infrastructure Services) was selected through a competitive procurement process that assessed technical capability, project certainty, innovation, social value and cost.

Dave Evans, Dungeness A site director, said, “This contract marks the beginning of one of the most significant stages in Dungeness A’s decommissioning journey. It is the result of years of planning and preparation and moves us significantly closer to achieving our decommissioning mission for the site.”

The supplier will work closely with local communities and stakeholders throughout the project, including schools, universities, community groups and local businesses.

Once complete, the project will have removed around a third of Dungeness A’s above-ground structures, significantly reducing the site’s footprint and long-term maintenance requirements, while supporting the decommissioning to make land available for future use.

Dungeness A is located on a 20-hectare site at the southern tip of the Kent coast, surrounded by one of Europe’s largest expanses of shingle and an environment recognised for its ecological importance.

The station generated electricity from 1965 to 2006 before entering decommissioning in 2007 and completed defueling in 2012.