NESL plans new test facility in Cumbria

Thursday, 30 July 2009

Nuclear Engineering Services Ltd (NESL) has received planning permission for a purpose-built assembly and test facility near the Sellafield site in the UK.

 

Colourful: An artist's impression of how the facility will look (Image: NESL)

Included in the new facility - to be constructed at Beckermet, Cumbria - will be a 32-metre test tower, serviced by a special 10-tonne capacity crane, while the main workshop will have a 60-tonne overhead crane and a six-metre test pit along with extensive assembly and test facilities.

 

The facility - a replica of the company's existing facility in Wolverhampton - is scheduled to be operational by early February 2010. It will initially be used for major testing and comissioning for key clients, said NESL.

 

Jim Nelson, NESL's Sellafield Facilities Manager, said, "This new facility represents a considerable investment by the company and will provide us with the perfect opportunity to further expand our services to the Sellafield plant as well as providing an ideal platform for new business development throughout the North West region."

 

The construction of the facility follows an investment of £6.5 million ($10.7 million) from Lloyds TSB Development Capital (LDC) and supported by the Co-Operative Bank (Co-Op). NESL said that this investment "will form part of NESL's growth strategy within the civil nuclear, naval defence and industrial markets. It will also further enhance NESL’s commitment to long-term nuclear decommissioning projects and help NESL meet the requirements set out by the government for future UK power needs."

 

NESL, part of Nuclear Engineering Holdings Ltd, was formed in December 2003 following the acquisition the Rolls-Royce Nuclear Engineering Services business and the Special Purpose Equipment Division of the NNC (formerly National Nuclear Corporation).

 

NESL's core products and services include design, manufacture, assembly, project management, installation and test/commissioning relating to mechanical and electromechanical handling systems, pressurised systems and high integrity components for nuclear power and process plants, including equipment and process development for decommissioning and decontamination. The company has supplied equipment to all UK nuclear power stations in both active and decommissioning phases.