The government of the United Kingdom on Monday largely stayed mum regarding a report that it might directly take over decommissioning of its shuttered Magnox nuclear sites.
Industry sources told the Financial Times that it appeared probable that the U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority would establish a subsidiary to manage cleanup of the 10 Magnox power plants and two research sites. Such a move would follow the planned 2019 termination of the existing contract, held by the Cavendish Fluor Partnership.
A spokesman said the NDA, which oversees remediation at all nuclear sites in the United Kingdom, could not speculate on any future decisions. The Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, which oversees the nuclear agency, was said only to be considering options for the future of the Magnox facilities.
Industry sources contacted by Weapons Complex Morning Briefing had also not shed light on the matter by deadline Monday.
The NDA in March announced that the £6.1 billion contract issued in 2014 to Cavendish Fluor would expire on Aug. 31, 2019, nine years earlier than planned. The agency said at the time the understood scope of the work had extended significantly beyond what was covered in the contract. But the NDA has been hammered for its handling of the contract: the U.K. High Court said last year it botched the procurement process, which led to settlements of more than £97 million to EnergySolutions and Bechtel, which had teamed in an unsuccessful bid for the work.
The U.K. National Audit Office last week offered an unsparing review of the failings of the Magnox decommissioning contract process, and an Oct. 5 interim report from an independent inquiry also found fault with the procurement.
