Consortium to run UK National Nuclear Lab

25 March 2009


A consortium of Serco, Battelle and The University of Manchester has been named Recommended Bidder to run the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL).

The announcement was made by Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) Minister Mike O'Brien who stressed the importance of the facility which will be a leader in high-tech nuclear skills in the UK and also help safeguard the West Cumbrian economy.

"With new nuclear power stations in the UK coming forward by 2018, and decommissioning of old sites progressing, the National Nuclear Laboratory will be an increasingly important facility,” he said

The consortium management team will now work with DECC to ensure a swift and effective transition to the new management team under the GOCO (Government Owned Contractor Operated) model. The new contract is expected to come into effect on 1 April 2009. It will be for an initial three-year period, with the option to extend for a further two years.

Mike Lawrence of Battelle will lead the new NNL management team. He brings over forty years’ experience of nuclear matters to the task, including management of the US Hanford Reservation and its massive site cleanup programme.

The NNL was launched in July 2008 by John Hutton, then Secretary of State for Business. The lab brings together expert nuclear research capabilities of Nexia Solutions with world-class nuclear facilities, such as the new Central Laboratory at Sellafield. The objectives are for the lab to become an international centre of excellence in nuclear research, to play a central role in cleaning up the UK’s nuclear waste legacy and to contribute to the programme of nuclear new build.


Related Articles
B&W wins additional Bruce contracts
Bruce 1 generates power for the first time in 15 years
Bruce abandons its new build plan for Ontario
Two restarts for Bruce Power, but partner Cameco opts out
Bruce Power chooses Whitemud site



Privacy Policy
We have updated our privacy policy. In the latest update it explains what cookies are and how we use them on our site. To learn more about cookies and their benefits, please view our privacy policy. Please be aware that parts of this site will not function correctly if you disable cookies. By continuing to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy unless you have disabled them.