Jacobs has been appointed to support the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) on plant maintenance and provide the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) with specialist engineering services.
The firm’s agreement with the UKAEA sees it placed on all lots of its new Plant Maintenance and Operational Support Services (PMOSS) framework. This will see Jacobs project delivery professionals embedded in client teams at UKAEA – subject to competition under the framework. These professionals will work at the UK’s national fusion laboratory on some of the world’s most advanced research into machine design, robotics, materials science and fusion fuel.
The PMOSS framework focuses on UKAEA-led programs such as the Tritium Advanced Technology facility – otherwise known as H3AT – which will open at the UKAEA’s national fusion laboratory next year. This project will explore fuel storage, breeding and recovery techniques for future fusion power plants.
Other UKAEA facilities supported by the PMOSS framework include Remote Applications in Challenging Environments, which designs and tests robotic and remote solutions; the Material Research Facility, which researches special materials to withstand extreme conditions; and the Fusion Technology Facility, which will test fusion components in realistic conditions.
Jacobs brings with it experience of working on fusion energy projects including ITER, the world’s largest fusion project in Provence, France, and the UKAEA-managed Joint European Torus.
Jacobs energy security and technology senior vice president Karen Wiemelt said: “Assisting UKAEA to realize the enormous potential of fusion for generating safe, sustainable and low-carbon electricity delivers on our commitment to a clean energy future. Fusion power would be a new source of safe, non-carbon emitting and almost limitless energy, which makes this endeavor one of the keys to creating a more connected, sustainable world.”
The agreement with the ONR sees Jacobs placed on all three lots of a four-year framework that covers the nuclear regulator’s activities in new build, power generation, decommissioning and defence.
Works to be undertaken on this framework include reactor core physics and fault studies; civil engineering and external hazards; and other engineering and technical services, including chemistry, control and instrumentation, criticality, electrical engineering, radiological protection, radioactive waste management and decommissioning, and cyber security.
This is a continuation of a long relationship, with Jacobs having provided the ONR with technical safety advice and assessment for over 20 years.
Wiemelt said: “Our work supports ONR, whose mission is to protect society by securing safe nuclear operations. Our understanding of existing power plants and close involvement with new developments in fission and fusion power is especially valuable to the regulator while the nuclear industry is expanding to deliver energy independence and security, furthering the UK’s aim to become a net-zero carbon economy by 2050 .”
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