EDF Energy has signed a new five-year contract with Cavendish Nuclear to support the continued operation of its advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) fleet.
The £7.5m contract involves the provision of specialists to carry out inspections of graphite blocks in the reactor cores.
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EDF Energy Graphite Team manager Sue Walker said: “Establishing this long-term contract has secured a more efficient, sustainable, flexible and resilient service for graphite inspections across the AGR fleet.
“Long-term partnerships like this are an essential part of ensuring that EDF Energy’s nuclear stations continue to provide secure, affordable low-carbon electricity for the UK.”
The new agreement will involve 12-month equipment and resource plans for the fleet that would lead the optimisation of resource and reduction in re-work due to short timescale planning.
This service was previously provided on an outage-by-outage basis under contracts with power stations individually, which did not encourage long-term investment in skills, planning and equipment.
The latest project will help deliver reduced overhead to cover planned work and repairs, compared to managing several small complex contracts across the fleet.
Cavendish Nuclear Services director Paul Smith said: “I’m delighted we have been able to build on our long-term partnership with EDF Energy to deliver a more efficient service for our customer and secure long-term investment in the skills of our staff.”
