The AREVA-Doosan-Atkins joint venture has joined Sellafield Ltd's Decommissioning Delivery Partnership (DDP) under a framework agreement for Lot 1 which involves decommissioning and maintenance work on a broad range of facilities on the Sellafield site, including the legacy Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP), the Pile Fuel Cladding Silo (PFCS) and Calder Hall. The agreement is expected to have a ten-year duration.

Bringing together three of the world's leading nuclear companies - AREVA, Doosan Babcock and Atkins - the framework agreement will see the companies deliver integrated design and decommissioning solutions for some of the most challenging nuclear facilities in the UK.

The DDP is one of the first examples of public procurement projects that intends to guarantee benefits for the local community, including jobs, apprenticeships and work for small and medium-sized businesses. AREVA, Doosan Babcock and Atkins are all actively involved in supporting the community around Sellafield to help develop skills in Cumbria, as well as building and promoting cooperation amongst small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's) and the local supply chain.

This includes AREVA's work with local "Tier 2" companies to coordinate relationships with local schools, and undertaking community volunteering activities as part of the global Doosan Day of Community Service. Atkins supports primary and secondary education programmes including Brightstars and Inspira's World of Work secondary schools project.

Tom Foster, Chief Decommissioning Officer at Sellafield Ltd, said: "The Decommissioning Delivery Partnership is going to be a crucial part of our mission to reduce the risk on the Sellafield site by getting waste out of high-hazard facilities as soon as possible.

We look forward to working with the AREVA-Doosan-Atkins joint venture and our other framework partners over the next decade to ensure this work delivers benefits not only on the site but also in the wider community. Everyone in the framework is committed to achieving the best possible socio-economic outcomes in areas such as building skills for young people and ensuring small to medium sized enterprises also benefit from this major investment in decommissioning the site."