Latest win for West Cumbrian firms with Sellafield partnership

The North West Energy Coast Alliance was formed as a collaborative partnership between two Workington-based SMEs, McMenon Engineering Services and TIS Cumbria. Now the partnership has been successfully appointed to deliver fabricated and manufactured equipment packages for two major projects at Sellafield.

Duncan Elliott, head of the programme and project partners, said:

It’s fantastic to see two local SMEs collaborate, and I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in winning these two contracts on two flagship projects. The programme and project partners approach is all about collaboration, innovation, transformation and harnessing opportunities, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing with the partnership between McMenon Engineering Services and TIS Cumbria.

The contract awards follow the North West Energy Coast Alliance being announced as a long-term delivery partner back in January this year.

The programme and project partners approach allows the partnership between Sellafield Ltd, KBR, Jacobs, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and Doosan to appoint key delivery partners and secure long-term goods and services agreements with suppliers and SMEs to support projects across the programme’s 20-year pipeline.

The approach encourages long-term collaboration throughout the supply chain, enhanced project delivery outcomes, and paves the way for greater economic and social impact in the West Cumbria region.

Luke Richardson, programme and project partners head of social impact, added:

The combined businesses of McMenon and TIS presents a joint alliance able to deliver the works we need on site but equally brings together two responsible employers who can deliver further impacts because of these latest contract wins.

The alliance will provide process cabinets for the SIXEP Continuity Plant with a total contract value of £3.5 million. This will include the fabrication, assembly, testing and supply of wash and process cabinets to be used in the site’s new-build facility that will ensure the existing Site Ion Exchange Effluent Plant facility, which has been running since 1985, can continue its vital work for decades to come.

Another contract is for 191 fabrications for the Sellafield Product and Residue Store Retreatment Plant with a contract value of £813,939. This includes a manufacturing package for specialist trolleys, handling equipment, personnel access and machine operating and maintenance tooling.

McMenon chief executive officer, Anand Puthran, said:

We are delighted that McMenon, as part of North West Energy Coast Alliance, along with TIS Cumbria, has been awarded the F16 cabinet contract. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our engineering and manufacturing expertise and show what two SMEs, on the west coast of Cumbria, can achieve through collaborative working. Winning the 191 small fabrication contract for SRP is another ringing endorsement for the skills and quality of both companies.

The alliance’s aim was always to help establish a long-term and sustainable legacy for the West Cumbrian economy through the provision of opportunities, skills, engagement and employment. And this contract win is a huge boost to our aims. We are all excited to get started. Our thanks go to Programme and Project Partners for the endorsement, and we look forward to developing our relationship with Sellafield Ltd moving forward.

TIS Cumbria managing director, Tony O’Pray, added:

We would like to thank the Programme and Project Partners for their confidence in awarding these contracts to the alliance. Both projects will be manufactured within West Cumbria using our own local skilled engineers, works teams and apprentices.

It is expected that these projects will generate new positions of employment in both companies from within our local community, in addition to generating much needed new skills. Our committed and dedicated team of engineers have achieved a milestone which many aspire to, showing that true collaboration between two SMEs can succeed in a very competitive world against much larger companies in the UK. We look forward to the manufacture, test and delivery of these projects and others to the Programme and Projects Partners team at Sellafield over the future months.