Urenco has chosen Bechtel to assist in expanding its Tails Management Facility (TMF) in Capenhurst (England), a critical component for processing uranium tails. The expansion aims to bolster the production of nuclear energy, contributing to clean and reliable power generation.
Bechtel’s role will involve providing design development advice and preliminary engineering services under a front-end engineering contract, an early contractor involvement alternative, which is commonly employed in the development of complex facilities such as the TMF.
Urenco’s Uranium Tail Management Facility (TMF) Expansion - Project Summary
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Project Name |
Urenco’s Uranium Tail Management Facility (TMF) Expansion |
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Scope |
Front-End Engineering Design services (preliminary engineering, cost estimation, feasibility assessment, and risk identification) to support Urenco’s Tails Management Facility (TMF) expansion planning. |
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Location |
Capenhurst, England (UK) |
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Client/Owner |
Urenco |
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Contractor |
Bechtel (and Cavendish Nuclear as a sub-consultant to Bechtel) |
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Contract Style |
Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) |
Urenco’s Uranium Tail Management Facility (TMF) in the UK - Plant and Expansion details
Uranium is the primary fuel for nuclear power plants, and uranium “tails” are the residual by-product after the uranium enrichment process. The management of uranium tails and uranium enrichment is an extremely sensitive topic and subject to stringent oversight and regulations aimed at averting the misuse of these products (i.e. nuclear weapon proliferation).
According to Urenco, its British facility operates three enrichment plants, which enable nuclear power stations around the world to generate electricity. The largest of the three plants, E23, produces more than 80% of the facility’s enrichment capacity.
Urenco’s Tails Management Facility (TMF), located in Capenhurst, England, is a unique UK-based facility dedicated to the storage and processing of low-concentration uranium tails. These tails are either reused or converted into a chemically stable form for secure disposal.
The TMF expansion will ensure Urenco is better equipped to process larger quantities of the enrichment by-product, meeting the growing global demand and contributing to the responsible utilization of nuclear resources.
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Urenco’s Tail Management Facility (TMF) Expansion - Contract Details
Bechtel has been awarded a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract to assist Urenco in expanding its Tails Management Facility (TMF) in the UK. Cavendish Nuclear will collaborate with Bechtel as its sub-consultant on the expansion project.
Bechtel and Cavendish Nuclear have a proven history of successful partnerships on projects serving UK customers, including their work at Sellafield, the UK’s oldest nuclear storage facility, and their collaboration on infrastructure upgrades for the Royal Navy in Devonport.
Typically, a FEED contract can be considered an early contractor involvement alternative, in which a project owner (e.g. Urenco) engages an engineering firm or experienced contractor (e.g. Bechtel) to plan and design the initial phase of a project. It typically includes:
- preliminary engineering,
- cost estimation,
- feasibility assessment, and
- risk identification
Conversely to traditional construction contracts, such as EPC agreements, this early contractor involvement alternative allows for:
- Clear project definition.
- Risk mitigation.
- Increased robustness in the feasibility study assessment.
- Improved project quality.
- Reduced changes and delays during procurement and construction phases
- Informed decision-making.
