30 July 2020
Assystem, the world's second largest engineering company, has agreed a transition contract with Edvance UK, the UK branch of Edvance, the French nuclear power plant reactor engineering entity co-owned by EDF and Framatome.
Running initially for one year, the contract will see Assystem UK provide engineering services and support on a number of specialist nuclear engineering topics, in particular those related to the construction and commissioning of the Hinkley Point C (HPC) European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) project. With an option for both parties to negotiate a larger framework, Assystem UK will cover all disciplines of design, including mechanical and layout, as well as supporting the project's instrumentation and control, safety studies, and system engineering.
The framework is seen as an important contribution to the development growth of the UK's nuclear engineering and design skills pool, which is growing rapidly in order to support the delivery of the UK EPR new nuclear projects, such as Hinkley Point C, which support hundreds of jobs at Assystem and thousands accross the North, as well as preparing for Sizewell C.
Assystem UK, who already 500 employees across five locations throughout Britain, will be based close to Edvance UK's Aztec West premises, as well as on the construction site. With other EPR reactors currently under construction or already built internationally, Assystem will leverage the experience of the personnel who have contributed to the successful construction and operation of other related projects.
Assystem UK's Delivery Manager, Arthur Margarit, said: "HPC needs to be a success for further programmes to develop, such as Sizewell C. Assystem is committed to ensuring the milestones of HPC are met. We bring our nuclear experience and knowledge of the EPR technology and design, gained through all the work done for EDF in France on the design of HPC, and specific niche expertise on Instrumentration and Control (I&C) systems".
