SNC Lavalin : Atkins awarded design contract for world-first fusion energy research centre

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• 2021

Atkins awarded design contract for world-first fusion energy research centre

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Wednesday 21stApril 2021

Atkins - a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group - has been appointed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to help design the world's first centre for researching tritium for use in fusion energy.

The Hydrogen-3 Advanced Technology (H3AT) facility - which will be built at Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire - will support ongoing work at ITER, the world's largest fusion experiment which is currently under construction in the South of France. This activity will also allow academic and industrial users to research how to process, store and recycle tritium, one of the fuels that will supply fusion power stations.

Atkins - supported by supply chain partners including Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Ansaldo Nuclear, and FlexProcess - will deliver the preliminary and detailed design of the H3AT tritium recycling loop, comprising storage beds, a distribution system, impurity processing system, and systems to detritiate water and air. Designed to facilitate the handling, testing and validation of tritium, the loop will allow a range of tests and experiments to be carried out safely and efficiently.

Lee Patrick, UKAEA Client Manager, Nuclear & Power, at Atkins said: 'Fusion has the potential to provide the world with a low-carbon, limitless and environmentally responsible energy source in the future.

'Recognising the complexity and scale of this project, we've put together a world-class team that is fully focused on playing its part in helping to recreate and harness energy based on the same principle that powers our Sun and stars.'

The H3AT facility will provide access to scientists and researchers to inform tritium processes for future fusion programmes including: ITER; its successor, the DEMOnstration Power Plant, which will move fusion energy a step closer to production on an industrial scale; and UKAEA's Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) - an ambitious programme to design and build a prototype fusion power plant, targeting operations around 2040.

Steve Wheeler, Director of UKAEA's Fusion Technology business unit, said: 'H3AT is a truly unique facility to support UK science and the development of fusion fuel cycle technology. Atkins will bring proven engineering design capability to the delivery group, in addition to the valuable expertise of their supply chain partners.'

Atkins supports UKAEA across its major programmes through its position as an Engineering Design Services (EDS) framework supplier and has recently won two contracts on the STEP programme. It is also architect engineer for ITER as part of the Engage consortium and is involved in numerous nuclear new build projects around the world.

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For more information:
Richard Seston Director of External Communications UK & Europe	Tel: [phone] [e-mail]
Notes to editors: Atkins Atkins is one of the world's most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, employing over 18,300 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe. We build long-term trusted partnerships to create a world where lives are enriched through the implementation of our ideas. The One Powerhouse Consortium • The regions of England have been blighted by low productivity and inequality of opportunity for many years. The causes are historic and political, local and national. Governments of all colours have tried various ways of addressing these imbalances with little evidence of success. • The One Powerhouse Consortium, supported by the Sir Hugh and Lady Sykes Charitable Foundation, believes the answer lies in making a plan - and sticking to it. And the key to Levelling Up is 'Spatial Planning'. About Spatial Planning • 'Spatial Planning' is the transparent mechanism that delivers the required framework for investment and the vital accountability that goes with it to help the regions of England address inequality and develop sustainably for the benefit of all in that region. • It is well understood that countries and regions around the world have used spatial planning to focus political will, economic activity and social reform to great effect. Notable examples include Germany's Rhine-Ruhr, Holland's Randstad and New York City's Regional Plan Association. • Spatial planning is the 'where' of decisions. It looks at a defined geographical area and makes an assessment of everything contained in that area - towns, cities, housing, schools, universities, roads, rails, airports, offices, factories and then makes assessments and recommendations for further development About SNC-Lavalin Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world. SNC-Lavalin connects people, technology and data to help shape and deliver world-leading concepts and projects, while offering comprehensive innovative solutions across the asset lifecycle. Our expertise is wide-ranging - consulting & advisory, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and sustaining capital - and delivered to clients in four strategic sectors: EDPM (engineering, design and project management), Infrastructure, Nuclear and Resources, supported by Capital. People. Drive. Results. www.snclavalin.com UK Atomic Energy Authority The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) carries out fusion energy research on behalf of the UK Government at Culham Science Centre near Oxford. UKAEA oversees Britain's fusion programme, headed by the MAST Upgrade (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak) experiment. It also hosts the world's largest fusion research facility, JET (Joint European Torus), which it operates for European scientists under a contract with the European Commission. Fusion research at Culham is funded by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council and by the European Union under the EURATOM treaty.
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