Specialist technical services are being sought by Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) under its Environmental Safety Case: General Tech inc Geological & Hydrogeological framework for its Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR).
The LLWR in Cumbria is the only facility in the UK that can receive all categories of low level nuclear waste (LLW).
The framework, which is valued at £17,760,000 including VAT, was published today (27 July) and prospective vendors are invited to submit inquiries by 28 August and tenders by 7 September.
The estimated award decision date is 2 December.
NWS said an environmental safety case (ESC) is a set of reports “concerning the environmental safety of the disposal of solid radioactive waste, underpinned by a structured collection of arguments and scientific evidence.”
The LLWR’s ESC is integral to its site permit to dispose of radioactive waste and demonstrates that it is “safe to continue to dispose of low-level waste at the site”, NWS said.
Extending the life of the facility, disposal of waste into future vaults, and closure and capping of the LLWR are all dependent on the Environment Agency accepting the ESC.
On its framework tender notice, NWS said it requires the provision of suitably qualified people to help NWS’s ESC team in fulfilling their obligations, which are set by the regulator.
The vendors will be expected to undertake technical activities, including “emerging requirements” which may be identified in future, and NWS said, “integrating tools and techniques of the LLWR and the GDF (geological disposal facility) ESC Safety Cases will be an objective for NWS in the coming years”.
The estimated contract dates are expected to be from 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2030, with two possible 12-month extensions.
The award criteria are weighted 70% technical, 20% cost, and 10% social value.
In June 2026, NWS issued a preliminary market engagement notice for a £382M vault optimisation and capping delivery contract for its LLWR.
In February, NWS announced that preparatory work on a major engineering phase at the LLWR had started as it replaced a protective membrane over legacy disposal trenches in the southern part of the site.
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