Clean break for engineers

With more and more nuclear sites due to be cleaned up over the next decade, opportunities for engineers in the decommissioning sector look set to grow across the country. Almost 200 of the 434 nuclear reactors in operation worldwide are due to be retired by 2040. But of all the decommissioning projects planned or under way in Europe, none is more challenging than the task of cleaning up Sellafield. Design engineers working at either Sellafield itself or at the company's facility in Risley are pioneering new techniques to ensure the decontamination and demolition projects are completed safely. Ian Belger, head of profession for electrical control and instrumentation (EC&I) at Sellafield, said that the company needs engineers who are excited by the challenge of working on projects of national importance. The company is also looking for engineers capable of commissioning elements of its large decommissioning projects. This work could involve anything from commissioning new encapsulation plants designed to process nuclear waste to significant new components to keep existing plants running. As a result of these skills shortages, many companies in the nuclear industry looking to maintain their staffing levels may be hoping to target engineers from other sectors and train them internally.