Higher Active Waste Thermal Treatment Research and Development Programme

Concepts

• materials heat treatment
• higher active waste thermal treatment research and development programme
• higher activity waste thermal treatment
• warrington
• nda
• hawtt
• impact of thermal treatment technologies
• specific forms of high level waste
• current thermal treatment technologies
• supply of a distinct thermal treatment technology

Location

Warrington

Description

The Higher Activity Waste Thermal Treatment (HAWTT) research and development programme seeks to develop active demonstrators to consider the impact of thermal treatment technologies on specific forms of High Level Waste. The specific waste form dealt within Tranche 1 is plutonium contaminated material (PCM) Advancing on current thermal treatment technologies, Sellafield have been requested by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to deliver demonstrators to produce information that may underpin a strategic decision as to the most appropriate means of treating specific forms of this High Level Waste, so that it may be stored and managed safely. This will further inform the broader strategic direction across the NDA estate. The Contract to which this notice relates, is for the supply of a distinct thermal treatment technology for deployment within the development of an integrated system for the purposes of research of development.

Total Quantity or Scope

The manufacture and supply of the core thermal treatment technology and associated ancillary services to enable Sellafield Ltd’s HAWTT research and development programme which seeks to prove the concept of the application of thermal treatment technology, in an integrated system, to specific forms of High Level Waste.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 42940000 - Machinery for the heat treatment of materials

Indicators

• Award on basis of price and quality.

Legal Justification

The award is in conformity with Regulation 32(5)(a) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 which permits reliance on the negotiated procedure without prior advertisement of a contract opportunity where “the products involved are manufactured purely for the purpose of research, experimentation study or development. The thermal treatment technology which is the subject of the contract award will be manufactured for deployment, within an integrated system which is being developed specifically, for the purposes of the Higher Activity Waste Thermal Treatment (HAWTT) research and development programme. The thermal technology is core to the development of the integrated active demonstrator system, the integration between the thermal treatment technology and the broader modules of the integrated system are key to proving the concept of the active demonstrator. The proof of concept activity of this research and development programme will generate information for the potential deployment of thermal treatment solutions (not limited to those to which this contract award relates), including in relation to the potential types of higher activity waste streams that could be thermally treated, implications for the scope of deployment and the potential associated costs /savings associated with the thermal treatment when considered against other forms of waste treatment and management. The generation of this pertinent information from the research and development activity will underpin a strategic policy decision for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Other Information

Actual award value for the first stage is £0.6 Million, underpinned by the first Notice to Proceed. Actual award value for the first stage is £0.6 Million, underpinned by the first Notice to Proceed. Due to the research and development nature of the contract, there is a potential that the aggregate out turn value could range between £2 million to £17 million. The value range is a parametric estimate and takes into account that there may be various stages of the contract that rely on prior proof of concept deliverables and may not be entered into unless these are proven to be successful beforehand. The value range is an estimate which takes into account credible scenarios based on three sequential development stages. In the event that the thermal technology is found to be unsuitable through the first development stage, it is anticipated the research and development with this technology will cease (subject to the reasons for the unsuitability and the potential for this to be rectified within the system); in which case the contract value will remain limited. However, if on completion of the first stage, the thermal technology development is successful, the second stage of development will commence. Likewise, the final stage of development will commence if the technology is suitably developed after the second stage. As such the overall contract value will be informed by the success of the research and development activities associated with each stage. Sellafield Ltd undertook a market scanning activity to explore the available thermal technologies that could support this research and development programme. The identified Technology Supplier to whom this award relates was identified as meeting the requirements of the programme through an informal process. Sellafield Ltd had awarded a number of contracts to companies that had the potential to meet the requirements of the programme, with details of those prior contract awards available through Ref: 2021-467232. A VEAT notice (Ref: 2022-421026) to which this Contract relates was published on 14/02/2022 15:27 and in line with the requirements of Regulation 99(3), Sellafield Ltd observed a standstill period from the publication of that notice prior to the award of the contract to the Technology Supplier.