Costain has been appointed by Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) to deliver a major decommissioning project at the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station, located within the Snowdonia National Park.

The £70 million contract will see Costain’s in-house engineering team work closely with NRS to safely and compliantly decommission the reactor buildings, originally constructed in the 1960s and subject to decommissioning works since 1991. The programme is expected to take around four years to complete.

At its peak, more than 100 people will be employed on the project, generating new opportunities for local employment, skills development, and regional economic growth.

As part of the works, Costain will oversee the deconstruction and partial reduction in height of the site's two reactor buildings — lowering them from approximately 54 metres to 25 metres — to significantly reduce their visual impact on the surrounding landscape and communities. The company will also deliver a range of civil engineering and remedial works to ensure the buildings remain in a safe and stable condition ahead of future decommissioning phases.

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Sam White, Managing Director, Natural Resources at Costain, said: "Whether it's designing the infrastructure that will produce the next generation of advanced nuclear fuel, plant optimisation or managing large-scale decommissioning programmes, Costain has decades of experience delivering predictable, best-in class solutions across the entire nuclear energy lifecycle.

"This work is all part of creating a sustainable future, and we’re looking forward to deepening our relationship with NRS and working collaboratively with our local supply chain to complete this complex decommissioning project to the highest safety and quality standards."

Rob Fletcher, Chief Executive Officer at Nuclear Restoration Services, commented: "This is a pivotal moment for Trawsfynydd. After years of careful planning and preparation, we're now moving into the delivery phase of one of the most complex and ambitious decommissioning projects in the UK. We're delighted to be working with our supply chain partners to shape this next stage in the site’s journey, ensuring the work is undertaken safely, securely and sustainably for all our futures."