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The UK’s nuclear sector is in a period of investment, renewal and long-term planning. The government has continuously championed nuclear power with several new policy announcements, and with an expected £100 billion of investment into the country’s civil and defence nuclear programmes over the next decade, it’s more critical than ever that political backing and capital are matched with exceptional delivery.
With pressure to move quickly, nuclear projects are often looking for fast and flexible temporary ancillary facilities which can provide a comfortable environment for the workers on site. It’s here that offsite manufacturing and modular buildings play an important role in ensuring that nuclear infrastructure projects are able to be delivered to a high quality, at pace, and on budget.
With the government’s ambitious Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which aims to produce enough clean power to meet its total annual energy demand in the next four years, fast-approaching, pressure is mounting for nuclear infrastructure to be built quickly and efficiently. Offsite manufacturing allows for the modules to be prefabricated in a factory setting and then transported and installed onsite. This means that the module’s construction isn’t subject to weather delays like a traditionally built structure. Speed is vital to large-scale projects where delays can have major repercussions on deadlines and incur additional costs.
The nature of nuclear projects means that security is a top priority and construction workers allowed onsite need to gain security clearance in order to access the site. Utilising offsite construction reduces the number of workers required onsite, speeding up the process and upholding the strict security standards. Nuclear projects are also often built on challenging terrain, for example remote coastlines, which means there aren’t usually existing facilities, such as hotels, accommodation, shops or gyms, requiring contractors to build ‘mini towns’. Due to their complexity, nuclear projects also tend to have an extended delivery timeline, often over several years, and a larger than average workforce. Workers require a significant amount of welfare buildings that are both durable enough to withstand the harsh landscape and have a high-quality internal environment where they will be comfortable long-term. Modular buildings can fulfil both requirements: our modules have a lifespan of 40+ years and can be designed with wellbeing in mind, for example including higher than average ceiling heights, large windows, insulation and heating systems, lighting and acoustics.
As many nuclear infrastructure projects are public sector or have government funding, they are often subject to intense cost scrutiny. By opting for temporary modular buildings, projects can utilise OpEx budgets, rather than CapEx budgets, which helps avoid large upfront financial outlays. The number of workers onsite for nuclear infrastructure projects fluctuates more than on other projects due to their specialist nature. Modules are designed with scalability in mind and can be extended or disassembled as needed. This means project teams have greater flexibility and control over the number of modules onsite, and can ensure that the facilities match the number of staff by adding or removing them as needed.
Due to nuclear power’s association with clean energy, a project’s sustainability credentials are often put under a microscope. Using temporary modules which can be returned when no longer needed helps to promote a circular economy and reduces embodied carbon. Additionally, offsite manufacturing reduces vehicle movements and ensures that waste is minimised, in fact we achieved zero waste to landfill in 2020.
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