Sellafield electricity project powers ahead

A critical project to upgrade Sellafield’s electrical power network has hit an important milestone.

The Electrical Distribution Network Upgrade Project, known as EDNUP,  is working to refurbish the Sellafield site’s electricity system.

Teams working on the project installed 33 concrete base slabs last year, achieving a key target.

Laying slabs on a site as complex and congested as Sellafield is no easy job.

Each one relies on excavation work in areas with uncertain ground conditions. The team can encounter issues like unexpected pipes, cables, and even asbestos from the site’s earliest days.

When complete, EDNUP will play a key role in the refurbishment of Sellafield’s entire electricity network.

That will improve site resilience, bolster emergency power generation, and ensure new buildings can be connected to the power supply.

Jenifer Carruthers, Sellafield Ltd’s head of site management project office, said: "This is a huge success for a project delivering essential asset care, creating resilience, and developing new standby power capability across the electrical network. Everyone on the team can be proud of the part they continue to play in delivering this mission critical project.

Teams delivering the work include the Infrastructure Strategic Alliance, a joint venture between Sellafield Ltd, Morgan Sindall, and ARUP (MSA).

Colleagues from Sellafield Ltd’s infrastructure and construction teams are also supporting the project.

In total, more than 500 interconnector bases are needed on the project. To date, 255 have been delivered.

They will support a staggering 750 kilometres of cabling. Enough to stretch from Sellafield to Land’s End, in Cornwall.