Nuclear

The UK is seeking to lead a global nuclear renaissance. With a £100bn decommissioning programme, ambitious plans for multiple new build nuclear projects and world-class innovation in legacy waste, Britain is at the cutting edge of civil nuclear development.

Internationally, many countries in the world are increasing nuclear power generation in response to climate change and security of energy supplies. The UK is no exception with the UK Government looking to pass the cost and risk of nuclear developments to the private sector. This raises a host of issues including the complexities of the planning process, the disposal of nuclear waste, potential nuclear liability and the ability to fund such developments.

The Government has been seeking to address many of these issues with legislation such as the Planning Act 2008, the Energy Act 2008 and the ongoing review of the UK legislation to incorporate changes to the Paris and Brussels Conventions on Nuclear Liability.

Our service

Our lawyers have extensive nuclear industry expertise as well as providing full-service legal advice across the range of areas needed for major nuclear projects.

Indeed with our extensive knowledge of nuclear matters though our advice on the Sellafield decommissioning and our role on various nuclear industry bodies working groups making submissions to Government, we have leading expertise including in relation to:

• nuclear liability
• nuclear decommissioning
• procurement and competition
• environment and nuclear waste
• nuclear new build
• energy trading
• nuclear acquisitions and joint ventures
• construction and tier 2 and 3 subcontracting
• planning and property
• health and safety
• uranium supply arrangements

Our experience

We are widely regarded as being one of the leading practices in the nuclear field.

We act for a number of key blue chip companies both in the UK and from emerging markets on their investments in energy and natural resources projects.

Details of our lawyers’ experience includes:

• Advising on the letting, by way of competitive dialogue, of a complex, politically sensitive, £25bn contract for the decontamination of the Sellafield site. We have created and managed the procurement and negotiation strategy for a process involving four bidders (and nine major international corporations). It is the largest ever civil procurement by the UK Government. As part of the project we have advised the NDA on its relationships with key stakeholders and industry regulators.
• Advising a US utility on nuclear decommissioning arrangements in the UK and related
  nuclear liability issues.
• Advising a sponsor merchant bank on environmental risks and lender liability in relation to a nuclear energy privatisation.