The framework offer the opportunity to place a potential £35m/year through individual packages of work.

The contractor partners have been chosen to support Sellafield by providing specialist nuclear engineering solutions to technically challenging projects, many of which have to be carried out in high radiation environments.

Consortia were chosen for their track records in the use of innovative techniques in some of the most challenging decommissioning projects on the Sellafield site.

Keith Case, Sellafield’s commercial director said: ”Sellafield Ltd is applying both existing and new innovations to overcome technical decommissioning challenges, whilst at the same time making these work in highly radioactive environments.

“The new partners have beat off stiff competition to secure involvement in these important decommissioning frameworks at Sellafield.”

He added: “Sellafield Ltd has taken the opportunity to review the learning from our experience to identify opportunities for improvement and build this into the revised arrangements going forward.

“A corner stone of this approach will the development of appropriate partnering behaviours demonstrated by early and genuine engagement of the supply chain in effectively meeting the challenges we face.”

So far 55 historic buildings have already been safely demolished at Sellafield and 108 decommissioning projects are currently underway at Sellafield, directly employing 2,110 Sellafield employees.

In addition, more than 200 specialist suppliers are associated with providing decommissioning services and expertise to support the decommission programme.