Scotland-based multinational engineering and technical services company Wood on 27 February signed a framework agreement to provide technical assistance for a project to build a new nuclear power plant in the UK.

Effective immediately, the company is supporting General Nuclear System Limited - a joint venture between China General Nuclear and EDF Energy - as it seeks preliminary regulatory assessment of the UK HPR1000 reactor proposed for Bradwell in Essex.

The reference plant for Bradwell B is CGN’s Fangchenggang 3 in China, which is under construction and on schedule. UK regulators, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agency, are carrying out a generic design assessment (GDA) of the UK HPR1000 reactor. Wood has been working with CGN for nearly four years and helped produce documents in relation to Bradwell, including the GDA Preliminary Safety Report and a pre-construction environmental report.

Photo: the HPR1000 reactor (Credit: CGN/EDF Energy)