NUCLEAR


Right and below: The Hinkley reactor being moved then positioned by polar crane.


Ageing with grace


When discussing new construction, it’s important to mention existing plant as well. A key feature here is retirement as the global fleet is ageing rapidly. The World Nuclear Industry Status Report(WNISR) data tells us that nearly 220 reactors are permanently shut down worldwide and dozens more are approaching shut-down over the coming decade. Over 30% of operating reactors globally exceed 40 years of service. This is generating a large market for plant life extensions, license renewals, and major component replacements such as steam generator swaps (which of course also require complex and specialised heavy lifting). But even life extensions are time limited. The first generation of reactors cannot generate for very


24 | November/December 2026 | www.hoistmagazine.com


much longer. As end-of-life stages are being reached, decommissioning of nuclear plant is moving from a niche towards centre stage as a mature, high- growth sector. This is particularly true for the UK. This country’s nuclear legacy includes some of the world’s most historic and complex sites: Sellafield, Berkeley, Dounreay, Harwell and Winfrith. Many of the reactors and processing plants at those sites have operated for decades and now require carefully planned decommissioning programmes. The UK was a world pioneer in nuclear power generation; partly as a result, its earlier stations have served their useful life and its decommissioning programme is currently one of the largest in the world. Decommissioning is technically


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