Last updated 11:14, Friday, 25 April 2008

CONSTRUCTION work has begun on a new £6m metal recycling plant near Workington.

Cross Engineering started work at the plant, the first of its type in the country, at Joseph Noble Road, Lillyhall, yesterday.

When it opens in December Studsvik will employ 30 people and will recover, decontaminate and recycle scrap metal from UK nuclear sites, including Sellafield.

Kevin Wilkinson, project manager for Studsvik, said: “Cross Engineering won the contract to build the plant after a competitive tendering process among local firms.”

He added that one of the factors in its success was the emphasis it placed on using local sub-contractors.

He said: “Construction of the plant is a boost for the West Cumbrian economy, which will be sustained when it becomes operational later this year.”

Nick Laird, managing director of Cross Engineering, expects construction work to take between six and eight months.

“It will need 30 skilled construction workers for the project, all to be sourced locally,” he said.

Dog Holden, chief executive of the West Cumbria Development Agency, welcomed Studsvik’s announcement and Cross Engineering’s commitment to local suppliers.

“We at WCDA have worked for over 20 years to bring jobs and prosperity to west Cumbria,” he said.

“The huge response from people seeking work with Studsvik shows that even in these times of relatively low unemployment, there is still a huge need for new businesses in our area.”

More than 400 people have applied for jobs at the plant.

It is estimated that about 500,000 tonnes of slightly radioactive scrap metal is suitable for recycling.

After shot-blasting to remove any traces of low-level radioactivity, which is sent to the UK’s Low Level Waste Repository near Drigg, the clean metal is turned into ingots and sold to the international metal market.

The Health and Safety Executive recently gave Studsvik the go-ahead to build the plant after Cumbria County Council gave planning permission last year.

Gordon McCullough, construction site manager for Studsvik, said the plant would use safe and reliable technologies.

Studsvik intends to work with Energus, formerly the Nuclear Skills Academy, and the University of Cumbria campus at Lillyhall as part of the Energy Coast strategy for West Cumbria. The plant will have a viewing platform to enable people to learn more about recycling.