Contract has been awarded for a 8,000-square-meter research and development building at Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire, near Abingdon. The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has awarded Kier the £26.8 million contract for the project.
Multiple tenants will use the office space and engineering facilities, including a rig hall for research and development. Additionally, a solar photovoltaic array will be installed on the scheme’s roof. The project will include a air source heat pumps which will be installed to provide both heating and cooling.
The building will meet energy targets in the South Oxfordshire Local Plan. It is designed to meet UKAEA’s long-term sustainability goals. This will be accomplished through a combination of energy-efficient design. Furthermore, passive measures will be set to improve the building’s thermal performance.
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Contract for the development building at Culham Science Centre
In response to securing the UKAEA R&D building contract, Andy Bolas, regional director for Kier Construction Western & Wales, stated, “We are very excited to be working on another significant and important project with UKAEA.”
“Sustainability is central to everything we do at Kier. Consequently, this project demonstrates our commitment to environmental protection. This is while expanding our presence in the science sector. This also contributes to UKAEA’s mission of leading the delivery of safe, sustainable, low-carbon fusion energy for future generations.”
“We believe fusion could be part of the world’s future energy mix, and are working with a wide range of science, engineering, and technology companies at our Culham Science Centre to achieve it,” said Antonia Jenkinson, UKAEA’s chief financial officer and director of property. “Our work here continues to generate jobs and economic growth, while also helping to position the United Kingdom at the forefront of the international scientific community.”
“This new investment in Culham will help support companies that contribute to the UK’s world-renowned fusion technology cluster, while also developing a supply chain and skills base needed to solve challenges in a much broader range of sectors.”
“The formation of public-private partnerships is extremely beneficial to our mission of leading the delivery of sustainable fusion energy.” We’ve had a lot of interest in the new building, which will be versatile and help the growth of innovative companies that are aligned with UKAEA’s goals.” The Crown Commercial Service (CSS) Framework was used to procure the project. Construction is set to begin this autumn.
