Magnox Ltd

Magnox Ltd
Company type	Private limited company
Industry	Nuclear decommissioning
Predecessor	Nuclear Electric plc; Magnox Electric plc; Magnox Electric Ltd; Magnox North Ltd;
Founded	5 January 2011
Defunct	2 April 2024
Fate	Merged with Dounreay
Successor	Nuclear Restoration Services
Headquarters	Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England
Number of locations	12 nuclear sites
Area served	United Kingdom
Key people	Rob Fletcher, CEO
Owner	Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Website	www.gov.uk/government/organisations/magnox-ltd

Magnox Ltd was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), responsible for the safe decommissioning of 12 British nuclear sites.^[1] Originally created for the management of Magnox nuclear reactors, it went through various forms of organisation throughout privatisation of the nuclear industry, until coming into NDA ownership in 2019.^[2]

Following restructuring of the NDA estate, which saw Dounreay join Magnox, Magnox rebranded as Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) in October 2023.^[3] The legal change of company occurred in April 2024.

Operations

Magnox was responsible for the decommissioning of ten Magnox nuclear power stations and two former research facilities in the United Kingdom. The twelve sites are located at Berkeley, Bradwell, Chapelcross, Dungeness A, Hinkley Point A, Hunterston A, Oldbury, Sizewell A, Trawsfynydd, Wylfa, Harwell and Winfrith.^[4] All the sites have ceased production.

In addition, as part of the Trawsfynydd unit, Magnox Ltd generates hydro-electric power at Maentwrog power station.

The only Magnox power station in the United Kingdom not managed by Magnox Ltd is Calder Hall, which is part of the Sellafield site and is controlled by Sellafield Ltd.

History

Initial organisation

Magnox Ltd was the successor company to Magnox Electric plc, which was created in 1996 to take ownership of the Magnox assets from Nuclear Electric and Scottish Nuclear. The remaining nuclear power stations of these two companies, seven advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) sites and one pressurised water reactor (PWR) site, were transferred to a separate company, British Energy, which was then privatised in 1996. In January 1998, Magnox Electric came under the control of another government-owned company, British Nuclear Fuels Ltd, operating as BNFL Magnox Generation.^[5]

Reorganisation and coming under the NDA

Following a wider reorganisation of the UK nuclear industry in 2005, ownership of BNFL's Magnox sites transferred to the newly created Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Magnox was reorganised to a private limited company.^[6]

BNFL created a new subsidiary, Reactor Sites Management Company (RSMC), to manage and operate Magnox Electric on behalf of the NDA. In June 2007, BNFL sold RSMC to the newly formed US company EnergySolutions; and transferred operational and management responsibilities of Magnox sites to the US company.^[7]

On 1 October 2008, Magnox Electric was split into two companies based on the locations of the sites.^[6]^[8] Magnox North Ltd became the operator of Chapelcross, Hunterston A, Oldbury, Trawsfynydd and Wylfa. Magnox South Ltdbecame and operator of Berkeley, Bradwell, Dungeness, Hinkley Point A and Sizewell A.^[9]^[10] Both companies continued to be managed by RSMC.

In January 2011, to reduce costs and to help extend best practices across all sites, it was decided to reverse the split with Magnox North and Magnox South recombining as Magnox Ltd.^[11]

In 2015, the Harwell and Winfrith sites managed by Research Sites Restoration Limited (RSRL) were brought under the management of Magnox Ltd.

In 2017, the NDA decided to terminate the contract with Cavendish Fluor Partnership believing a simplified approach would provide a more efficient decommissioning programme. Magnox Ltd became a subsidiary of the NDA on 3 September 2019.^[2]^[12]

In February 2018, the UK parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) concluded that the NDA had "dramatically under-estimated" costs and "completely failed" in the procurement and management of the contract, which was one of the highest value contracts let by the government. An independent inquiry into the deal was set up.^[12]^[13]

Rebrand as Nuclear Restoration Services

In March 2023, it was announced that CEO Gwen Parry-Jones was to take up a position at Great British Nuclear, with Rob Fletcher appointed as interim CEO of Magnox Ltd.^[14] In October 2023, Fletcher was permanently appointed as CEO.^[15] In April 2023, Dounreay joined Magnox as part of a restructuring of the NDA estate. ^[16] Subsequently, from 31 October 2023, Magnox Ltd rebranded as Nuclear Restoration Services. ^[17] In April 2024, the company legally changed to Nuclear Restoration Services Limited.