Mott MacDonald has strengthened its position as a provider of services to the nuclear sector following the acquisition of UK consultancy Multi Design and an exclusive agreement it has signed with American nuclear specialist, EXCEL Services Corporation.

The nuclear sector has emerged world-wide as a major opportunity both in new power stations and also the decommissioning of legacy assets. By harnessing the skills of both Multi Design and EXCEL, Mott MacDonald can now provide complete engineering, management and design services.

UK consultancy Multi Design joined Mott MacDonald at the end of March and brings world-class skills in architecture, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering in a nuclear environment. Formed in 1984 and based in Stockport, Multi Design has over 100 staff and a turnover of £6 million. It has been involved in the nuclear industry for more than 25 years and has an enviable track record of successfully completed projects, including new process and treatment facilities, decommissioning and demolition projects, refurbishment and life extension studies. It has been heavily involved in major decommissioning developments at Sellafield and elsewhere.

To further strengthen its position in the sector, Mott MacDonald has entered into an exclusive agreement with American nuclear specialist EXCEL Services Corporation to bring comprehensive expertise in nuclear reactor technology and licensing to projects outside the USA. EXCEL's focus is the resolution of technical, safety, and regulatory issues to help clients achieve the highest level of safety and performance in nuclear facility operations in the most cost effective manner. EXCEL's services include regulation and licensing, management and consulting, engineering, training and operations.

Commenting on these latest moves, Simon Harrison, Mott MacDonald’s energy business development director, said: "This is a very exciting development, the market is crying out for firms that understand complete nuclear power station projects and systems. Combining our existing capabilities in thermal power generation, civil and structural design, environmental assessment and cost management with those of Multi Design means that Mott MacDonald with EXCEL is now uniquely placed to offer complete support to nuclear power project developers, owners and lenders world-wide, as well as decommissioning authorities."