COMPANIES with no traditional involvement in the nuclear sector should be seeking to get a foot in the industry’s door for their future prosperity, a leading energy industry figure has said.

George Rafferty, chief executive of Durham City-based NOF Energy, was speaking ahead of an event in Darlington where representatives of Sellafield Ltd will meet businesses interested in becoming suppliers to decommissioning projects.

NOF, a business development organisation representing 300 organisations in the UK energy sector, has been working with the nuclear industry to help develop opportunities for its members, particularly those from the oil and gas supply chain, which might have no previous nuclear experience.

Mr Rafferty said there were opportunities in three sectors – nuclear new build, decommissioning and plant maintenance.

But with the nuclear industry set to become a cornerstone of UK energy supply Mr Rafferty said that firms who took up opportunities now had the advantage of building on it.

He said: “It will help companies to get involved and establish themselves so that when other decommissioning projects are under way they have established a track record. Nuclear is going to play a key part in the energy mix and there will undoubtedly be opportunities for the North-East supply chain.”

Mr Rafferty added: “There are a lot of companies involved in the oil and gas sector that have got transferable skills and technology to take them into nuclear.”

Sellafield Ltd, which is owned by Nuclear Management Partners, is responsible for delivering decommissioning, reprocessing, nuclear waste management and fuel manufacturing activities on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

The company has sites at Sellafield, in Cumbria, and Capenhurst, in Cheshire, as well as an engineering design facility in Risley, Warrington, in Cheshire.

Mr Rafferty added that more than 100 companies had already signed up to attend the event.

Speakers at the event will give an introduction to working with Sellafield Ltd and how the company contracts with suppliers, before explaining the role external research, technology and innovation plays in the company’s development.

The event takes place at the Hallgarth Hotel, near Darlington, on Tuesday.

Further details are available from Jenna Gray on 0191- 384-6464 or email jgray@nofenergy.co.uk