Venture to provide services for nuclear new-build market

Atkins and Assystem are to form an equal nuclear-engineering joint venture to provide consultancy and engineering services to the international nuclear new-build market.

According to a statement, the Nuclear Atkins Assystem Alliance will be positioned to address demand from governments and utilities in countries developing nuclear power, providing services to new-build projects and across the entire nuclear fuel cycle.

Headquartered in France, the alliance is expected to benefit the companies as they expand in a highly promising market.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says that over 30 countries are using nuclear power as a sustainable energy source and another 30 are considering development.

Together, these countries represent a market of more than 200 new reactors over the next 20 years.