On 31 March 2021, Egis acquired a majority shareholding in Galson Sciences Ltd, an international consulting and research firm based in Oakham (UK) and specialising in radioactive waste management and disposal.
Egis has a long-standing involvement in nuclear power-related activities. The nuclear team has contributed to the design of all the French technology nuclear power plants, and has helped make France the world’s second largest country for nuclear reactors, after the United States. Since 2000 Egis has played a major role in the main EPR (Evolutionary Power Reactor) projects - in Finland, France, China and the UK, and in ITER, the international programme for experimental nuclear fusion research in Cadarache, France.
This acquisition is an important step for Egis in fulfilling its ambition to broaden its skill base, missions and geographical footprint in a sector that is key for the transition to a low-carbon economy. The acquisition aligns with Egis’ strategic plan “Impact the Future”, and enables the Group to extend its role as an architect engineer, becoming active throughout the entire nuclear lifecycle so as to better serve its French and international clients.
Galson Sciences helps clients take decisions - by performing technical studies and strategic evaluations, and by obtaining approvals for selected management options. The company undertakes multidisciplinary studies covering all aspects of the radioactive waste lifecycle, including inventory analysis, waste treatment, conditioning, and packaging, interim storage, transport and disposal. The company has particular expertise in preparing disposal safety cases for all kinds of radioactive waste, environmental safety cases for decommissioning, research on pre-disposal management options for “problematic” radioactive wastes, criticality safety assessment and lifecycle cost assessment.
Galson Sciences has an international profile as a lead provider of radioactive waste management solutions, and has played a major role in programmes across the globe. Galson Sciences is a key partner to many UK clients, including the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and its subsidiaries RWM, Magnox, DSRL, Sellafield Ltd and LLWR Ltd. The proportion of turnover generated by its international activities accounts for 30% of sales, including work for the European Commission, ONDRAF/NIRAS (Belgium), Andra (France), Nagra (Switzerland), and other radioactive waste management organizations.