Does SOMA have experience working on the Sellafield estate?

Yes. SOMA has delivered project controls work into programmes on the Sellafield estate. We understand the particular controls requirements of the NDA environment — the baseline change control process, the reporting cadence, and the quality of schedule logic required for programmes that operate within a nuclear licence.

How does SOMA approach QRA for nuclear decommissioning programmes?

Nuclear decommissioning QRA must be honest about the fundamental scope uncertainty that characterises this work — particularly for later phases where the radiological inventory is not fully characterised and the decommissioning technology is still evolving. We structure models that represent this uncertainty explicitly, using scenario-based analysis for the highest-uncertainty phases rather than false-precision three-point estimates that imply a level of knowledge the programme does not yet have.

Can SOMA support new build programmes (Hinkley, Sizewell)?

Yes. We have worked with supply chain contractors and tier 1 contractors engaged on the UK new build programme. We can provide QRA, schedule assurance and cost management services to the supply chain, and we can work within the assurance and reporting frameworks that the major client requires.

How does SOMA handle the ONR regulatory hold points in a schedule?

We model ONR hold points as hard logic constraints in the schedule — not optimistic milestone dates — and we treat regulatory approval durations as uncertain inputs in the QRA model. The probability distribution on a regulatory approval depends on the complexity of the licence condition, the programme's current compliance standing and the regulatory workload. We use prior programme experience to calibrate these distributions rather than defaulting to optimism.

Sector

Project controls for UK nuclear programmes.

Schedule, cost and risk management for decommissioning, new build and nuclear infrastructure programmes — built around the assurance standards the NDA, DESNZ and ONR expect.

Talk to us All sectors

UK nuclear programmes — NDA estate decommissioning at Sellafield and the Magnox sites, new build at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, and the broader DESNZ-sponsored nuclear infrastructure programme — operate under controls requirements that are among the most demanding in the world. Baseline integrity, rigorous QRA and defensible cost confidence are not aspirations in this sector: they are requirements.

SOMA has delivered project controls work into the nuclear supply chain, including work on the Sellafield estate and programmes associated with the UK new build programme. We understand the particular demands of nuclear schedule quality — the ONR hold points, the nuclear baseline control requirements, the consequence of schedule logic errors in a safety-case context — and we apply that understanding to every engagement.

Delivery challenges in this sector

Baseline control in a nuclear context

Nuclear programmes require a level of schedule baseline integrity that goes beyond standard commercial practice. Changes to the baseline must be formally controlled, documented and reissued — because the schedule is part of the broader nuclear safety case, not just a delivery management tool. Controls that treat the baseline casually create regulatory exposure.

ONR hold points and regulatory schedule risk

Office for Nuclear Regulation interventions, licence condition requirements and regulatory hold points are genuine schedule constraints that must be reflected in the programme as hard logic dependencies — not optimistic assumptions that a regulator will clear on the planned date. QRA models on nuclear programmes must model regulatory risk explicitly.

Extremely long programme durations

Nuclear decommissioning programmes run over decades. Schedules that model long-duration work must account for the fundamental uncertainty in scope definition for later phases, the evolution of technology and regulatory requirements, and the compounding effect of optimism bias over multi-decade timescales. These are not standard scheduling problems.

Supply chain controls maturity

The UK nuclear supply chain contains contractors with widely varying project controls maturity. Tier 1 contractors with sophisticated EVMS sit alongside specialist subcontractors who have never implemented earned value. Integrated reporting that gives the client a reliable picture requires deliberate intervention in supply chain controls standards.

How SOMA approaches Nuclear programmes

We bring nuclear sector experience to every engagement — understanding the regulatory framework, the safety-case implications of schedule decisions, and the assurance expectations of the NDA, DESNZ and the major clients. Our QRA work on nuclear programmes is structured to the same AACE standards we apply elsewhere, with explicit modelling of regulatory and scope uncertainty.

Standards and frameworks

NDA (Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) project controls standards
DESNZ (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
ONR (Office for Nuclear Regulation) licence conditions
IPA (Infrastructure and Projects Authority) assurance
AACE International recommended practices
HM Treasury Green Book
BS EN ISO 21500 — Project Management

Nuclear project controls — questions we get asked

Does SOMA have experience working on the Sellafield estate?: Yes. SOMA has delivered project controls work into programmes on the Sellafield estate. We understand the particular controls requirements of the NDA environment — the baseline change control process, the reporting cadence, and the quality of schedule logic required for programmes that operate within a nuclear licence.
How does SOMA approach QRA for nuclear decommissioning programmes?: Nuclear decommissioning QRA must be honest about the fundamental scope uncertainty that characterises this work — particularly for later phases where the radiological inventory is not fully characterised and the decommissioning technology is still evolving. We structure models that represent this uncertainty explicitly, using scenario-based analysis for the highest-uncertainty phases rather than false-precision three-point estimates that imply a level of knowledge the programme does not yet have.
Can SOMA support new build programmes (Hinkley, Sizewell)?: Yes. We have worked with supply chain contractors and tier 1 contractors engaged on the UK new build programme. We can provide QRA, schedule assurance and cost management services to the supply chain, and we can work within the assurance and reporting frameworks that the major client requires.
How does SOMA handle the ONR regulatory hold points in a schedule?: We model ONR hold points as hard logic constraints in the schedule — not optimistic milestone dates — and we treat regulatory approval durations as uncertain inputs in the QRA model. The probability distribution on a regulatory approval depends on the complexity of the licence condition, the programme's current compliance standing and the regulatory workload. We use prior programme experience to calibrate these distributions rather than defaulting to optimism.

Working on a Nuclear programme?

Most engagements start with a short call. We work out whether we're the right fit, then come back with a short scoping note — scope, duration, team, indicative cost.

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