A WARRINGTON construction consultancy has won an international award.

Proicere, a construction consultancy based in Warrington, received the accolade for its innovative planning software at the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria.

The software has helped cut costs and improve safety during the building of the new retreatment plant.

It allows workers at the site to visualise and interact with 3D models of the construction area, providing a 'digital twin' or virtual replica of the site.

This lets workers 'walk through' virtual models of buildings and structures, view plans from various perspectives, and see animated sequences of construction phases from start to finish.

By April 2024, Proicere's building information modelling (BIM) tool had saved £80 million in costs, avoided more than 500 days of rework, and enabled site teams to identify upwards of 160 risks.

The software's features and benefits to the Sellafield Products and Residue Store Retreatment Plant (SRP) site earned Proicere, based in Centre Park an award in the annual Going Digital Awards in Infrastructure competition.

This competition is organised by US software developer Bentley Systems and recognises global achievements in engineering, design, construction, operations, and project delivery with the support of Bentley software.

Proicere's tool, based on Bentley's SYNCHRO software, won in the Construction category.

The company's digital twin solutions allow construction site teams to spot potential problems before construction begins, run through up-to-date safety procedures, or adapt schedules due to weather conditions.

This results in better planning, avoidance of mistakes causing costly rework, and easier compliance with strict safety regulations.

Daniel Ashton, technical director at Proicere, said: "We are thrilled to receive this prestigious Bentley Systems award, and to be recognised for the efficiencies our SYNCHRO-based planning tool is bringing to the Sellafield site.

"It highlights the importance of advanced software in construction planning, where safety and environmental compliance is as important as keeping projects within budget.

"Thanks are due to our hard-working staff who have made this possible."

The Sellafield Retreatment Plant (SRP) is part of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s initiative to gradually transfer, repackage and safely store 140 tonnes of separated plutonium for 100 years.

Managing the world’s largest civil stockpile of plutonium, the plant will be crucial for protecting the environment, safeguarding public health, and advancing scientific knowledge.