A North West SME engineering firm has earned major international recognition after Canada formally endorsed its contribution to long-term nuclear waste storage.
BEP Surface Technologies, a specialist in electroplating and surface finishing, has been validated by Canada’s
Nuclear Waste Management Organisation (NWMO) for its role in developing the copper-coated Mark II Used Fuel Container — the primary safety barrier for the country’s future deep geological repository.
The Radcliffe-based company has spent more than a decade perfecting a specialised copper coating designed to protect nuclear waste containers for hundreds of thousands of years underground. In its latest annual technical report, the NWMO singled out BEP as the only external company to meet the standard for its Mark II container. Its Lower Assembly and Hemi-Head components passed every inspection and high-tech scan with zero defects, confirming that the copper coating is consistent and of sufficient purity to take its place in one of the world’s most ambitious nuclear safety programmes.
The endorsement carries global significance. More than 40 countries are seeking high-level nuclear waste disposal solutions, but only a handful are making real progress toward permanent storage. Finland leads the way and will open the world’s first final repository at Onkalo in 2026, where copper-coated fuel canisters will be stored more than 400 metres underground for up to 100,000 years.
Andrew McClusky, managing director of BEP Surface Technologies, said: “To be the only non-research, commercial company named in the entire report is a milestone for BEP and for UK manufacturing. This is the culmination of more than a decade of research, trials, testing and investment into electrodeposited copper coatings. What stands out is the tenacity and expertise of our team to keep pushing the boundaries. This recognition demonstrates unequivocally that a specialist UK SME can contribute to one of the world’s most advanced nuclear programmes.”
Proven copper-coating technologyThe NWMO report also confirms that the organisation is exploring how the proven copper-coating technology could be adapted for the Mark I Long concept, a larger container under evaluation to accommodate both existing CANDU fuel and new waste forms from emerging small modular reactor (SMR) programmes.
Mr McClusky added: “Working on the Mark II components has demanded extreme precision, complex geometries and rigorous qualification testing. The results from Canada demonstrate the reliability of our process and the strength of our engineering. This recognition shows that you do not need to be a multi-national or a national laboratory to shape global nuclear programmes. You can do it from a small town in the North West of England through persistence, innovation and doing things properly. We are proud that technology developed here in Greater Manchester is contributing directly to the global effort to deliver safe, permanent nuclear waste containment.”
BEP continues to expand its coating capabilities, supported by international research partnerships and ongoing R&D in advanced surface technologies, including next-generation electroless nickel plating. As global demand for high-integrity corrosion barriers accelerates, the company remains at the forefront of materials innovation for the nuclear, defence and energy sectors.