Amec says Sellafield nuclear decommissioning contract extended

LONDON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - British engineer Amec said a contract to decommission the Sellafield nuclear site in the UK, which it shares with two other firms, had been extended for another five years by the government.

The project, which has been plagued by cost over-runs and delays, has attracted criticism from local MPs amid calls it should be returned to the government.

A consortium of Amec, French firm Areva and U.S. engineer URS runs the project.

Amec did not reveal the value of the contract, but the company's chief executive Samir Brikho told Reuters in an interview last month that the extension would be less lucrative than the previous period.

The Sellafield contract would contribute around 6 million pounds to Amec's revenues next year, he said at the time.

"Sellafield is one of the world's most complex and challenging nuclear sites," Clive White, president of Amec's European Clean Energy Business, said in the statement on Friday.

He added much had been learned in the past five years, but there were "areas for improvement."