Interserve has been thrown off a job to build an advanced light-beam facility in Oxfordshire after the project ran months behind schedule.
Construction News has learned that Interserve had its contract with client Diamond Light Source terminated on Friday.
Construction on the project was originally scheduled to be completed in July 2015.
The client is expected to complete the project without the main contractor, and will instead work directly with the rest of the supply chain.
Diamond Light Source head of engineering Jim Kay said: “Diamond has taken the decision to complete the remaining construction work on Diamond’s I21 beamline – an external building where a new scientific instrument will be housed.
“We have used our entitlement under NEC3 to terminate the contract at will. Diamond will work with the parties involved, in a spirit of mutual trust and co-operation, to finalise arrangements over the next 13 weeks.”
Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron facility, which is being developed in phases, at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. The facility accelerates electrons to near light-speed to generate beams of light used for academic and industrial research.
Diamond is a not-for-profit limited company funded as a joint venture by the government through the Science & Technology Facilities Council in partnership with the Wellcome Trust. Researchers can apply to use the facility for free providing they publish their results.
The project was one of two that Interserve is building for Diamond Light Source. The other contract is still running.
