Meet Steven Melens: UK principal safety case engineer for the nuclear sector at Mott MacDonald

Delivery of innovative new energy projects will be critical to meeting net zero targets, while other schemes are creating cutting edge scientific research facilities. We caught up with principal safety case engineer Steven Melens to talk about his role in the nuclear civil and defence team within our UK and Europe energy business.

Tell us about your role at Mott MacDonald

I am a nuclear safety case and process safety engineer based in Glasgow in the UK. I split my time between developing the safety cases for both civil and defence applications in the nuclear sector and ensuring fire and explosion risks are considered and managed appropriately in the design of hydrogen production facilities.

What attracted you to join Mott MacDonald?

I joined as a graduate engineer and I was attracted to the business by the workplace culture and the opportunity to learn from everyone around me.

I am now supporting others on their career journey too through creation of an Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) accredited chemical and process training scheme for the UK and Europe region. I led on development and delivery of the brand-new training programme to level up the next generation of chemical and process engineers at Mott MacDonald. Going through the accredited scheme means they will be prepared to meet the demands and needs of the sector as they work towards international professional registration as Chartered Chemical Engineers.

Credit: Energy UK

What is the most innovative project that you’ve been trusted to contribute to?

I am currently the safety lead on the MINERVA project which is the first phase of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre’s Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications (MYRRHA) programme. The work will deliver the world's first multifunctional reactor powered by a particle accelerator and the research carried out there will enable new understanding of the use of radioisotopes for medical purposes and to explore the potential of nuclear fusion.

Is there a project you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of?

I was one of the safety case leads for the first stage of the generic design assessment for Holtec Britain’s SMR-300 small modular reactor (SMR), which is a new nuclear reactor that will be critical to meeting the UK’s net zero energy targets. My role on the project focused on developing the claims and arguments to justify and support the statements and assertions made in the safety, security and environmental case relating to the new reactor. This was essential for the preliminary safety report for the new SMR design. To complete this work, I had to work with every discipline and subject matter expert working on the project and I learned something from each of them along the way. Ultimately, the work we did on the preliminary safety report supported Holtec Britain in completing the generic design assessment process more quickly than anticipated and in significantly less time than any other previous project.

Collaboration was clearly important to achieving that result on Holtec Britain’s project, but how do you do that effectively every day with colleagues from different specialisms to achieve common goals?

I find the best way to work collaboratively is to take time to get to know colleagues personally before even thinking about the common goals of a project. Building up a rapport really helps developing trust and understanding of how different people communicate – achieving a common goal is the easy part once you’ve done that.

How does Mott MacDonald create an environment where you feel empowered and supported?

The culture at Mott MacDonald is largely driven by the people I work with and my team creates an environment where I feel supported to ask for new opportunities and to raise any concerns.

I really felt the support of my team when they nominated me for Energy UK’s Young Energy Professional of the Year Award in 2024 and I was delighted to win. The messages I received after my win to congratulate me were incredibly uplifting and made me feel that my work was really appreciated by my colleagues.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start their career at Mott MacDonald?

Take the time to reflect on every situation – there is always something to learn from it.