Industry Link - June 2017

IN THIS ISSUE: POLAND'S PROGRESSIVE POWER PLAN, HEATRIC'S NUCLEAR JOURNEY, NEW NIA BUSINESS GROUP CHAIRS SHARE THEIR AMBITIONS, FOCUS ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN NUCLEAR, FIRST CONCRETE AT HINKLEY POINT C AND A POWERPOLITICS ELECTION SPECIAL

MAGAZINE OF THE UK NUCLEAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION SUMMER / 2017

NIAUK.ORG

NNL SCITECH 16 CONFERENCE

NIA NUCLEAR JOBS MAP 2017

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Stainless steels throughout the nuclear cycle 22 ADDRESSING SKILLS TRAINING NEEDS 8

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Welcome to IndustryLink

Rupert Lewis rupert.lewis@niauk.org

I know it’s wrong to point readers to the back of the magazine, but the volatility of the British electorate remains the story of the day and Peter Haslam’s PowerPolitics runs through the implications of the General Election result.

Although, like Peter has, I should add in a caveat that this was written only days after the results came in so who knows what the political situation is today!

Many of you will be reading this edition of Industry Link at Nuclear New Build 2017 and we cover the three main developments; looking at the pouring of concrete in the galleries at Hinkley Point C, a project update from Horizon and an overview on the NuGen situation.

Abel & Imray discuss why it’s important for companies in the industry to look at intellectual property rights, and we explore Heatric’s journey from the oil and gas market into nuclear with the help of the Fit For Nuclear programme.

Paul Goss, Head of National College for Nuclear - Southern Hub goes through the plan for the new college and Andy Backhouse, Outokumpu explores his company’s progress in the nuclear sector.

Over the spring, the NIA held its own elections for Chair and ViceChair of our New Build Group and Chair of the Decommissioning and Existing Generation. Find out who the winners were and their plans for both groups. Luckily all three are more charismatic than May and more credible than Corbyn…

IN THIS ISSUE...

SECURITY AND PAGE 20 SAFETY – BENEFITS OF A NEW MODEL

IN VIEW

WYLFA NEWYDD GATHERING MOMENTUM PAGE 10

PAGE 14

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NEW BUSINESS GROUP CHAIRS

NIAUK.ORG Follow us: @NIAUK

Editor - Rupert Lewis Art Editor - Dan Powney Contributors - Paul Goss – NCfN, Lara Pritchard – Horizon, Ian Wood, John Danahy and Rob Broom – Squire Patton Boggs LLP, Adrian Bull – NNL, Sarah Phillips and James Ford – Abel & Imray, Adrian Prior – FrazerNash Consultancy Ltd, Andy Backhouse – Outokumpu, with additional thanks to World Nuclear News

Nuclear Industry Association is a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 2804518 Registered Office 5th Floor Tower House 10 Southampton Street London WC2E 7HA TEL +44(0)20 7766 6640 EMAIL info@niauk.org

Press Enquiries Sara.Crane@niauk.org TEL 07803 696 786 Advertisement Enquiries Rupert.Lewis@niauk.org 020 7766 6642

TEL

Membership Enquiries Stephanie.McKenna@niauk.org 020 7766 6651

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Cover image: HPC jetty construction courtesy of EDF Energy This magazine is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable based inks.

BY. RUPERT LEWIS

The recent General Election campaign was dominated by Brexit, social care and security. Unsurprisingly, energy and in particular nuclear energy didn’t shape the debate.

Even in the party manifestos there wasn’t much detail. On nuclear, the Labour party said they “support” it, the Liberal Democrats “accept” it, and the Conservatives didn’t mention it.

Instead they explained, “energy policy should be focused on outcomes rather than the means by which we reach our objectives.”

While the above statements were brief, it is clear cross-party support for nuclear remains and the NIA’s 2017 Nuclear Jobs Map shows why there is political support for the industry.

Although not planned, the Map which was coincidentally released just in time for the arrival of the new and returning MPs as well as the new Government, clearly highlights the economic importance of the nuclear industry.

Divided into Westminster parliamentary constituencies the Map shows the number of nuclear employees in each area of the country.

This year’s combined figure of 64,988 jobs show a slight decline on last year’s final results, down 803, but they remain well above the 2014 results of 54,515.

Overall, the 2017 figures accurately represent where the industry is at the moment. Hinkley Point C is underway, decommissioning continues but industry is waiting for

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the next wave of new build projects and the potential of a small modular reactor programme before another wave of exponential job growth can be expected.

Looking at the regional statistics, the North West remains the heartbeat of the sector and home to 28,293 nuclear employees.

The South West has 8,210 employees and the South East 6,074.

But when you look at the Map you can see the geographical economic importance of the industry.

The majority of jobs are based away from London and the South East, instead they are in much more remote parts of the country where jobs are often hard to come by, particularly across coastal areas of the UK. Regions like North Wales, Cumbria and the northern-most tip of Scotland are where the nuclear industry really shows its positive economic impact.

Supporting high skilled, well paid employment in areas that are often deprived of such opportunities.

While energy, and in particular nuclear energy, doesn’t often shape the UK’s national debate, the NIA’s Nuclear Jobs Map very clearly illustrates the importance of this sector to local, regional and the national economy.

Take a look for yourself at niauk.org/resources/jobs-map, get in touch with info@niauk.org if you would like a hard copy, or if you are at NNB17 you will be able to pick a copy out of your delegate pack.

Regional Totals

2017

East Midlands 3,608 East of England 1,849 London 1,551 North East 1,268 North West 28,293 Northern Ireland 33 Scotland 4,118 South East 6,074 South West 8,210 Wales 1,341 West Midlands 1,094 Yorkshire and 1,213 the Humber Various site workers 6,336 and home based

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New MPs for Nuclear The 2017 General Election will go down in history and the full effects of its impact on British politics haven’t really been felt yet but the change will undoubtedly be dramatic one way or the other.

Across nuclear site constituencies, most MPs kept their seats, with only four changing hands.

We have touched on those four as well as Trudy Harrision, the MP for Copeland who was elected in a by-election back in February this year.

With a minority Government in place, cross party support for nuclear is more important than ever, and with Brexit negotiations formally underway, now is a pivotal time for the industry with decisions set to be taken in Westminster that could impact the industry for the next decade and more.

Trudy Harrison, MP for Copeland Conservative MP since February 2017 (by-election) Majority: 1,695 Nuclear workers: 14,707 Copeland is home to Sellafield, Europe’s largest decommissioning site, and NuGen’s Moorside site.

Very supportive of the industry, Trudy’s website explains her “priorities are to support our world class nuclear and industrial future, promote our specialist skills, safeguard jobs and ultimately secure a stronger economy.”

Another key interest is her commitment to increase technical apprenticeship opportunities in the area which she has explained are “essential for a practical, skilled community like Copeland.”

David Drew, MP for Stroud Labour MP since 2017 (Labour gain from Conservative) Majority: 687 Nuclear workers: 372 David was MP for Stroud from 1997-2010 and understands the industry. In the past he has commented on the need for “investment in British jobs” to support the new nuclear programme, and has taken a keen interest in the decommissioning programme at Berkeley.

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Jamie Stone, MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Liberal Democrat MP since 2017 (Lib Dem gain from SNP) Majority: 2,044 Nuclear workers: 665 This constituency, based on the northern most tip of mainland Scotland is home to Dounreay, the closed down fast reactor built in the 1950s for nuclear research and development.

The former MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is a fierce campaigner in the local area and his website outlines ambitions to focus on “health, housing, education, transport, employment.” While his position on nuclear and the future of Dounreay isn’t publicised he has visited the site in the past.

Martin Whitfield, MP for East Lothian Labour MP since 2017 (Labour gain from SNP) Majority: 3,083 Nuclear workers: 769 East Lothian is home to Torness power station and according to EDF Energy’s website the power station alone employs more than 730 people.

His election campaign focussed on local services and the former primary school teacher argued for extra funding for schools. He also spoke of the importance of more jobs and apprenticeships to stop the area being a “mere commuter belt for Edinburgh.”

Mike Hill, MP for Hartlepool Labour MP since 2017 (Labour hold, new MP) Majority: 7,650 Nuclear workers: 684 Mike Hill replaces former Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, Iain Wright. Hartlepool is rather unsurprisingly home to Hartlepool nuclear power station and its two reactors will be operating until 2024.

70% of Hartlepool residents voted to leave the EU and without EU funding Mike has explained the area would “miss that funding if we didn’t find alternatives.” To do so his campaign focused on supporting growth for local industries including the nuclear sector, as well as decommissioning of offshore oil platforms.

MPs retaining their nuclear seats Helen Jones (Warrington North), Luke Hall (Thornbury & Yate), Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal), Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater and West Somerset), Sue Hayman (Workington), Albert Owen (Ynys Môn), Damian Collins (Folkestone & Hythe), David Morris (Morecambe and Lunesdale), John Whittingdale (Maldon), John Howell (Henley), Mark Menzies (Fylde), Patricia Gibson (North Ayrshire and Arran).

MEDIA WATCH NEWS

NIA released its ‘Exiting Euratom’ study to Government and members, and the contents of the paper were reported in City AM, the New Statesman, The Engineer, World Nuclear News and various other news outlets. It focuses on how the UK benefits from its involvement with Euratom and what the potential solutions are for a smooth withdrawal.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Tom Greatrex said, “The industry has been and is clear to Government we are ready to do what we can – but it needs the Government to get on with this and engage now, regardless of all the other issues they have to deal with.”

A report published by the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy Parliamentary Select Committee supported the NIA’s position for a transitional withdrawal from Euratom, recommending the Government, “seeks to delay exit from Euratom... to be certain that new arrangements can be in place”.

On the same day, another report released by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, recommended Government convenes a special working group of industry and Government officials to resolve the Euratom issue. This is a recommendation the NIA has long been arguing for and we continue to urge Government to work closely with industry during the formal Brexit negotiations.

The same report called on Government to publish the outcome of its SMR competition “without delay.” Adding “Government’s failure to make a decision on its strategy for SMRs is a prime example of its inaction in the civil nuclear arena” and the delay has “had a negative effect on the nuclear sector”.

Sharing the Committee's frustration, Tom Greatrex said: “Government must provide clarity as soon as possible after the General Election if the energy, industrial and export opportunities of a UK SMR are to be realised.”

In an interview with ITV Border, NuGen's CEO, Tom Samson said he's “110% certain” Moorside will be built.

On the financing of Moorside he explained, “We already have tremendous support from the Government, we look for all opportunities to secure funding for the Moorside project and the Government's involvement is one of those areas we'll continue to explore.”

During the General Election campaign the NIA outlined its priorities for the next Government in a new report that was picked up by Utility Week, World Nuclear News and others.

The paper, which can be found on the NIA website at www.niauk.org/resources/publications, covers six key areas for what will be a crucial five years for the future of the industry. They focus on; policy clarity for industry, a clear Industrial Strategy and Nuclear Sector Deal, commitment to a progressive decommissioning programme, the importance of encouraging STEM careers, assurance on Euratom and support for nuclear innovation.

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Fuel assemblies arrive at Barakah 1 Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) took delivery of fuel assemblies for unit 1 of the Barakah nuclear power plant under construction in Abu Dhabi.

The fuel assemblies are being stored until the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) approves the operating licence for units 1 and 2.

Four APR1400 reactors are under construction at Barakah. The plant is being built for ENEC by a consortium led by the Korean Electric Power Company.

Construction of unit 1 began in 2012 and it is now more than 95% complete, ENEC said, adding that the four units combined are now 80% complete. Once the four reactors are online, the plant will provide up to a quarter of the UAE’s electricity needs.

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Three Mile Island faces premature retirement The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania will be permanently shut down around the end of September 2019 if there are no policy reforms, US utility Exelon announced. The company had warned in May that the plant was at risk of early retirement.

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Exelon announced on 24 May that its Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant and its Quad Cities plant in Illinois had failed to clear the latest PJM regional capacity auction. The TMI plant has not cleared the past three PJM auctions and has not been profitable in five years.

Pennsylvania is home to nine nuclear power reactors that produce 93% of its carbon-free electricity, avoiding 37 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

However, nuclear power is not included in Pennsylvania's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard.

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Areva business sale meets European rules The European Commission has approved EDF's takeover of Areva's nuclear reactor business under EU merger regulations.

The transaction, expected to complete by the end of 2017, is “unlikely to raise competition concerns.”

French utility EDF agreed in July 2015 to take a stake of between 51% and 75% in Areva's reactor unit in a Governmentbacked plan to revitalise France's nuclear power industry. The reactor operations to be sold have been transferred to a subsidiary wholly owned by Areva NP, referred to as ‘New NP.’ On the market for the design and construction of new reactors, the Commission concluded that EDF and New NP “would not be in a position to push out their competitors because of the different

market characteristics and the number of suppliers, and also the number of nuclear plants not operated by EDF.”

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Design work suspended for Shin Hanul units Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has suspended design work for the planned units 3 and 4 at the Shin Hanul nuclear power plant until South Korea's new Government announces its policy on the construction of new reactors.

KHNP announced it had instructed Kepco Engineering & Construction to suspend work for the two planned APR1400 units at Shin Hanul. However, work towards licensing the new units is to continue.

On 9 May, Moon Jae-in was voted South Korea's new President. Moon was one of seven candidates in the election who signed an agreement in March for a “common policy” for phasing out the country's use of nuclear energy.

A KHNP official told the Dong-A Ilbo news service, “We have found it difficult to push for the designing project under the circumstances where Government policy (towards nuclear power plants) is fluid.”

Two APR1400 units are under construction as units 1 and 2 of the Shin Hanul site. Those 1350 MWe pressurised water reactors are expected to enter service in April 2018 and February 2019, respectively.

For more details on these and other stories please visit www.world-nuclear-news.org

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All images © The Big Bang Fair — www.thebigbangfair.co.uk

proves a hit at Big Bang BY. SARA CRANE

In March, the NIA and several other nuclear organisations headed to The Big Bang Fair in Birmingham – the largest STEM careers festival in the UK. Over the four day event, 85,000 people made up of school groups, parents and teachers as well as scout and guide groups all came through the doors to the Fair.

It isn’t the first time the nuclear sector has had a presence at the Fair, but it was the first time for the Nuclear Zone – a designated area for seven nuclear companies to share the same space.

The Zone worked really well, with people moving from company to company, finding out about careers in industry and the importance of STEM as well as taking part in the various activities.

Horizon Nuclear Power had a constant queue of young people for their virtual reality rollercoaster game – and for the light up bouncy balls which we saw bouncing all around the NEC. Same for Sellafield, a Big Bang Fair veteran, whose activities were always busy and whose robot, Oscar stole the show with the kids who couldn’t quite believe they were having a conversation with him!

The NIA along with EDF Energy, ECITB, National Nuclear Laboratory, Nuclear AMRC and the Nuclear Institute completed the Nuclear Zone and with their robots, activities and games, visitors of all ages had plenty to keep them occupied.

MORE INFO If you’re interested in It’s difficult to calculate just how finding out more about the many people came into the Zone, but we all returned with hoarse Fair or about taking part voices and were inspired by the in the Nuclear Zone, number of young people who were contact me via sara.crane@niauk.org excited by science and engineering and the Nuclear Zone is something we’ll look at repeating.

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Breaking ground at the NCfN turf cutting ceremony, with Steve Naylor, Mike Robbins and Andy Berry

NCfN - Addressing skills training needs BY. PAUL GOSS / NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR NUCLEAR

For more information about NCfN and the training and development opportunities available Visit: www.ncfn.ac.uk Email: gossp@bridgwater.ac.uk Call: +44(0)7512 255188

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ridgwater & Taunton College has strategically placed itself at the centre of the UK’s nuclear renaissance; its close proximity to the country’s first nuclear new build for 20 years at Hinkley Point C (HPC) has enabled it to engage Government, community stakeholders, EDF Energy and its supply chain, to identify and address current and emerging skills training needs.

The College has been hugely successful in securing public and private investment in facilities, including the new National College for Nuclear (NCfN) (Southern Hub), located in Cannington, Somerset which is due for completion this year.

The focus of NCfN is developing a bespoke, higher level vocational curriculum for technical skills that offers progression routes from Levels 3 to 6, delivers huge impact on a wide scale and produces industry professionals fully versed in the expectations and rigours of a licensed environment.

All designed to ensure those already in employment have equal access to these higher level skills, and to facilitate alternative, vocational pathways to degree-level programmes, plus supporting employers with succession planning and workforce development, NCfN will offer modular, shortcourses on a flexible basis, as well as full-time, part-time, blended and block delivery options.

In order to produce best-in-class industry professionals with the higher level skills employers need, it is essential employers

The message from employers within the industry is abundantly clear – there is an urgent and crucial need to upskill the UK workforce if we are to deliver projects on budget and on time, safeguard British jobs and position the UK at the forefront of global nuclear.

Artists impression of the new National College for Nuclear (Southern Hub)

sit at front and centre of this project, and the involvement of EDF Energy (construction, operation and, ultimately, decommissioning) and Sellafield (decommissioning) as board members will ensure NCfN continues to meet the skills training needs of the sector.

Other employer involvement has derived from industry input into the development of the new Nuclear Scientist and Nuclear Engineer Apprenticeship Degree Standards already being delivered by Bridgwater & Taunton College to apprentices from EDF Energy and the Ministry of Defence, and employer investment secured from global leaders in nuclear energy, renewable energies, and designers and manufacturers of industrial valve actuators, control systems and accessories.

NCfN will facilitate a heat exchange system that models the twin flow loops for heating and cooling found in a nuclear power plant. This will be a substantial structure, simulating a ‘licensed’ site, accompanied by a second, modular structure replicating a nuclear decommissioning hall, offering a range of experiential learning opportunities across the key nuclear skills of construction, operation, and decommissioning.

The combination of these structures will support up to 20 separate projects of differing scale and complexity, facilitating learning across multiple disciplines and levels, whilst also reinforcing nuclear behaviours via strict adherence to site regulations and protocols.

Alongside these physical structures will sit a virtual reality (VR) replica. VR headsets will enable learners to ‘enter’ a licensed nuclear site to carry out research, investigations, maintenance and repairs in a risk-free environment, building ‘virtual jeopardy’ into the learning experience in a way that cannot even be contemplated in a live site, with the ability to ‘rewind’ a scenario multiple times with different outcomes.

There is huge potential within this project. The southern hub of NCfN is located within close proximity not only of HPC, but also of EDF Energy’s flagship international training and conference facility, and works closely with Nuclear South West and the South West Nuclear Hub at Bristol University, as well as with the Nuclear Institute and the Nuclear Industry Association.

Other stakeholders include the Association of Colleges, the Somerset Chamber of Commerce, the National Skills Academy for Nuclear, the Hinkley Point Training Agency and the Hinkley Strategic Development Forum, for which Bridgwater & Taunton College is the skills workstream lead.

This coalition of so many centres of excellence in terms of research, skills training, construction, operation and decommissioning – together with profound employer engagement and collaboration – represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to seize the vast economic opportunities of the UK’s nuclear renaissance and position the UK as a world leader on the nuclear stage.

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Wylfa Newydd gathering momentum BY. LARA PRITCHARD / HORIZON NUCLEAR POWER

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Horizon has brought together a best-inclass team both in its senior leadership, which has extensive experience of nuclear and other major infrastructure projects and its strategic partners.

Our joint venture delivery partner, Menter Newydd, is already well established and consists of Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe, Bechtel and JGC. Between them the organisations have delivered over 180 power stations, including 23 Boiling Water Reactors.

More recently Horizon also signed strategic partnerships with two international nuclear operators Exelon Generation and Japan Atomic Power Company to provide advisory services, operations and maintenance management services. These relationships augment and support Horizon’s own internal growing capacity and capability as a future operator of Wylfa Newydd.

The company aims to construct and operate two UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (UK ABWR) at Wylfa Newydd.

Based on Hitachi GE’s ABWR design, a tried and tested technology already built and operated four times in Japan.

The UK ABWR is progressing well through the ONR’s Generic Design Assessment (GDA); now in the fourth and final stage of the GDA process, and due to completed by the end of December 2017.

Government policy both in Westminster and Cardiff is fully supportive of nuclear, with a positive policy framework already

in place, making the UK one of the leading new build markets in the world.

As well as building relationships with the UK, Japanese and Welsh Governments, Horizon has spent years preparing the lead site for construction activities and forming close relationships with its local stakeholders and communities.

Anglesey has a proud history of nuclear power on the Island meaning the project already benefits from strong levels of local support. However maintaining and developing this is a top priority.

With this in mind the company recently launched a third and final phase of public consultation on the island about its latest plans post-optimisation.

We’re serious about creating a lasting legacy for the island and are already looking to the operational workforce.

We launched a technical apprenticeship scheme last year taking in 10 apprentices with a second tranche of up to 12 apprentices joining the Company in 2017.

The apprentices, all from Anglesey and North Wales, will benefit from £1 million of funding from Horizon and a pledge of £5 million by the Welsh Government to develop a new Engineering Centre at Coleg Menai on Anglesey.

Horizon is taking nothing for granted but with the development gathering pace, confidence is growing that we are well placed not only to deliver this project but to build a world leading nuclear operator.

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Artist impression of Wylfa Newydd courtesy of Horizon Nuclear Power — www.horizonnuclearpower.com

In the 12 months since Duncan Hawthorne joined as Chief Executive Officer, Horizon has made considerable progress, both as a development company and a future operator.

His key priority has been to ensure Wylfa Newydd, Horizon’s potential new power station on Anglesey, is a commercially viable project that can meet the needs of the shareholder, Hitachi, future investors, the Governments of UK, Japan and Wales, as well as the end consumer.

This has seen a stepping-up in the pace of progress across the organisation towards the development, delivery and optimisation of Wylfa Newydd. This is happening at the same time as putting in place the key regulatory requirements which allowed us to submit a Site Licence Application to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) in March 2017.

Earlier in 2017, we achieved a Licensee Certificate to enable us to begin purchasing major equipment for the new reactor in advance of becoming a Nuclear Site Licensee.

These major milestones build on continued progress towards submitting a Development Consent Order, the main planning consent, in August 2017. Thereafter the programme for Wylfa Newydd is on track to reach a Final Investment Decision in 2019, the commencement of major earthworks that same year, first nuclear concrete in 2021 and generation in 2025.

Poland’s Progressive Power Plan?

BY. I AN WOOD, JOHN DANAHY & ROB BROOM SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS LLP

In contrast to other EU countries, the Polish electricity mix is heavily reliant on coal, accounting for 85% of Poland’s power generation. In 2015, hard coal and lignite made up 53.9% and 35.2% respectively of Poland’s total electricity generation.

The coal mining sector is the motor of the economy, employing around 100,000 workers. However, the industry has been troubled by low coal prices on the international market and out of control production costs.

To put this in perspective, Poland’s largest coal mining company Kompania Weglowa (KW) had liabilities and provisions reaching 8.5 billion zloty (€2 billion) and had no more assets to use as collateral.

The current Government, led by the Law and Justice party, PiS, was elected in October 2015 pledging to save and defend the coal industry and mining jobs.

In April 2016, PiS sealed a restructuring deal for its lossmaking coal-mining industry with cash injections from stateowned power producers, cementing efforts to keep the country’s economy running on coal. The deal is centred on a 1.5 billion zloty ( €355 million) injection from PGE SA, Energa SA and PGNiG SA to help KW gain profitability within two years.

Under the restructuring, a new company has been established, Polska Grupa Gornicza (PGG – Polish Mining Group), that took over assets of KW comprising 11 mines. Other mining companies are also working to reduce costs.

Looking to the future electricity mix, Poland’s Energy Minister, Krzysztof Tchorzewski has stated building more efficient coal power plants will enable the country to reduce its CO2 emissions faster than with renewable technologies.

Poland’s Energy Mix in 2015 (Source: CornerStone)

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With the combination of more coal plants coming online, and no nuclear power in Poland’s energy mix, the likely result is Poland will fail to adhere to the EU’s environmental targets.

Although it is worth noting Poland’s CO2 emissions were down by 1.25 million mt in 2016.

To appease the EU, Poland is considering using the construction of nuclear reactor plants as one of its arguments in negotiations with the European Commission over capacity market emission performance standards.

In its Clean Energy Package last November, the Commission proposed only units that emit less than 550 kg/MWh of CO2 be eligible for support in European capacity mechanisms.

Minister Tchorzewski said last March, “If a three-unit nuclear plant were to be built in Poland by 2050, including one unit by 2030, looking at the level of emissions, we would be in a leading position.

“Taking into account the development of renewables, from the point of view of emissions, we would be below the currently assumed EU norms. It would give us a basis for negotiations with the European Commission about keeping coal for longer.”

According to Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita in March 2017, the European Comission had written to the Polish energy ministry suggesting that Poland build 3.3GW of nuclear capacity by 2035 and up to 8.2GW by 2050, as a way to reduce emissions.

Poland’s developing nuclear ambitions are not new. In January 2014, under the previous Government, a new nuclear programme was approved which planned for the construction of 6GW of capacity at two separate locations by 2035, with the first unit due to be operating at the end of 2024.

This programme would have led to a final investment decision agreed in 2018. However the project slipped well behind schedule. Last year the current Government put forward an updated strategy to build a 1.2 GW nuclear power plant in the next 10 years.

In July 2014, the company responsible for delivering the investment and preparing for construction of Poland’s first 3 GW nuclear power plant, PGE, appointed Amec Foster Wheeler as owner engineer of the program to help select the EPC contractor, oversee project management and supply chain contract management, as well as regulatory aspects of the programme.

To finance the contstruction of the project, the current Government rejected plans to use a Contract for Difference model, used in the UK, due to concern that “electricity could become too expensive for end users”.

PGE had planned to launch an integrated tender to cover all aspects of the investment, the reactor technology, EPC services, fuel supply, capital participation by a strategic partner and debt financing, by the end of last year.

No decision has been taken by the Ministry of Energy on the method of funding. However, it is possible Polish state-owned investment fund PFR could finance construction of the country's first nuclear power plant, most probably as co-investor.

With the Polish Government seeing nuclear as the optimum solution to allow Poland to work within EU environmental targets whilst also sticking to its pledge to maintain the country’s coal mining industry, the next few months will be key to the future trajectory of the project.

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IN VIEW

First concrete at Hinkley Point C

Hinkley Point C concrete pour courtesy of EDF Energy — www.edfenergy.com/energy

Construction of Hinkley Point C is well underway with over 1,600 workers on the Somerset site each day. First concrete has been poured for the power station galleries, a network of connected tunnels which will carry cabling and pipes, and three million cubic metres of earth has already been moved – over half of the total – to prepare the ground for the power station.

Construction has also started on a temporary jetty in the Bristol Channel, which will allow 80% of the aggregate to be brought in by sea, with each shipload taking the equivalent of 250 lorry-loads off the road. Two pile-driving machines are drilling homes in the bedrock and the jetty is due for completion in 2018.

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IA CEO Tom Greatrex was the guest keynote speaker at the National Nuclear Laboratory’s (NNL) 2017 Science and Technology Conference in May, held under the iconic wings of a Concorde jet airliner at Manchester Airport.

Tom gave a keynote speech at the start of the day and also participated on an International Panel session with colleagues from the US, Canada, Japan and France.

Hosted by NNL’s Chief Scientist Andrew Sherry, the event focused on how science and innovation can power economic growth. Industry thought leaders from NNL, the wider UK and international nuclear organisations came together to hear from renowned speakers and experience a range of technical demonstrations and prerecorded video footage.

The event was designed – not just for NNL to showcase its scientific and technical capability – but also to lead discussions with industry experts about the role of science and business in meeting global nuclear challenges ahead.

Innovation and the Government’s new Industrial Strategy were at the front and centre of the event. The conference venue, alongside Manchester Airport, set the conference against the impressive flagship British Airways Concorde, itself a reminder of the possibilities of cutting edge technology.

The 2017 event was the latest, and biggest in a series of annual NNL

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conferences, designed to introduce more innovation into the programme.

Interactive zones enabled delegates to use touchscreen technology, view video presentations and experience demonstration and exhibition zones.

Tom’s keynote address set the tone for the day, by first reviewing the current UK and global political situation and then looking at the UK’s nuclear sector in that context. He outlined the tremendous importance of science and innovation in the nuclear sector and also explained how the industry can leverage its capabilities to play a substantial role in the UK’s new Industrial Strategy, working alongside Government and others.

Later in the day, during the International Panel discussion, Tom outlined the opportunities available to the UK on the global stage. He highlighted the range of experience which the UK’s nuclear sector has, and the depth of the country’s technical expertise in many different areas, as well as the worldclass R&D facilities and internationally respected regulatory regime.

Ref lecting on a very successful conference, Andrew Sherry said: “This is a very exciting time to be part of the nuclear industry. This year's NNL Science and Technology Conference represented a step change in so many ways. We showcased how technical pioneers are shaping the future for the nuclear sector in the UK and connecting internationally.”

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Evolve or die has always been a mantra for survival and while that analogy may be extreme when talking about the life of a business, evolving is exactly what Heatric is doing.

Part of the global Meggitt group, Heatric specialises in printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs). These assemblies feature stacks of chemically etched steel plates, joined using a proprietary diffusion bonding technology, with headers and nozzles welded on to form the complete exchanger.

The company’s technology was embraced by the oil and gas sector for offshore platforms, and Heatric grew rapidly on orders for bespoke PCHEs since their creation in 1990.

The reason why is because a Heatric PCHE of 15 tonnes can offer the same cooling capacity as a conventional shelland-tube assembly of 100 tonnes, while coping with higher pressures over a wide range of temperatures.

But the company’s General Manager, Adrian Tattersall recognised they needed to adapt, “We had a very good run up to two years ago with our oil and gas applications, but recognised we needed to broaden Heatric.”

The company was already working with Nuclear AMRC to investigate the

K-TIG keyhole welding system and after gaining a better understanding of the industry found “there [were] clearly opportunities out there. At the time we weren’t really looking at it, but knew there was potential.”

Later Heatric completed the initial online Fit For Nuclear (F4N) online assessment. Manufacturing Development Manger, Paul Morris recalls, “The questions were very much aligned to what we were already doing in levels of compliance for oil and gas.”

Nuclear AMRC noted “the firm’s focus on quality-led manufacturing [and] was rewarded with a record score of 95% on the initial assessment.”

Andrew James, leader of Heatric’s innovation and new business team said F4N highlighted health and safety as the main area for development. Heatric had an exemplary safety record but “it wasn’t sufficiently in your face” in the way that nuclear customers like to see but “that’s now implemented.”

In the short-term, the firm sees the biggest nuclear opportunities in the decommissioning market, including waste treatment systems and waste containers.

Heatric recently secured funding from the Game Changers programme,

Heatric outline drive for nuclear growth 18 — SUMMER | 2017

managed by Innovus for Sellafield Ltd, to develop its diffusion bonding technology to fabricate lids for the standard 3m3 intermediate level waste container.

The team are also looking at pressure vessels and HVAC systems for new build and, in the longer term, heat exchangers and other systems for the proposed new generation of small modular reactors.

“After the nuclear decommissioning opportunities, there’s a chance that a number of opportunities could come sooner,” Tattersall notes. "It's great that we've had this success and been recognised by F4N. We recognise it's only the first step in a very long journey, but we're on our way.”

F4N came at the perfect time for the company, James adds: “We were reassessing our strategy and looking to develop automation for different welding processes with Nuclear AMRC support,” he says.

“F4N just fitted for us perfectly. We knew it was going to take significant resource and effort to break into nuclear and establish ourselves, but F4N gives us credence when we're presenting our capabilities. It shows the industry that we've gone through this journey and are absolutely serious about it.”

BY. SARAH PHILLIPS AND JAMES FORD / ABEL & IMRAY PATENT ATTORNEYS

S

hould the nuclear sector worry about intellectual property (IP)? At first glance, perhaps not – patents afford a 20 year monopoly, but the regulatory approval processes surrounding new build are lengthy and necessitate early disclosure.

Ownership of IP rights can also be complicated by the number of stakeholders; investors, designers, shareholders as well as Governments in the UK and abroad. Besides, what use are IP rights if your business has been successful without them so far?

If you are innovating, or solving problems, however small, you already own IP. The IP in your inventions can be protected, primarily through patents, and can strengthen your business.

Patents protect the innovative solutions you’ve devised to solve a technical problem.

IP rights generate value for businesses by deterring competitors – preventing competitors making, selling or importing (amongst other acts) into a territory. The rights can be enforced against competitors, ensuring that others do not benefit from your investment in product development. They also provide a tangible asset recognisable to investors that can be treated much like any other for example sold, licenced or mortgaged.

In the nuclear sector particularly, the case for IP is growing.

The UK is positioning itself at the forefront of the industry, with exciting progress in areas such as advanced robotics for decommissioning and small modular reactors (SMRs). In these sub-sectors, ownership issues are straightforward, compared with complex GW-reactor projects.

In the rapidly developing decommissioning and SMR industries, regulatory issues may be simplified, leading to a quicker time-to-market for end products. In addition, much of the technology can be directly transferred to overseas markets. Your products/systems could be replicated once your technology is disclosed, or reverse-engineered, so in these circumstances, the 20 year patent lifespan can provide a valuable monopoly.

The following are our “top tips” for success: →→Have an IP strategy. Know what IP you already have, and

what you can protect via patents, design registration or other IP. Consider which of your IP may be most valuable to your business, for example which innovations are most important

to patent (predicting the future is not always an easy task!).

Understand your competitors - know what IP rights they hold and understand the risks for your business.

→→Understand the costs and timescales involved in obtaining registered IP rights.

→→Don’t disclose! You cannot seek patent or registered design

protection for your inventions if the ideas have inadvertently been publicly disclosed at a conference, or communicated in a business conversation outside of a NDA. Maintain confidentiality until after the patent/design filing date.

→→Consider IP ownership early. The original owners of patent or

design rights are the inventors/designers, though the rights to inventions/designs made in the course of employment automatically pass to the employer under UK patent law.

Any assignments required to transfer rights between parties should be executed early on, to avoid complications later on.

It is good practice to check contracts for IP clauses.

→→Don’t confuse IP rights with freedom-to-operate. The owning

of a patent or registered design to a product or process does not confer a right for you to use/make the product or implement the process. It allows you to stop others copying your invention, but does not necessarily mean you don’t inadvertently infringe a third party’s existing IP rights. Issues surrounding your freedom to bring a product to market must be separately evaluated.

→→Remember that IP rights are territorial. IP rights must be

obtained for separate jurisdictions, and have national effect once granted. They do, however, prevent importing/ exporting into a territory so patents in a limited selection of key territories is normally enough to protect your primary markets.

Whether you are newly entering the nuclear sector, or an established supplier to the industry, there are IP issues to consider – freedom to operate issues, and/or ideas which warrant seeking protection.

Abel and Imray is closely following developments in the nuclear sector. Feel free to contact us for an initial consultation to discuss how intellectual property rights could benefit your business - you may be surprised by the outcome. And if you’re an SME, you may qualify for a Government subsidised IP audit – see our website: www.abelimray.com/services/strategy/ip-audits.

2017 | SUMMER — 19

Security and safety – the benefits of a new model BY. ADRIAN PRIOR / FRAZER-NASH CONSULTANCY LIMITED

The Office for Nuclear Regulation’s (ONR) recent publication of Security Assessment Principles (SyAPs) presents a defining moment for both security regulators and duty holders, signalling a pivotal shift away from prescriptive security regulation, to one more focused on outcomes.

For those with a safety background, assessment principles are nothing new and, to some extent, security is playing catch up. Some may view the initiative as just adoption of good practice from the safety world, but it should also be seen as offering greater integration of safety and security and could deliver significant benefits for the industry.

The ONR states the primary purpose of SyAPs is to provide a framework for making consistent regulatory judgements on the adequacy of security arrangements. On this level SyAPs are a comprehensive tool for the Regulator, but also represent its view of ‘good practice’.

Thus they give duty holders the means to assure wellfounded and effective protective security arrangements, and to understand what is required to achieve regulatory approval first time.

What are SyAPs? SyAPs are a guide for site inspectors and consist of 10 fundamental principles covering strategic enablers and the implementation and maintenance of nuclear security.

They are supported by 38 Security Delivery Principles, against which regulators measure the adequacy of submissions by the duty holder, and by six Key Security Principles and eight Regulatory Assessment Security Principles, which are applied across the domain.

In addition, SyAPs are supplemented by a suite of 37 Technical Assessment Guides, which provide additional detail in niche areas such as: security governance and leadership; information assurance; and testing and exercising the security response.

Regulatory Assessment of Security Plans Unifying Purpose Statement Fundamental Security Principles Security Delivery Principles Technical Assessment Guides Source: ONR SyAPs 2017 Edition, Version 0

20 — SUMMER | 2017

What has changed?

SyAPs were developed in consultation with industry and its core content is not a surprise. Working through the implications of this shift in regulatory philosophy, however, is likely to take time.

Most significantly, it signals the requirement for a change of approach by the duty holders.

The implications for duty holders go beyond a rewrite of nuclear site security plans, extending to a re-examination of how safety, security and emergency response are integrated in all relevant activities and at all levels.

If effort is not taken to conjoin these functions and identify the touch points, it is unlikely the potential benefits of this new approach will be delivered – the most important of which is reducing risk.

Delivering benefits The effective implementation of SyAPs offers a number of benefits to stakeholders. Their high-quality guidance will drive the continued professionalisation of security within the industry: from the development of security cases; to suitably qualified and experienced staff; effective performance measurement; and processes to deliver continuous improvement.

SyAPs create an environment which encourages innovation and solutions, providing duty holders with greater flexibility in their security arrangements through an emphasis on demonstrating their adequacy.

Improvements in inherent security by reducing the inventory of radioactive material or sensitive nuclear information, controlling their physical state, or the application of engineering, administrative or technical security measures can be made.

The increased flexibility could also include an alternative approach to the fundamental principles if justifiable. This flexibility may help foster better alignment with business objectives and greater opportunity to add value.

SyAPs also enable the adoption of good practice from the safety domain, including the formulation and presentation of security cases in a claims–argument–evidence format.

They allow the development of a mature internal assurance process and reduce the potential gaps or areas of conflict between safety, security and emergency response arrangements.

Within ONR they offer better alignment between safety and security, enhancing expertise and capability.

The SyAPs regulatory philosophy, in aligning with safety, reinforces that responsibility rests with duty holders. It has been made possible by improved security management capability and should be welcomed, although ONR acknowledges it will take time to embed and reach full maturity. The benefits of outcomefocused security regulation are likely to be substantial and reflected upon by other sectors.

SNAPSHOT

SPX Flow working on new Traveling Wave Reactor NIA members SPX Flow have been chosen by TerraPower to design the primary sodium pump for the Traveling Wave Reactor (TWR) prototype.

Founded by Bill Gates and coinvestors, TerraPower’s TWR reactor is all part of a programme to raise living standards around the world through energy innovation.

Existing conventional water cooled nuclear reactors capture only about 1% of the energy potential of their fuel. The TWR plans to revolutionise the nuclear industry by simplifying the fuel cycle by burning the fuel made from depleted uranium.

This means that depleted uranium will no longer be a waste by-product.

The unique design embedded in the TWR converts the depleted uranium through a nuclear reaction without removing the

fuel from the reactor’s core and recycling it through reprocessing. As the TWR can repeat this process indefinitely, it has the potential to generate enormous quantities of heat and electricity.

The new technology of the TWR will make the process of producing electricity from nuclear power cheaper, greener, and more secure.

By being able to generate power from the previously discarded uranium, it will cut the cost of nuclear power because it will require less material.

SPX FLOW was chosen by TerraPower to design the primary sodium pump for the TWR. The liquid sodium pumps will be a fundamental part of the reactor’s operations.

The use of sodium as a coolant, rather than the water typically used in nuclear

facilities, means the coolant can work at atmospheric pressure rather than the high pressure that is needed in water cooled reactors. These pumps will be an integral part of the design and will allow it to be a more efficient reactor.

For SPX FLOW, it is an opportunity to show its place as a leading innovator in the sector, and as a company with a long track record of providing next-generation pump solutions across the nuclear sector.

The primary sodium pumps are further evidence of the impact that the global supply chain plays in improving the value and efficiency of the next generation of nuclear reactors.

Overall, the TerraPower project has the potential to deliver a more efficient way of providing vital base load and carbon neutral electricity.

2017 | SUMMER — 21

Stainless steels throughout the nuclear cycle BY. ANDY BACKHOUSE / OUTOKUMPU

There is a remarkable real life story behind Outokumpu that would not be out of place as a Charles Dickens novel, concerning a cellar lad called Harry Brearley.

Born into a poor family in the backstreets of 19th Century Sheffield, Brearley was to rise to the very top of his profession as a steel scientist, industrialist and entrepreneur.

Later in August 1913 at Thos. Firth & Son’s steel company, Brearley produced the world’s first industrial scale cast of a new type of chromium alloyed steel designed to offer excellent corrosion resistance, and thus signalled the start of the worldwide stainless steel manufacturing industry.

Firth-Vickers Ltd subsequently established a site wholly dedicated to stainless steel manufacture in the late 1940s on the outskirts of Sheffield, and many mergers & acquisitions later, in 2001 this site became part of Outokumpu, the largest stainless steel manufacturer in the western world.

Today, Outokumpu Group produces 2.5 million tonnes of stainless steel per year, supplying around 30% of Europe’s demand.

aser cutting of stainless steel plate L Main image: Supervision of tapping 120 tonnes of molten metal from the electric arc furnace

The Sheffield facility is the UK’s only large steelmaking plant fully devoted to stainless steel production, with the melting shop producing slabs, blooms, ingots and billets which are rolled or forged to a wide range of sizes of plate, sheet, bar, re-bar and wire rod. Plates and sheets can be further processed on-site by plasma, laser and water-jet cutting, and supplied directly to end-users for fabrication.

The company also has major production sites in Finland, Sweden, Germany and America, each with a proud history and modern day specialism.

In Finland, Outokumpu’s mine located at Kemi is Europe’s only commercial source of the key stainless steel ingredient - chromium - which feeds a large integrated plant for volume manufacture of coiled strip and sheets. Its Swedish R&D facilities and plate production plants continue to be pioneers in the development and manufacture of high alloy grades and duplex stainless steels.

Many nuclear components require more specialist variants of the well-established grades 304L and 316L, and

22 — SUMMER | 2017

The Twittersphere BY. RUPERT LEWIS

higher levels of quality assurance. Therefore, Outokumpu Sheffield meltshop holds an ASME III certification as a Material Organisation for source materials, and has recently been assessed by Bureau Veritas to affirm RCC-M capability.

Many nuclear installations utilise seawater cooling systems and Outokumpu’s higher alloy grades may be required for seawater handling and heat exchanger systems. Grades such as Ultra 254 SMO austenitic and Forta SDX 2507 superduplex are often appropriate in these circumstances. Several existing Swedish nuclear plants have replaced titanium-based seawater systems with these grades of material.

High strength duplex stainless steels have long been recognised by the oil and gas industry as offering an attractive combination of strength and corrosion resistance, and these grades are also starting to be more widely used in nuclear applications. Today, a range of duplex grades exist, and Outokumpu has been at the forefront of these developments with alloys such as the lean duplex Forta LDX 2101.

Westinghouse utilise Forta LDX 2101 (UNS S32101 / EN 1.4162) in the design of steel-concrete sandwich panels that form the modular units housing mechanical equipment for AP1000 reactors. At the other end of the nuclear cycle, Sellafield have recently installed large doors made of Forta DX 2205 duplex steel that will facilitate waste removal from the Pile Fuel Cladding Silo.

Outokumpu’s materials engineers continue to push the boundaries of material properties to offer improved combinations of performance and cost, and new solutions are achieved often through co-operation with equipment designers, specifiers and fabricators. Nothing has changed much.

It’s the same approach adopted by Harry Brearley when Sheffield cutlery makers initially found his new steel to be useless for knife making − impossible to forge, grind or harden to produce a sharp edge and in any case, where was the need for “rustless cutlery”?

Those who worked alongside Brearley to overcome initial problems soon became the pioneer producers of products we now take for granted. Outokumpu retains this philosophy of supply chain co-operation to develop and inspire new solutions today.

It could have been in 2006 just after the birth of Twitter, or at some point last week but I would bet your company has had a debate about whether to get involved in social media. For big companies the answer is obvious and of course they should be involved, spending time and resources to improve or preserve their brand is vital.

For small companies the answer isn’t so clear but here is my (very short) briefing on how you should do it. Firstly if you want to do it don’t skimp, investing time and some money, especially at the beginning, is important. You also need to make sure you can dedicate time to doing social media – don’t go all out in the first two weeks and then post nothing for a month – little and often should be the mantra.

Plan out a clear strategy, and seek advice if you need to on what you want to achieve, and most importantly understand how what your company does can best be represented on social media. This will help you decide which platform or platforms you should use.

Review your current content – blogs, articles, pictures etc and see if they best fit on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or LinkedIn. After you’ve done that, evaluate the quality of your content.

Who to follow?

If it’s not the best or you Want information on nuclear don’t have much of it, you and other relevant topics? need to spend time (and This issue we recommend maybe money) on taking you follow: good pictures of what you do and the people who do it as well as writing good and @frazer_nash interesting articles. Rubbish @Bridgwater_Coll content will turn people off, it @Outokumpu has to be good.

And when you’re up and running look at who could be your advocates. Find the companies and people you work with and collaborate with them. Whether that is latching onto one of their hashtags, asking them to re-tweet or like your content. All of this will improve your profile.

Finally, look at your competitors and set benchmarks on how many followers you should have after three, six and 12 months to help you map out progress. These are just a handful of tips to get you thinking, but if you are contemplating getting involved, read more and be prepared before you dive into it.

Doing social media well will undoubtedly improve your brand and help you show off your products and people to potential clients. If you do it properly it can be an important arm of your business development team.

Twitter Count Followers: 4,758 Tweets: 6,690

@NIAUK

NIA 'Priorities for Government' Government needs to commit to a progressive #decommissioning programme #GE2017 Stainless steel billet casting

2017 | SUMMER — 23

NEWS IN BRIEF

NuGeneration undertakes strategic review

N

uGen is to undertake a strategic review of its Moorside project, following the financial issues affecting Toshiba, reactor vendor Westinghouse, and the subsequent decision by ENGIE to exit the project in line with shareholder agreements.

NuGen’s Chief Executive, Tom Samson explained there are a “universe of options”, but NuGen could not exercise those options unilaterally, and had launched a Strategic Review, sanctioned by the NuGen board, in consultation with the UK Government, to explore the options which could include new investors, technology

and financing solutions to ensure Moorside is delivered.

“At the end of March, it became clear we at NuGen had to take a step back due to these circumstances and revisit some fundamental elements on which we had been building the programme to deliver Moorside,” said Tom at a briefing with Cumbrian stakeholders about the review.

“As has been reported, we took the decision to ‘hit the pause button’ in order to explore our options to move forward to our objective – which is to deliver the next generation of low-carbon baseload

Drone used to review Sellafield chimney stack

24 — SUMMER | 2017

electricity by the mid-2020s, for the benefit of the UK’s future prosperity.

“Once we have completed the Strategic Review and consulted on our findings with the Government we can begin to redefine our timelines – and then we will hit the fast-forward button,” he concluded.

Tom told local stakeholders he had formed an independent panel of experts including the internationally-renowned nuclear expert Dame Sue Ion, and Norman Haste, an expert on construction who helped deliver Sizewell B, the last nuclear power station to be constructed in the UK.

James Fisher Nuclear took to the skies recently and made history with the first ever drone survey flight to review a chimney in Sellafield's chemical separation area.

The company used the drone to assess how the chimney’s cowling, at the very top of the stack, was constructed, allowing Sellafield to compile an accurate method statement for its safe removal.

This innovative use of drone technology removed the need for time consuming scaffolding construction or bringing in special access vehicles, both of which are costly and require operators to be working at height.

Sellafield Ltd’s John Daniel said, “This was certainly an impressive use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology. Within the first seven minutes, the JFN and WYG team gave us key information we could not ascertain from the existing drawing record.

“The new information the UAV has provided helps the project fully understand what is awaiting the demolition team when it reaches the top, and preparations can be made to ensure a safe and efficient transition from climb to demolition.

“This is a simple and efficient way to safely inspect areas like this in a fraction of the time and cost needed for scaffolding or bringing in special access vehicle and without staff working at height”

AP1000 completes GDA Westinghouse Electric Company’s AP1000 nuclear power plant design successfully completed the UK regulators Generic Design Assessment meaning it is suitable for construction in the UK. The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales, the regulators who undertake the Generic Design Assessment of new reactor designs, are satisfied the reactor meets expectations on safety, security and environmental protection at this stage of the regulatory process.

“The successful completion of this rigorous review by the ONR and the EA has been many years in the making, and it represents a major milestone toward bringing a new generation of safe, clean energy to the United Kingdom through the Moorside Project”, said José Emeterio Gutiérrez, interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Westinghouse.

“In addition, it expands the global regulatory pedigree of the AP1000 plant design and further confirms Westinghouse’s innovative safety technology.”

Dr Richard Savage, ONR’s Chief Nuclear Inspector, said: “The closure of our assessment of the generic design of the AP1000 reactor is a significant step in the process, ensuring the design meets the very high standards of safety we expect. We will now focus our regulatory attention on site specific assessments, and NuGen’s application for a nuclear site licence.”

Amec Foster Wheeler reaches safety milestone at Sellafield

NDA Appoints new Chief Executive The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) announced David Peattie as its Chief Executive Officer following John Clarke’s retirement after five years at the helm.

David will be responsible for leading the NDA in the decommissioning and clean-up of 17 legacy nuclear sites across the UK, including Sellafield.

Prior to taking up his role at the NDA, David was CEO at Fairfield Energy, where he led the successful turnaround of performance of North Sea assets and oversaw the start of the decommissioning project for the Dunlin Alpha Platform.

David said, “It is a privilege to have been asked to take on this important role, which is central to delivering the important mission of decommissioning the UK’s nuclear legacy.

“The NDA, its subsidiaries and Site Licence Companies, have a highly-skilled and focused workforce, and I look forward to working with them to drive forward progress on clearing our sites for future generations.”

He began his career at British Petroleum in 1979 as a petroleum engineer and during his 33 years at the company held a number of technical, commercial and senior management positions.

NDA Chairman Tom Smith said, “David brings with him significant global experience of leadership in the energy, oil and gas industries, and a strong track record in tackling complex commercial and engineering challenges in the UK and internationally.”

S

ellafield has praised the achievement by 150 Amec Foster Wheeler employees who carry out civil, mechanical and electrical engineering work, plus subcontractors and supply chain companies, for completing one million man hours without a lost-time incident.

Amec Foster Wheeler’s teams focus on safety through the use of safe systems of work documentation, pre-job briefings, and regular inspections.

All managers, supervisors and engineers do two site inspections per month to identify and manage potential hazards such as working at height, manual handling or anything that might cause slips, trips and falls.

Simon McCrae, Head of Management of Contractors, Sellafield Ltd said, “All of our employees and contractors have a part to play in continuously improving our safety performance. We thank our valued contracting community for their contribution and commitment to safe operations.”

David Boath, Vice President for Project Delivery and Health and Safety at Amec Foster Wheeler Clean Energy said, “Maintaining our safety record is extremely challenging when you’re doing heavy construction work in a high-hazard area with extremely low-severity thresholds for incident reporting.”

2017 | SUMMER — 25

New NIA Group Chair’s set out their ambitions

W

hile the 2017 General Election campaign proved rather eventful, the election for the next New Build, and Decommissioning and Existing Generation Chairs were thankfully much more straight forward!

The back to back elections saw Tris Denton, Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe, Ltd. elected Chair of the New Build Group, Aujas Mistry, Nuvia was elected Vice-Chair of the Group, and Corhyn Parr, AECOM is the new Chair of the Decommissioning and Existing Generation Group.

Both Groups are an important part of NIA membership and building on the strong platform left by the outgoing Chairs is no doubt the main priority. How that success is tailored will ultimately be up to the new Chair’s, their Vice-Chair’s and NIA Secretariat but there is likely to be some change.

Speaking to Corhyn Parr, she outlined her vision for the Group, “The UK is a centre of excellence for nuclear decommissioning, and I want to build on the group’s current progress and make sure all of its members benefit.

“My key aims will be to align members with the SLC’s and major contractors, build on the NDA’s successful SME mentoring scheme and encourage collaboration to help UK companies win work overseas.”

Looking at the new build group, Tris Denton set out his plans, “It is about delivering a forum which is engaging, relevant and effective for NIA members.

“We’ll deliver innovative agendas, and capture recurrent themes to feed into the NIA’s wider new build work.

“This will ensure the group adds value for members; is at the cutting edge of NIA’s work to support the supply chain; and help deliver a targeted and effective programme of policy work for the new build sector.”

New Build Chair: Tris Denton, Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe, Ltd. tristram.denton@hitachi-hne.com Vice-Chair: Aujas Mistry, Nuvia aujas.mistry@nuvia.co.uk Secretariat: Rupert Lewis, NIA rupert.lewis@niauk.org

26 — SUMMER | 2017

The New Build Group’s Vice-Chair, Aujas Mistry commented, “My aim is to maintain the quality of the events and evolve the format. This group is here to support NIA members and sharing information is key to its success. I look forward to working alongside Tris to deliver interesting, exciting and productive events.”

Both Tris and Aujas also commented that they want to work closely with the members of the Group so there is “continual feedback that will make sure members have a clear and significant voice for how the group is being run.”

With this in mind if you have any suggestions or comments about either of the Groups please contact the Chair, Vice-Chair or NIA Secretariat.

Dates for your diary are provided here with more information about the meetings to be sent out in due course, and Decommissioning and if you are an NIA member who would like to know Existing Generation Group more about either group 12-13 July 2017 visit the NIA website.

Chester Racecourse

RELAUNCHED INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS GROUP

COMING UP:

New Build Group 10-11 October Outokumpu Sheffield

Decommissioning and Existing Generation Chair: Corhyn Parr, AECOM corhyn.parr@aecom.com Vice-Chair: John Carine, NIASS Ltd john@niass.co.uk Secretariat: Stephanie McKenna, NIA stephanie.mckenna@niauk.org

NIA’s relaunched and rebranded International Group met for the first time this May. Chaired by Gareth Davies, Davies Nuclear Associates, the new Group has evolved from the NIA’s previous Nuclear Exports Group.

At the first meeting in London at Burges Salmon’s offices, the agenda covered a number of topics including; Euratom, conducting business with Japanese companies, working internationally as an SME and specific country case studies on Germany, Finland and Sweden.

After the meeting Gareth Davies said, “We had just over 60 NIA members today and I want to expand the group so more and more NIA members can explore potential overseas markets to help expand their nuclear work.

“This is just the start for the Group and with more international eyes on the UK nuclear market, I hope the supply chain will use this forum as an opportunity to show off their own expertise and seek out collaborative opportunities outside the UK.” The Group is due to meet three times a year and if you have any questions about the next meeting or would like to be put on the mailing list so you receive relevant information about the Group contact stephanie.mckenna@niauk.org. You can also find out more about the group on the NIA website at www.niauk.org/member-area/international.

2017 | SUMMER — 27

NEW NIA MEMBERS

NOT A MEMBER? To find out about the work of NIA and benefits of membership visit www.niauk.org/about-us/ membership-benefits.

You will find more information on our business group meetings, monthly updates and our exclusive online trade directory.

To discuss membership options available to your company please call +44 (0)20 7766 6651 or email stephanie.mckenna@niauk.org

Advanced Nuclear Research Centre strath.ac.uk/research/ advancednuclearresearchcentre Strathclyde University’s Advanced Nuclear Research Centre (ANRC) is a cross-sectoral collaborative partnership; created, led and driven by industry, leveraging suppliers and partners.

The research facility supports fundamental and applied research; focusing on power station support and infrastructure, and also the management of nuclear assets and installations.

NPL Management Limited npl.co.uk The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the UK's National Measurement Institute, and is a world-leading centre of excellence in developing and applying the most accurate measurement standards, science and technology available.

Responsive Engineering Ltd responsive-engineering.com/ ANOTECH Energy Services anotech-energy.com For over 10 years ANOTECH Energy has developed its expertise in technical fields of all energy sectors, delivering the highest standard of services within engineering, projects and operations.

Its vision is to provide clients and employees with a global approach and to maintain an agility to deliver local tailor-made solutions.

28 — SUMMER | 2017

Responsive Engineering Ltd is a subcontract manufacturing company based in the north east of England, specialising in fabrication and welding of high integrity products and structures.

It also has in-house capability for machining of both large and small components/fabrications, paint shops, profile cutting and heavy lifting up to 50 tonnes.

Centrus Energy Corp. centrusenergy.com

SAMSON Controls Ltd samsoncontrols.co.uk

Centrus is a trusted supplier of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants around the world, with world-class technical, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities to support the nuclear industry.

Using advanced integrated modeling, design, machining, and quality assurance tools and a highly skilled technology development team, Centrus can develop innovative ideas into proven designs.

SAMSON Controls Ltd provides sales, service, technical support and partial assembly of SAMSON products. SAMSON has extensive manufacturing facilities throughout the EU, producing high quality valves for line and control applications.

SAMSON group has 4500 employees and group company expertise extends from HVAC control to varied applications in the largest chemical plants, nuclear power plants and offshore installations.

OPINION

PowerPolitics “GOVERNMENT MUST LOOK TO ENSURE ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS ARE IN PLACE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID A DAMAGING CLIFF EDGE”

T

hey say a week is a long time in politics, but the last seven of the election campaign seemed like a lifetime.

Theresa May’s sure fire bet for a Brexit landslide became anything but when the Conservative manifesto, with renewed fox hunting, double rather than triple lock pensions and above all the ‘dementia tax’ hit the headlines.

Labour’s much more upbeat offering, and the enthusiasm generated among younger voters, transformed the landscape. The result is we now have a minority Conservative Government shored up by the DUP – although the position is volatile and may well have changed again by the time you read this.

It is too early to tell what this means for nuclear, although we are likely to be affected by a general slow down in Government decision making while the political position stabilises.

Don’t hold your breath for imminent announcements on key issues such as SMR’s; plutonium disposition; and the Geological Disposal Facility.

From a narrow policy perspective there was little to choose between the manifestos of the three main parties.

Energy prices have not been a political hot potato, primarily because the Conservatives made a pledge to put a cap on energy prices. More broadly, the cross party consensus on the need to deliver energy security and tackle climate change continues.

Labour supported new nuclear in its manifesto, and the Lib Dems accepted new stations can play a role. The Conservatives also favour a diverse

mix, but made no mention of the specific technologies.

They focussed instead on ‘desired outcomes’ which suggests they will want new nuclear projects to proceed provided they can demonstrate their costs are under control.

Of course the new ingredient in the Government is the DUP. Clearly they will want to extract concessions on issues that are important for them, but given there are no nuclear plans in Northern Ireland, nuclear is unlikely to be one of these.

That said the DUP manifesto does note the importance of a secure energy supply that ‘moves ever closer to the EU median price’, so cost and competitiveness will be important.

The other big issue that will affect the whole economy is how will the Brexit negotiations be affected?

As I write the consensus is we could be looking at a softer Brexit - but whether such a development could enable the decision to leave Euratom to be reviewed remains to be seen.

As the NIA has pointed out, if current policy is maintained, which would see the UK withdraw from Euratom, the Government must look to ensure alternative arrangements are in place as soon as possible to avoid a damaging cliff edge.

The clock is ticking towards March 2019, and without equivalent new arrangements the full benefit of the UK’s nuclear programme could be lost.

Whilst the surprise election result has dwarfed all other issues, the other massive story this month has been

President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement.

Donald billed this as ‘reasserting America’s sovereignty’ by ‘representing the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris’, although this was somewhat undermined by the Mayor of Pittsburgh’s own statement that he and others were continuing with the Paris deal.

Nonetheless given the US is the world’s second largest carbon emitter (after China) this decision matters.

Of course there must be the real possibility that the withdrawal will not be carried through, not least because the lengthy exit process could take as much as three and a half years – or up to the 2020 Presidential election.

The risk however is the message it sends to the almost 200 countries still in the agreement, who may well become flaky, although both the EU and Beijing immediately confirmed they will stick with their targets.

But it would be unwise to be complacent, and climate change deniers in the UK are already sharpening their arguments ready to put the UK’s commitments under pressure. As an industry, and in concert with our clean energy colleagues, we will need to get out there making the case.

PETER HASLAM Head of Policy, NIA peter.haslam@niauk.org

2017 | SUMMER — 29

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