Industry Link - Summer 2018

MAGAZINE OF THE UK NUCLEAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION SUMMER / 2018

NIAUK.ORG

Tapping into UK expertise 8 INNOVATION THROUGH COLLABORATION 20 Impact of GDPR on the nuclear supply chain 18 NEW FUTURE FOR NUCLEAR SKILLS 2

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B — SUMMER | 2018

namrc.co.uk

Welcome to IndustryLink

Dan Powney dan.powney@niauk.org

There have been a lot of changes here at the NIA over the last few months and with heavy hearts we had to bid farewell to Sara and Rupert. They are both off on new adventures and we wish them well in their future careers.

The NIA will be welcoming some new faces in the coming weeks but in the interim I’m stepping in as editor for this edition of Industry Link. For those who don’t know me I manage all design work for the NIA so am very familiar with the magazine.

We have a great edition for you with a number of stories focussing on UK expertise in decommissioning, a great compliment to being published at the NIA’s first ever dedicated decommissioning conference DECOM2018.

The NDA talk to us about driving a skills agenda that will secure a sustainable future for the nuclear industry whilst Cavendish Nuclear tells us about how they attract young people into apprenticeships.

We learn from Atkins how innovations in technology are improving the safety of workers and facilities, with NNL looking at methods from outside the sector could be applied to the nuclear industry.

DIT give us a new perspective on global decommissioning and Nuclear Risk Insurers teach us about the evolving market of nuclear insurance.

IN THIS ISSUE...

PAGE 12 NUCLEAR INSURANCE - AN EVOLVING MARKET

SOLUTIONS IN STEEL

IN VIEW

PAGE 14

PAGE 24 PAGE 19

ATTRACTING APPRENTICES

NIAUK.ORG Follow us: @NIAUK

Editor - Dan Powney Contributors - Shayne Halfpenny-Ray, Peter Haslam, Tom Greatrex, Fiona Reilly – Atlantic SuperConnection, Adrian Prior – Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Mark Popplewell – NRI, Simon Evans – SNC-Lavalin/Atkins, John MacKnight – CRA, Simon Williams – Carr’s Group plc, Aislín Lenehan – nucleargraduates, Jo DeBank – ONR, Kelly Duane – Cavendish Nuclear, with additional thanks to World Nuclear News

Nuclear Industry Association is a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 2804518

Press Enquiries Press@niauk.org TEL 020 7766 6640

Registered Office 5th Floor Tower House 10 Southampton Street London WC2E 7HA TEL +44(0)20 7766 6640 EMAIL info@niauk.org

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Cover image: Courtesy of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority This magazine is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable based inks.

NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR NUCLEAR IS DESIGNED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN FURTHER EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE

New future for nuclear skills 2 — SUMMER | 2018

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has been at the forefront of the UK’s nuclear decommissioning industry for more than a decade, but it’s now setting a new pace for driving a skills agenda that will secure a sustainable future for the nuclear industry.

The newly-published Nuclear Sector Deal, developed by the Nuclear Industry Council – made up of public and private sector organisations – commits to deliver low carbon electricity, support new and existing jobs, and create opportunities for the UK supply chain and communities.

The deal is a partnership between government and industry, focusing on sector-specific issues; creating opportunities to boost productivity, employment, innovation and skills.

One of the key areas of the deal concentrates on education and skills – which are also priorities for the NDA as it ensures the UK has a skilled workforce capable of carrying out the work of decommissioning its 17 nuclear sites.

Significant investment will support key skills initiatives such as increasing apprenticeships, regional delivery of high quality education and apprenticeships, technical skills development and STEM engagement.

Jacq Longrigg, joined the NDA recently as its new Head of Skills, bringing extensive knowledge and experience from a career in the education sector. Her role will also consider the developing agenda of the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group (NSSG), which the NDA is a member organisation.

The NSSG, which acts as a voice for skills in the nuclear sector, will draw up a skills plan that deals with issues facing the industry and over the next few years. It intends to attract and retain nuclear workers; develop qualifications that meet industry needs; make it easier for people starting careers in nuclear; create joint programmes between industry and

education; and have the right facilities available to deliver training and skills.

Jacq said: “The NDA’s ‘People Strategy’ will focus on apprenticeships, skills gaps, subject matter experts, technical and professional skills, transferability and mobility, and STEM engagement – which have been identified as areas of national priority. We’ve already seen some major strides forward with the UK’s first National College for Nuclear, launched earlier this year.”

With two campuses opened in West Cumbria and Somerset, the National College for Nuclear is designed to bridge the gap between further education and the workplace and, once admission is full, it will deliver technical training to thousands of students.

The NDA’s support for nuclear skills also saw the Cyber Lab launched – one of the first of its kind in the UK – which is a state-of-the-art centre, specifically designed to train cyber security apprentices. The topic of cyber security is not just a nuclear-specific priority, it has fast become an urgent focus on a national level.

The Cyber Lab, based in West Cumbria, currently has nine level 4 apprentices who make up the first cohort of trainees.

Once trained, they will go on to protect the nuclear industry from future cyber security threats.

“This new programme demonstrates a long-term commitment from the NDA on cyber security and we are looking to invest £80 million over the next five years in cyber safety,” Jacq says.

“It is so crucial for us to lay plans and invest in training for the next generation of nuclear workers. They are our future who will go on to continue our mission of decommissioning our nuclear facilities.”

NDA Head of Skills, Jacq Longrigg

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South Korea sets sights on the UK BY. TOM GREATREX

Incheon, South Korea by Steve Roe on Unsplash — https://unsplash.com/photos/czrmyQ34gBY

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MEDIA WATCH

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eing in South Korea during the week that the north and south of that divided country formally ended the decade’s long civil war and taking early, faltering but optimistic literal steps towards what is widely hoped can be an enduring peace was a fascinating experience.

While seeing the television pictures which were shown around the world of the handshake and footsteps over the border catch the full attention of an increasingly disparate international media in a way which is rare these days, it was the conversation with a number of Koreans (fortunately many seemed to have very good English) that helped me understand the feelings prevalent in a country that is set to potentially become an important part of the UK’s civil nuclear industry.

Just as distant caricatures suggest a landmass divided into two implacably opposed groups of people, when the reality is a warmth of feeling between Koreans in both states, the impression given in the international media of the prevailing attitude towards civil nuclear power is far from accurate.

There is a lot of interest in South Korea in the activity of the UK industry, our new build programme and decommissioning and waste management activity. As a country which gets almost all of its low carbon electricity from nuclear power stations, issues of air quality in cities like Seoul and Busan are of far more pressing concern than alighting the sputtering diesel minibus down the cul-de-sac of imported electricity than either energy security or climate change.

While the recent election resulted in a new President whose programme included a pledge to move away from nuclear power, the in depth citizen’s jury approach that was used to provide public input into the decision about whether reactors under construction should be completed, the outcome was a pragmatic and sensible one.

Ever since senior KEPCO executives indicated at the NIA new build conference last year that they were interested in acquiring NuGen, there has been a lot of interest in our industry from companies based in Korea – wanting to understand more about the UK’s energy policy, our approach to new civil nuclear power – as you might expect – but also a fascination with understanding more about our capability and experience in both decommissioning and waste management.

KAIF (the Korean equivalent of the NIA) host a nuclear conference each year, and invited the NIA to attend, speak and take part in a panel discussion during the conference.

With an industry which is predominantly a small number of large companies, household names internationally because of other aspects of their business, then it has a quite different character in a number of respects to our own industry.

Yet it is clear from both KAIF and the Korean Nuclear Association that there is much interest in our two countries’ industries working more closely together in the future. It does not take long to work out where some of the opportunities to develop the types of partnership we know from experience can work very well for both parties could be, and we also know from our own experience that the basis of the most successful partnerships is a well-developed relationship with a sound understanding of the mutual benefits.

While some NIA member companies have long had a presence in South Korea, for many others it is a market yet to be explored.

More recently, there has been work done by Nuclear AMRC with the supply chain, and the respective trade bodies for industry are discussing ways in which we can develop and promote an industry to industry dialogue that works in parallel to the established government to government dialogue between the UK and South Korea. In the next few months that could become much more significant for our industry, and the NIA will be working closely with our members, government and other public bodies to ensure emerging opportunities for the UK can be realised.

NEWS

The government provided the first of their quarterly progress updates on Euratom negotiations, where they outlined their aim to have IAEA negotiations agreed and ratified by the end of summer, and negotiations concluded with third countries by the end of 2018.

In response to this, Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the NIA stated: “While there has been some welcome progress, including on the transitional period” it is clear “there is still much the UK government needs to do by the end of 2020.”

He added: “There must be a continued focus and priority given to negotiations with the IAEA, Euratom and third countries, to ensure new agreements are in place”.

Draft text for a transitional arrangement with the EU was released, including a section on the relationship with Euratom.

It stated the current functions and UK obligations under the Euratom Treaty, would continue until the end of the proposed transitional period, in December 2020. This agreement is however, not currently set in stone, as it requires the first part of negotiations which centre around the Irish border question, to be concluded before an agreement can be put in place.

The Nuclear Safeguards Bill passed through the Lords and returned to the Commons. The passage of the Bill has received some significant media focus recently, due to the handful of defeats the government has suffered during its passage in the Lords. The Bill however, is yet to be passed into UK law.

The CBI published a new Brexit report, which contained a focus on the need for regulatory alignment of the UK and the EU in the energy sector, post-Brexit. Within the report, the CBI called for the government to ensure a close relationship with Euratom and advocated the current benefits of membership for the UK’s nuclear industry.

The ETI published a summary report from its Nuclear Cost Drivers project. In it, the ETI outlines 8 ways costs associated with nuclear new build projects can be reduced by up to 30%, thus matching the competitive market forces applied other low-carbon sources.

Commenting on the report, the NIA’s Head of Policy, Peter Haslam said: “This evidence led report shows new nuclear need not be expensive, and identifies key areas of nuclear plant design, construction and operation that could deliver significant cost reductions, through joint action by all parties.

Tom Greatrex was interviewed by Sky News about the latest progress the government has made on a domestic safeguards regime. In the interview, Tom emphasised how time was running out for government in concluding negotiations and stated: “If no deal means no transition then this is a very exacting time frame to try and do everything by. I’m not at all confident that we can get everything done by March 2019.”

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TVO anticipates loading OL3 fuel in late 2018 Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) said it plans to start loading fuel into the core of the Olkiluoto 3 EPR in the autumn, once an operating licence has been granted. However, the company said it is awaiting confirmation from the Areva-Siemens consortium that start-up of the unit is still scheduled for May 2019.

TVO said a total of 128 tonnes of fuel for the EPR has been delivered to the Olkiluoto site in southwest Finland. It noted, “There’s a lot of work still to be done both before loading and after.”

Under the latest schedule for Olkiluoto 3, grid connection takes place in December, with the start of regular electricity production in May next year.

The unit’s ramp-up programme will see it produce 2-4 TWh of electricity, at varying power levels between those dates.

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IAEA tests drone to fight mosquitos In Brazil the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations successfully tested a nuclear based

6 — SUMMER | 2018

method to suppress mosquitos carrying Zika and other diseases.

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), a form of insect birth control, uses radiation to sterilise male mosquitos, which are released to mate with wild females. As they can’t produce offspring the insect population declines over time.

SIT has been used for over 50 years to fight agricultural pests and has only recently been adapted for diseasetransmitting mosquitos. The IAEA and FAO have worked with WeRobotics to develop a drone-based mosquito release mechanism for use in pest control.

The use of drones is a breakthrough, allowing for large-scale, cost-efficient releases over densely populated areas where 20 hectares can be treated in five minutes.

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Kansai plans for Ohi Kansai Electric Power Company has applied to decommission units 1 and 2 of its Ohi nuclear power plant.

It announced in December that it had decided not to seek permission to restart the two units, which have been offline since 2011. It estimated it would have cost some JPY830 billion to make safety upgrades to meet the required standards.

Kansai submitted an application to Japan’s Government seeking approval

to decommission the units and will formulate a detailed decommissioning plan for approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

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Estonian company delivers nuclear cyber security exercise Guardtime, an Estonian cyber security specialist, has planned and executed a custom cyber exercise for the UK’s civil nuclear sector.

The exercise took place in February on the Estonian Defence Forces’ Cyber Range complemented with industrial control systems simulating a nuclear power plant. Live cyber-attacks were conducted against these systems to provide the participants with an opportunity to exercise defence skills, awareness, and communication. The scenario was developed with support from a multi-national team including the UK National Cyber Security Centre.

Kusti Salm, National Armaments Director the Estonian Ministry of Defence, said: “Cyber exercises conducted on a cyber range can go a long way to help improve preparedness and cyber resilience, which is the focus of governments worldwide given the everincreasing diversity of cyber threats.”

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

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Expert Finance Working Group on Small Reactors

As this edition of Industry Link goes to print, the independent Expert Finance Working Group on Small Reactors (EFWG) will be pulling together its report.

The EFWG was convened in January following announcements from Richard Harrington, Minister for Business and Energy, at NIA’s Nuclear 2017 conference back in December. The other two policies that were announced with the EFWG were: 1. The Advanced Modular Reactor

Programme: up to £44m will be made available to assess the feasibility of innovative reactors projects and to accelerate development of promising designs in 2035 and beyond; and

2. Funding for the UK Regulators: up to

£12m will be made available to the Office of Nuclear Regulation and the UK Environment Agencies to assess and license new designs.

The EFWG sits alongside other policy initiatives which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is working on with a view to: →→ developing policy options on small

reactors; →→ providing funding for the ONR to

increase its regulatory capacity and capability to allow it to undertake 1-to-1 engagement with developers/ vendors through April and May 2018; →→ considering legal opinion regarding options for small reactor siting; →→ developing the Nuclear Sector Deal and considering advanced manufacturing initiatives; →→ commissioning a project to explore public perception of small rectors; and →→ exploring opportunities for international collaboration.

The group is comprised of experts from the finance community who bring a wide range of experience from global infrastructure and energy projects, with input from the academic community and the supply chain.

A number of group members have experience of working for governments and the private sector on nuclear projects.

Perhaps more importantly some have little or no experience thereby bringing a fresh perspective to the question at hand.

So what is the question at hand? The EFWG is tasked with exploring financial

models for smaller reactors (those with the potential for early deployment), with a view to providing recommendations on how they could move forward with private financing.

The special characteristic of smaller reactors including factory build, modular construction, reduced lead times and lower capital costs suggests that there are opportunities to reduce the cost of attracting capital for these projects.

The smaller scale, their particular characteristics, and the potential for lower capital costs also opens up wider markets e.g. industrial applications, desalination plants, process heat etc. resulting in better economics overall. The group was established to test this hypothesis with a view to informing Government policy development but it will not be downselecting any technology.

The group is tasked with considering the market conditions Government may need to establish to build confidence.

Including routes to funding and support mechanisms that may be required, the private sector appetite for investment, barriers to investments, risks Government may have to back-stop and potential structures that may help with financing these projects.

The small reactor vendors and developers and other interested parties were invited to provide information to EFWG, through a Request for Information that was published on BEIS’ website. The group received submissions from a range of stakeholders each bringing a different perspective. The stakeholders were also invited to present to the EFWG, thereby giving the group the opportunity to ask questions on the commercial propositions.

This is a significant step to the development of small reactors in the UK by 2030. The EFWG hopes the report will be practical, providing some guidance to Government on how small reactors can commercially be deployed.

FIONA REILLY Fiona is a Board member of the NIA and Executive Partner at Atlantic SuperConnection.

As Chair of the EFWG, Fiona will be presenting the group’s thinking to Ministers this summer.

2018 | SUMMER — 7

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The task of decommissioning the UK’s nuclear sites, some of which date back to the 1950s, brings with it a number of complex challenges.

But laying claim to the oldest civil nuclear industry in the world also presents opportunities. It means that the UK is home to a vast amount of technical intellectual property and knowledge, along with decades of operating experience.

A wealth of intellectual property has been acquired by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as they continue to make progress in tackling the challenges, scale and complexity of the clean-up mission across its 17 sites.

We’re talking decades of research and development, know how, test results, practical experience and documented evidence gathered in some of the most challenging nuclear environments in the world.

That intellectual property is valuable and its value is greatly increased by having access to the knowledge and expertise behind applying it.

International Nuclear Services (INS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the NDA, provides commercial services centred around marketing and exploiting the intellectual property, knowledge and know-how of the NDA Group internationally.

Ozma Taylor, INS Senior Sales Manager, explains: “The combination of NDA intellectual property, Site Licence Company knowledge, and UK supply chain expertise means that we can offer solutions to complex nuclear issues based on over 60 years of UK experience.

“We’re in the unique position of being able to provide access to the operators at these sites and provide insight into everything from reprocessing technology, waste management disposal, packages and package maintenance, fuel cycle transportation, and decommissioning.”

INS is already applying this experience to civil projects in Asia and Europe, connecting UK expertise with real opportunities in markets around the world.

A good example is Japan. INS’s longstanding relationship with Japan has led to tangible opportunities for UK nuclear engineering and expertise in the developing Japanese market and it is delivering results.

Take Fukushima Daiichi for example. By facilitating access to a team of Sellafield experts who had produced a geographical information system for the Sellafield site, INS helped provide a baseline mapping system for the Japanese site through a knowledge and experience transfer to TEPCO. Access to NDA intellectual property and knowledge provides the UK supply chain with the opportunity to gain entry into domestic or overseas markets.

Ozma explains how it works: “UK industry as well as end users can approach INS to discuss their requirements and potential opportunities.

“We’ll establish the source of the intellectual property or the information being sought and conduct a due diligence exercise to establish who owns it. Once ownership is determined the knowledge can be offered commercially to UK industry or directly to the end user. The aim is to save customers or end users time and money. INS can provide support to the supply chain or work ‘hand in hand’ to develop opportunities.

“It’s a win-win. We’re able to offer customers around the world solutions to complex nuclear issues, whilst helping UK industry get access to overseas markets”.

If you would like to find out more about the work of INS visit www.innuserv.com or contact the team at sales@innuserv.com or call +44(0)1925 835000.

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Security performance metrics – more silverware for the clubhouse BY. ADRIAN PRIOR / FRAZER-NASH CONSULTANCY LTD

A

rmchair sports fans will have noticed the increased use of performance statistics in professional sport, often quoted by commentators and players alike.

For example, rugby ‘match stats’ might include distance run with the ball, or tackles made and missed. The use of these carefully selected metrics helps gauge performance levels of individuals and the team, and can be used to help improve results and to meet enterprise objectives – more silverware for the clubhouse.

Nuclear security professionals already make use of performance metrics, but their importance has significantly increased in the era of ‘outcome-focused’ regulation. Security Assessment Principles (SyAPs), published by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) in March 2017, set the tone for

this new approach, placing more emphasis on the outcomes delivered rather than the processes applied to get there. This is a pivotal shift away from legacy prescriptive objectives and model standards.

The upside is clear – duty holders now have greater freedom to decide how they meet regulatory expectations. But with far fewer explicit standards to guide them, how do they demonstrate compliance; and how do inspectors judge the degree of compliance? Our experience suggests effective performance measurement of security systems, including people, processes and equipment, will go a long way to providing an answer.

Here are our five top tips for developing your own security performance metrics, to provide ‘evidence-based’ internal assurance, and to help satisfy the regulator.

1 - Golden thread To select the most beneficial metrics, focus on the key activities you determine are needed to deliver your security and resilience (S&R) goals.

These, in turn, should support the delivery of enterprise objectives. It is helpful to envisage a conceptual ‘golden thread’, linking your strategic level objectives, via your activities and goals, to the individual measurements at the lowest level.

This top down approach is preferable to taking a bottom upwards perspective and simply looking for things that are easy to measure.

2 - Activity analysis Once you have identified the key activities which will deliver your goals, an analysis of these activities will identify any constraints or dependencies that may also need to be measured.

In performing this analysis it is helpful to consider the activity inputs and outputs. For example, when examining access control, you might look at inputs such as guard force (GF) staffing levels and training records; your outputs might include rate of access control fraud detected and prevented, or the results of performance testing

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3 - Metric design A useful starting point for designing a metric is to frame questions about the activity that will reveal its performance level – the ‘activity-questionmetric’ model.

Using access control again as our example, one question might be: ‘How effective are the physical pass checks conducted by the GF?’ These questions help focus the purpose of the metric.

Other considerations are: how the metric will be expressed, the scoring scale, the analysis techniques applied to raw data, the underlying measurements and the collection and frequency of data, the intended audience, how it will be displayed, the owner and any associated targets, limits or standards to be applied.

Key goal indicators

Key performance indicators

Key risk indicators

Critical success factors

4 - Categorisation A categorisation system can be applied to your metrics to identify them as focused on either performance, risk or success factors; as derived from your activity analysis.

You should also consider the need for key goal indicators to meet board level requirements for security performance data. At goal level the scoring scales might be coarse grained, rather than micro detailed.

5 - Red team Finally, the f ledgling metrics should be stresstested by a panel of experts – a ‘red team’ that understands not only the activities in detail, but also how they support the parent level security goals. Frazer-Nash has developed a suite of principles to enable a maturity level assessment of each metric by the red team. Metrics can be scored, refined and selected for implementation, or rejected. The final suite of metrics must be cost effective to manage, so will be limited to those that are considered essential and practical.

Developing a coherent and lean suite of security performance metrics helps deliver efficiency, control and compliance.

Well-informed security management can make better decisions, justify their actions, and achieve greater efficiency.

Security metrics should form a critical role in outcome-focused regulation, providing evidence based assurance of performance levels – a winning solution for duty holders and the regulator.

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Nuclear insurance – an evolving market BY. MARK POPPLEWELL / NUCLEAR RISK INSURERS

The nuclear energy market is clearly in a very different place today than when my company Nuclear Risk Insurers (NRI) was established in 1956.

With change, comes new risks and opportunities in the sector. Against challenging market conditions baseload, low carbon nuclear power will remain an important element of the energy mix to meet emissions reduction commitments in the Paris Agreement.

The nuclear insurance industry in particular is adapting to meet the changing needs of nuclear operators, to provide them with the highest quality of cover that ultimately gives the public peace of mind.

Change in liability limits for the industry Insurance in the civil nuclear industry is fundamentally about protecting people and civil society, and ensuring they’re covered in the event of a nuclear incident.

In an industry characterised by a rarity of incidents, which would incur a very large cost if they happened, nuclear insurance must be set up so that a claim can be paid out instantly.

A considerable amount of time and money has been spent developing and maintaining NRI’s world-class nuclear liability claims solution, and we’re ready and able to pay out on a claim immediately should one arise.

Nuclear liability is governed by a range of conventions and national laws which all tend to follow the same principles around the operator’s strict liability for compensation and coverage requirements.

In response to the 1986 Chernobyl incident, third party liability limits are increasing and the types of damage provided for are broadening as part of the 2004 Revised Paris and Brussels Conventions.

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Limits will increase for damage to property and personal injury, and will widen to also include environment, economic loss, loss of income, preventative measures, allowable emissions and 30-year prescription period. This hasn’t yet been enacted, the ratification date is tentatively mid-2019, which will be reassessed later this year.

An amended Nuclear Installations Act 1965 will enact these conventions into English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish law. The limit tied to the original Paris Convention is £140 million.

Under the revised Paris protocol, the amount of a nuclear operator's liability will increase to a minimum of €700 million, to rise to €1.2 billion over five years. Reduced fixed liability amounts for low-risk nuclear installations and transport activities will be raised to minimum of €70 million and €80 million, respectively. These limits are for the lifetime of the license, and not annual limits.

This is a significant change for the industry, and means secure and stable insurance cover is more important for operators than ever.

Adding clarity to the complex issue of cyber security A growing threat to operators, cyber risk has also changed significantly for the nuclear industry in recent years. Cyber security is a risk for companies in any sector – but especially so in the context of security of critical infrastructure including nuclear facilities.

Cyber security is a very complex issue for insurers, who have to measure the risk of constantly evolving vulnerabilities due to the rapid pace of society’s technological progress, while also attempting to evaluate cyber maturities and engender enhanced

resilience beyond standards demanded by regulatory compliance. This means they need to expertly assess the IT security of each operator to determine whether they’re insurable.

NRI is in the process of developing an insurance solution. The ‘Roadmap to Cyber Insurable Status’ is a progressive pathway currently being developed by NRI to help operators improve their cyber maturity and resilience for the long term, with an emphasis on both the technical and cultural aspects of cyber so both the operator’s Board and the security team are fully engaged in the process.

A cyber assessment and advisory process has been designed to place an operator on one of four levels of cyber maturity: ‘ab initio’, ‘improvement required’, ‘probably insurable’ and ‘insured’. This has been cross-referenced with ONR Security Assessment Principles, and only those operators that reach level three or four on the NRI Roadmap would be offered cover.

From an operator’s perspective, the NRI cyber insurance model provides certainty over actual cyber cover, moving away from a ‘grey’ area in this regard, and provides a way to cover residual risk.

Since the assessment is outcome-based rather than compliance-based, operators can demonstrate the relative strength of their cyber maturity in a range of areas and have a metric with which to justify their investments in cyber compared with the value at risk from it.

An evolving market With all of this in mind, the takeaway for us is that, as markets change, the nuclear insurance industry must continue to be flexible. Above all, it must provide strong capacity and technical expertise to be able to guarantee coverage in the event of a nuclear incident.

Nuclear Liability Governed by conventions and national laws regarding nuclear third party liability:

They all tend to follow the same principles: →→ Strict liability of the nuclear operator

→→ IAEA’s – Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear

→→ Exclusive liability of the operator of a nuclear installation

Damage 1963 →→ IAEA’s – Convention on Supplementary Compensation 15th April 2015 →→ OECD’s – Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy 1960

– Brussels Supplementary Convention in 1963

– Nuclear Installations Act 1965

→→ Compensation without discrimination based on nationality,

domicile or residence

→→ Mandatory financial / insurance coverage of the operator's

liability

→→ Exclusive jurisdiction (only courts of the State in which the

nuclear accident occurs have jurisdiction)

→→ Limitation of liability in amount and in time

Nuclear Installations Act 1965 The Nuclear Installations Act enacts into English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish Law the following International Conventions: 1.

Paris Convention (soon to become the 2004 Revised Paris Convention (RPC))

2.

Brussels Supplementary Convention (soon to become the Revised Brussels Supplementary Convention when RPC ratifies).

Nuclear Installations Act 1965

Nuclear Installations Act 2016 (assumes Paris Convention 2004 ratification in 2019) 2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Total Euro 1500m (SDR 1176) 300m

300m

300m

300m

300m

300m

500m

400m

300m

200m

100m 1100m

1200m

Tier 3 Total GBP 288m (SDR 300m) Tier 2

900m

GBP 128m (SDR125m) GBP 28m (difference between SDR 175m and GBP 140m)

1000m

800m 700m Tier 1

GBP 140m

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IN VIEW

Milestone for Hinkley Point C

Image courtesy of EDF Energy — www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-new-build-projects/hinkley-point-c

Construction is well underway on the pre-stressing gallery for reactor one at Hinkley Point C, marking the shift from ground works to civil construction at the site of the first UK new nuclear power station in over 25 years.

The gallery is a circular tunnel structure that sits below the common raft as part of the Nuclear Island.

It is the receiving point for the crucial tensioning ‘tendons’ that run through the concrete of the inner containment building.

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Game Changers Transforming decommissioning and waste management by embracing digital scanning and immersive technology

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ver the last 60 years, technology has transformed the nuclear industry, increasing efficiency, productivity and improving the safety of workers and facilities.

After decades of invention and billions of pounds of investment, immersive technology is rapidly becoming more accessible, powerful and cost-effective.

For many years technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) promised much but failed to convince a reluctant business and consumer audience outside the gaming world, who often viewed it as a ‘gimmick’.

Now engineering-led applications are delivering tangible business benefits, proving the value of VR and AR. The ability to digitally scan an area with dimensional accuracy has significantly reduced the time it takes to measure or inspect the condition of an asset, reducing the chances of human error and the unfortunate all-too-common need for follow up visits and inspections. The priority on every project or site is clear – make sure all workers return home safely at the end of each day. Technology has helped reduce human intervention in all manner of on-site processes, and immersive technology can minimise these risks even further.

Reality capture techniques are more accurate, efficient and cost-effective than just a few years ago. They capture forensic detail which is used to create highly accurate 3D models, providing an as-built record upon which additional layers of

16 — SUMMER | 2018

information can be securely applied. These models allow engineers and operators to explore complex and restricted areas in an immersive environment before they access the actual facility. The real-world benefits include developing an awareness of the area, planning an approach, identifying key challenges or installation clashes, and deciding on what actions are needed.

At EDF Energy’s Dungeness B power station, Atkins used immersive technology to assist in planning for upcoming outages and optimising the schedule during shutdowns. We worked with EDF Energy to laser scan the main plant area and difficult to access plant rooms producing a virtual version, or ‘digital twin’, much faster than traditional survey methods – a critical factor as some areas can only be accessed during an outage. Workers can revisit the ‘digital twin’ as many times as needed through a desktop application, mobile device or using immersive technology, limiting the time spent in a high-risk setting and minimising disruption and downtime on the actual site.

For ageing assets, the gap between the original drawings and newer 3D CAD models can often be very large, and the condition of the actual asset unknown or very different. The immersive experience of VR lets teams walk through the plant and restricted areas, preparing for tasks and collaborating with colleagues all in a virtual environment.

As part of Atkins’ work to develop the multidiscipline concept design for a complex boiler repair programme, we

conducted a 3D scan through a 4” x 10” inspection port at the base of the boiler to an accuracy of +/- 3mm without deenergising the system. From this data, we built an AR application to display an interactive, animated 3D model allowing a wide range of stakeholders to understand and review the design and the proposed installation sequence within a highlyconstrained space envelope.

Realising such benefits is not just a technological or engineering challenge, it requires a deep understanding of the constraints and requirements of operating in complex and highly regulated environments.

Of course, fundamental to the use of these digital technologies is the ability and requirement to manage, access and most importantly secure the data – particularly against cyber threats.

Nevertheless, the value and benefits of immersive visualisation in engineering are becoming more apparent, with the possibilities for the nuclear industry being limitless.

SIMON EVANS SNC-Lavalin/Atkins

Impact of GDPR on the nuclear industry supply chain BY. JOHN MACKNIGHT / CORPORATE RISK ASSOCIATES

From 25 May 2018 the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force across the European Union. GDPR imposes more responsibilities on all organisations to protect privacy rights of EU citizens data which it holds and processes. The regulatory impact is greater for those who haven’t previously adopted the UK Data Protection Act (1998).

The nuclear industry supply chain holds substantial amounts of ‘special categories’ of personal data, where obligations are enhanced. It requires more rigour around personal data access, anonymisation, encryption, retention, and separation for those lawfully holding and processing data in areas such as health, security vetting and systematic monitoring (i.e. CCTV) on a large scale.

The supervisory authority in the UK is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which under GDPR has greater powers to investigate, stop processing and fine organisations that come to their attention. The ICO recommends taking a risk-based approach to meet, maintain and demonstrate GDPR compliance.

A notable change is the mandatory reporting of personal data breaches to the ICO, who can levy fines up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover, whichever is highest. ‘Regardless of your place in the nuclear supply chain – GDPR will impact your activities.’

The risk of significant fines and reputational risk due to non-compliance are very real for the nuclear supply chain, due to the data held and the many organisational interdependencies in achieving compliance. Your organisation will need to demonstrate auditable compliance and keep records of processing activities.

It’s important to focus on each organisations role in the control and processing of personal data, as you will be both

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a processor and controller. Appointing a Data Protection Officer is mandatory for:

1. Public authority or body; 2. core business activity is systematic monitoring (i.e. CCTV) on a large scale; 3. large-scale processing of ‘special categories’ of personal data.

Organisations may also voluntarily appoint a DPO, due to the nature of their business or in response to mitigating fines and reputational risk.

Processors are now required to meet the following criteria under data protection accountability in the supply chain, in that Data Processors; →→record processing activities →→act on obligations for secure processing of personal data →→are required to inform Controllers / ICO of a data breach event within 72 hours →→conduct impact assessments on high-risk processing areas →→co-operate in audits by Controllers on Suppliers and Partners →→support the f low down of contractual GDPR obligations →→get prior approval of any processing changes →→recognise International Transfers apply to processors. Great care is required in this area →→accountability rests with the most senior management level in every organisation →→organisational awareness is a pre-requisite for the successful adoption of GDPR

BY. SIMON WILLIAMS / CARR’S GROUP PLC

tarting life in 1894 as a family business specialising in steel fabrication, Bendalls Engineering manufactures mission critical equipment for state of the art processing facilities around the world.

Based in Carlisle and part of Carr’s Group plc., we provide a wide range of services, to deliver engineering solutions in the most demanding environments for clients in the nuclear, oil, gas and pharmaceutical industries.

It’s no surprise, therefore, to see the distinctive Bendalls hallmark of the highest quality design and craftsmanship in many high profile decommissioning projects around the UK. With an eye on the future, at the core of the business is a vibrant apprentice

programme to develop the next generation of craftsmen and engineers. One in seven employees is an apprentice, with one third of the remainder being ex-apprentices.

Todd Clark joined us as an Engineering and Design Apprentice. In his first year with the company, Todd shared some of his experiences with us; “Every day, I learn something new through a mixture of training and on the job working alongside experienced designers, project managers, engineers and craftsmen.

It’s exciting to develop a wide range of skills from 3D modelling to steel fabrication at both our Carlisle base and at other locations throughout the Carr’s Group so early in my career.”

Our Managing Director Sean Saunders, is a former Bendalls apprentice himself, and added; “I am proud of our apprentices and the contribution they make to the business.

They are the key to our future. Many have thought of us as predominantly a manufacturer of pressure vessels, but our offer is much wider, based around design and build.”

We work with clients in decommissioning, new build and waste management to understand the issues they are addressing and together create innovative and value adding engineering solutions. If you would like to know more about how Bendalls Engineering can help you, visit our website at www.bendalls.co.uk.

Used for transporting PCM, a type B Novapak on its lifting beam.

Designed by Nuvia, commissioned by LLWR, manufactured and tested by Bendalls Engineering

Todd Clark, Engineering and Design Apprentice, working on 3D modelling

One in seven employees is an apprentice, with one third of the remainder being ex-apprentices Apprentice Lewis Hubner at work in the machine shop

2018 | SUMMER — 19

Innovation through collaboration: NNL SciTec 2018 delivers a new vision for industry

“We all need to work together to challenge the status quo and find new ways of reducing costs.” This was the rallying cry, for the industry to look beyond itself, at the National Nuclear Laboratory’s (NNL) annual SciTec conference recently held in Liverpool.

The theme ‘innovation through collaboration’ ran throughout the conference, reflecting a belief that the future of the UK nuclear industry can only be secured through a willingness to embrace disruption.

There was also a strong desire to explore opportunities to work with a broader range of industries, not traditionally associated with the nuclear sector. For example, one topic of discussion was how decontamination techniques used in the food and drink sector could help save the nuclear industry millions in the post operation clean out process.

Extending industry’s supply chain and building relationships with complementary industries such as oil and gas, aerospace and pharmaceuticals, as well as SMEs and digital start-ups, was highlighted as being the key to the future of nuclear.

Adapting technologies for nuclear NNL SciTec 2018 showcased several innovations from outside of the sector that can be adapted for use within the nuclear industry. This included a demonstration from a ceramics company that has developed a technique for mixing waste with ceramic paste and cooling it with liquid nitrogen to produce a solid mass. The solution has huge implications for nuclear waste storage.

NNL has consistently built its reputation on innovation. Its expertise covers chemistry, mathematics, computing and civil engineering, alongside nuclear physics and the organisation’s responsibilities include providing vital technical support and innovation to legacy clean-up at Sellafield and naval propulsion.

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A government owned business, NNL reinvests profits back into future innovations that have helped it develop world leading facilities for analysing materials and managing highly active waste and spent fuels – which in turn has led to some notable achievements and has helped to deliver billions of pounds worth of savings to the UK economy.

The organisation is now urging the industry to form new partnerships that enable it to utilise technology that has already been developed, deployed and proven in other sectors. While SciTec 2018 was an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the nuclear industry, it also provided an insight into how innovation happening elsewhere can be adapted for use in nuclear.

Meeting future global energy targets As well as looking outside the industry, there are also huge opportunities for worldwide nuclear collaboration, as emphasised

by Sarah Lennon, acting deputy assistant secretary at the US Department of Energy, who provided one of the keynotes at SciTec. NNL is working with organisations across the globe. The value of its contribution to the industry has been widely recognised, particularly since Fukushima, where its scientists have provided critical support.

It is also partnering with organisations in other countries to tackle the world’s energy challenges. During the conference NNL highlighted how it is working collaboratively to review the potential of advanced nuclear technology and construction techniques that will help meet future energy needs, both safely and at a reduced cost.

This will become increasingly significant as countries seek to meet environmental targets while energy demands grow. In the UK alone, the Government wants all new cars to be electric powered by 2040 but, at the same time, has pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 80% before 2050. This will put enormous pressure on our electricity requirements – demands that renewable energy sources alone are unlikely to be able to fulfil.

Nuclear has a huge part to play in supporting these energy targets and solutions such as small modular reactors (SMRs) offer great potential for increased capacity and savings by significantly reducing build times. While not a replacement for large units, they can complement projects that are currently underway such as Hinkley Point C, Moorside and Wylfa Newydd.

The voice of the industry With more than 300 delegates from across the globe, SciTec 2018 was an opportunity to reflect on how the UK can take a leading position in the global nuclear industry, and how we can continue to work together to build confidence in nuclear energy amongst the general public.

NNL’s own engineers and scientists, alongside its global partners, are working on multiple ways to do this, primarily to address waste management but also to look at new ways that technology can make nuclear energy more abundant and cost effective. By working better internationally and looking outside of the industry, the nuclear sector has a huge opportunity to use the support and expertise of others to make this happen.

2018 | SUMMER — 21

New Perspective on Global Decommissioning

N

ow 18 months into the nucleargraduates scheme, I’ve been on a (world) tour of the nuclear industry.

Since beginning this journey at Sellafield, my focus has been on decommissioning and I have used the opportunity to learn more about progress made within the UK as well as countries such as Germany, Canada and Japan.

I am finishing the two year secondmentbased scheme at the Department for International Trade, giving me a unique UK government perspective of the industry.

My work focuses on the Japan campaign and I will be moving to Tokyo to support our Embassy’s work in the near future.

It is clear that the UK has not been shy in meeting the challenge of nuclear decommissioning head-on. With a rich history spanning the fuel cycle, and some of the world’s most complex legacy decommissioning projects, UK capability has adapted well to the shifting needs of the domestic and international industry.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) provides a gateway for industry to showcase their ability on a world stage.

The global face of nuclear is changing, with each country developing its own nuclear ‘personality’ as we stand on the brink of a nuclear power renaissance.

However, one feature remains consistent

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in this industry make-up; decommissioning is big business. Germany is shutting all its reactors and there are currently major parallel works which could benefit from UK expertise in specialist equipment and programme management.

In January, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion Baroness Fairhead, in the company of a UK delegation, became the first UK minister to visit the Fukushima Daiichi site in Japan, showing our commitment in supporting the ongoing clean-up activities.

To service its rapidly growing fleet of reactors China has extensive plans for the development of substantial integrated radioactive waste management facilities, for which the UK has been world pioneers.

The UK has a lot to offer and DIT is in a prime position to support UK business in taking advantage of these global opportunities. Importantly, we understand the reputation of the UK industry in the countries we operate in and can advise on various practical, strategic or political discussions. Trade missions, industry events and foreign embassy networks are a fantastic way to begin a successful conversation around the opportunities for your business.

“The UK has an important nuclear heritage that is recognised around the

world, and we acknowledge our duty to export and share the knowledge and skills that our industry has developed.

“The Civil Nuclear Showcase in February was an excellent example of bringing together a global nuclear network from 23 countries and demonstrating that the UK is ready to do business and make a difference.” − Campbell Keir, Director of Energy and Infrastructure You can hear more from Campbell at the NIA's DECOM2018 conference on 18 June. DIT will have a stand at the WNE 2018 in Paris June 26 – June 28, if you are attending and are interested in international opportunities then be sure to drop by the GREAT British pavilion, managed by the EIC and NIA.

AISLÍN LENEHAN nucleargraduates Department for International Trade

SNAPSHOT

ONR: developing a domestic safeguards regime BY. JO DE BANK / OFFICE FOR NUCLEAR REGULATION

As part of its preparations for Brexit, Government announced its commitment to leaving Euratom as part of exiting the European Union.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is working with the UK government to help ensure a smooth transition of nuclear safeguard arrangements to the UK from Euratom.

This will be achieved through the implementation of a UK State System of Accountancy for and Control of nuclear material, which meets Government expectations and international obligations by 29 March 2019.

The Nuclear Safeguards Bill currently going through Parliament gives the ONR

the legal powers to deliver this domestic safeguards regime.

This project represents one of the most significant changes in ONR’s history and is a key priority for ONR, as documented in our recently published Corporate Plan for 2018/19 We are making good progress in ensuring we can deliver and we expect the UK Nuclear Safeguards Information Management and Reporting IT System (SIMRS) to be operable by the end of 2018, including extensive testing.

We are also making excellent progress to ensure the project has the necessary capacity and capability. We have undertaken a successful recruitment campaign

and expect to have the necessary number of warranted inspectors in place to enable the UK to meet international obligations.

We will be ensuring we work closely with, and listen to, the industry while implementing the UK safeguards regime, and will be providing several opportunities for the industry to hear from us and for us to hear from you. We look forward to it.

To view and download the full ONR Corporate Plan visit http://www. onr.org.uk/documents/2018/onrcorporate-plan-2018-2019.pdf.

A5_annual_dinner_advert_180319.indd 2 19/03/2018 12:01:51

2018 | SUMMER — 23

Attracting Apprentices

BY. KELLY DUANE / CAVENDISH NUCLEAR

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One of the biggest challenges facing the engineering and nuclear sectors is how to attract young people into our industry.

At Cavendish Nuclear, we recognise that apprenticeships are a fantastic way of tapping into fresh, dynamic talent - people with a drive to develop and challenge that are needed to help to build a dynamic and diverse nuclear workforce for today and for the future.

At the core of our business are our people – people who innovate to make nuclear, safer, faster and at lower cost – and we are passionate about developing the dynamic, talented engineers of the future through our apprenticeship scheme.

As an organisation that operates across the entire nuclear lifecycle from design and build, through operations

and maintenance, to decommissioning, waste management and remediation, we pride ourselves on being able to offer our apprentices a unique opportunity to launch their career in an inspiring, complex and rapidly growing industry.

Since 2014 we have taken on over 50 apprentices, offering them challenging and hands on work experience on real engineering and science based projects and we plan to take on a further 75 apprentices in the next 3 years.

Earlier in the year, we celebrated national apprentice week by profiling a range of our apprentices – some of those were just starting out in their careers and others who have used their apprenticeship as a springboard for their career.

Phil Craig

Managing Director of Dounreay Site So what about those individuals whose experience as an apprentice formed the start of their career, which has since gone from strength to strength? Meet Phil Craig, Managing Director of Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL).

He started his career being accepted onto a modern apprenticeship after finishing high school. He then completed a degree in Mechanical Engineering and undertook roles involving cost control, project engineering and the complex management of projects / programmes before moving into a role in business development. Phil then moved into general management and ran Cavendish Nuclear’s EDF account for more than three years, before he was appointed as MD of DSRL. When asked what he’d learned about himself through his experience as an apprentice, Phil said, “That every opportunity should be seized. Whether it scares or disheartens you slightly, all experiences really do make us more rounded engineers, managers and leaders. On some placements I learnt nothing more than how I would not do things when I was a leader. Other placements, projects challenged and pushed me to develop in ways I didn’t realise until later.”

“My apprenticeship laid the foundations for my career and provided important access into an exciting industry with lots of opportunity to stretch and develop.”

The Twittersphere BY. SHAYNE HALFPENNY-RAY

#thatanswerwontdomajorchangeisneeded tothewholewaygovtdealswithimmigration

Charlotte Vernon Junior Analyst

Charlotte Vernon grew up in Gosforth, Cumbria where she travelled to attend Millom Comprehensive School and continued to do A-levels at the 6th form. She joined Cavendish Nuclear as a Scientific Apprentice in 2013 and is now working as an analyst at Cavendish Nuclear’s Greeson Court Laboratories, analysing environmental samples from nuclear sites around the country.

Reflecting on her experience as an apprentice and how it has impacted her career, Charlotte said, “During my apprenticeship I grew in confidence, I had belief in myself to complete tasks and challenges I was given, particularly those that didn’t fall into the general science remit.”

When asked where she’d like to be in five years’ time she said, “I would love to have developed in my technical role, completing a degree in my field of work and continuing to expand my knowledge and expertise.”

FUTURE ENGINEERING TALENT Do you know someone who could be interested in an apprenticeship at Cavendish Nuclear?

Contact Talent@Cavendishnuclear.com or take a look at our parent company website to view the apprentice schemes we have on offer at www.babcockinternational. com/Careers/Apprenticeships.

For those who regularly delve into the depths of social media, hashtags are a clever tool of promoting your tweet.

The more views and shares you get, the bigger impact your account and your brand will have. By highlighting key words and phrases, it not only makes your work standout, but also improves the overall visibility of your tweet and the impressions it will receive.

Social Media is a fickle thing, and one day’s viral thread can be irrelevant the next, so staying on top of this is crucial.

Hashtags can help your follow rate, whilst maintaining and even improving the relevance of your material.

Rule of thumb would dictate a couple of hashtags depending on the subject matter, most of which will be one or two words or a short phrase. Like all good things, there can be too much of something, and hashtags are no exception. Unlike Instagram, where it is accepted every word can be preceded with #, twitter usually has a tighter balance.

If you are like me and Who to follow? happen to spend hours a week on social media, you will Want information on nuclear and other relevant topics? notice that the most popular This issue we recommend tweets will have hashtags, you follow: and usually around events or big political movements @edfehinkleyc there is a key topic trending.

Maddeningly though, some @FORATOM_nuclear people like to think you can fit @UKNNL your whole tweet in a hashtag.

Not only will this defeat the object of a hashtag, it looks incredibly messy and won’t be something people will want to get behind.

Moral of the story - more is less, and brevity is the spice of life. If you think hashtags aren’t really for you, just make sure you have an eye-catching picture and a pool of solid retweeters, and you can avoid a panic over the perfect hashtag length.

Twitter Count Followers: 6,044 Tweets: 9,202

@NIAUK

@willcoley #Hashtags are essential #to most #tweets but too many #make #tweets #unreadable. Especially to #newbies. Why complicate it?

2018 | SUMMER — 25

NEWS IN BRIEF

Japanese nuclear specialists learn from UK expertise

NDA announces new Chair of Sellafield Board

Japanese nuclear industry experts have visited two of the UK’s most challenging decommissioning projects to see the techniques and technologies being used first-hand.

Representatives from the Japan Atomic Energy Authority visited Dounreay and Sellafield to learn more about the nuclear decommissioning and hazard reduction programmes, and to find out if the UK’s nuclear innovation could be used at sites in Japan.

Dounreay is one of the UK’s most complex decommissioning projects and Sellafield has been at the forefront of it's nuclear industry for several decades, making significant progress in cleaning up the legacy from the earliest days of nuclear.

Dr Adrian Simper, the NDA’s Strategy and Technology Director, said: “These visits are an important part of the work being done by the NDA, its subsidiary INS, and DIT to highlight the UK’s nuclear decommissioning expertise to overseas customers.

“The work being done on the NDA sites is pioneering the way nuclear facilities are decommissioned all over the world and showcases the unique expertise that is on offer within the UK’s nuclear supply chain.”

NDA Chief Executive David Peattie announced Lorraine Baldry OBE as new Chair of NDA subsidiary, Sellafield Ltd. Lorraine has extensive experience in senior roles across a range of international companies and high-profile public sector organisations, including Thames Water, the Olympic Delivery Authority and London and Continental Railways Ltd. As Chair of Sellafield Ltd, Lorraine will report directly to David Peattie.

In her role as Chair of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Council, Lorraine has already gained valuable experience of working within the nuclear industry.

David Said: “Her unique blend of experience, from a diverse range of organisations in the private and public sector, will help Sellafield provide a continued focus on safety while making decommissioning progress and delivering value for the UK taxpayer.”

Lorraine said: “The next few years will be an important time for Sellafield as we look towards the end of nuclear fuel reprocessing and making accelerated progress in decommissioning and hazard reduction.”

Magnox celebrates another year of delivery Magnox has published its decommissioning highlights from the last financial year.

‘Achievements 2017/18’ pulls together the big steps forward in hazard reduction and delivering the mission across the 12 Magnox sites and other business improvements.

With safety at the core of the Magnox mission, the selection of illustrated case studies summaries the key achievements and challenges tackled, including asbestos removal, waste retrievals and packaging and decommissioning.

Tony Moore, Managing Director, said: “We can all be extremely proud of the achievements that the Magnox team has made in safe and secure decommissioning.

“We will continue to build on the good work to drive the decommissioning of the Magnox sites into the future. Next year promises to be just as exciting as we continue our journey to move all our sites to closure.”

You can view and download a copy of the brochure at https://magnoxsites.com/wp-content/ uploads/2018/05/FINAL-Magnox-Achievements201718-d14.pdf alternatively you can watch a film version at https://youtu.be/-EdfNnKtxPQ.

26 — SUMMER | 2018

Yes, this is another notification about GDPR

NIA New Build Business Group BY. SHAYNE HALFPENNY-RAY

No doubt by now you have all had enough of seeing emails containing the dreaded letters G, D, P and R. Over the last couple of months our inboxes have been filled with requests from all sorts of companies, checking if we want to keep receiving updates, asking us to opt-ins or notifying us of policy updates. Many of these companies we didn’t even realise still had our email addresses so the opportunity to clean house and manage our subscriptions was partly welcome.

The NIA also had to make preparations and adjustments to be GDPR compliant and as such we are sorry that we too had to send those emails to you. It was a great opportunity to give an overhaul to the database, make a fresh start and give our members greater control over the communications they receive.

Many of you have already signed up but for the benefit of those who may have missed our messages simply complete the short form at http://eepurl.com/doOCyD. You will be able to specify how we can contact you and select what information you wish to receive from us and this can be updated or you can request deletion at any time.

Showing support for Stonewall

Our team member Dan Powney is hard at work training for the Royal Parks Half marathon taking place in Central London in October.

Dan will be running and raising money for Stonewall, a charity that campaigns for LGBT equality in the UK and worldwide. Although he has never taken part in a half marathon before it’s a physical and mental test he is tackling head on.

Dan said: “Having only ever run short distances the prospect of running 13 miles is daunting, but a challenge I’m looking forward to taking on. The support I’ve received so far has been overwhelming and I’ve already made it to 60% of my target!

“It’s thanks to the campaigning and support of individuals and organisations like Stonewall that helps people like me in being free to be ourselves and achieve our full potential. So I’m thrilled to be able to raise some money to put towards the work they do.”

Here at the NIA we are proud to be supporting Dan and look forward to seeing him achieve his goal in October. If you would like to read more about Dan’s story, or give him your support, you can find all the details on his sponsorship page at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/pbear_rph.

The first meeting of the New Build Group for 2018, took place in Bristol and was kindly hosted by Atkins. As it was the first business group meeting I had organised as its secretary, I wanted to make sure it was a success, bringing together the key themes members asked for in their previous feedback.

Business groups are designed to allow nuclear professionals from across the sector to give and receive industry updates, as well as discuss opportunities and wider energy news. It also gives members the chance to meet friends, colleagues and to develop a new network of contacts.

In addition to formal one day meetings, we also hold informal dinners and drinks, usually sponsored by member companies, to increase the amount of networking time but also as a way of celebrating success together. For the March meeting, the dinner was held at Glassboat in Bristol, and for anyone who was unable to attend; it was as fantastic as it sounds. With a drinks reception kindly sponsored by Hitachi on the river, and a threecourse meal, the night was one to remember.

The meeting itself pulled together some fantastic industry professionals and government officials, who provided insightful presentations on sector developments, new supply chain members, project updates and government policy.

Aside from trendy VR headsets, a great lunch and some fascinating discussions, members were able to get a good sense of the direction we want to take the group in. This meeting particularly focussed on themes of discussion from member feedback, as we try to engage more with regular and new attendees.

As is customary, the chairs and I want to thank Atkins for hosting the meeting, and Hitachi for sponsoring the drinks reception the night before. If members are interested in hosting and/or sponsoring future meetings (lunches, dinners and receptions), please feel free to get in touch, and as always do give us feedback on how we can tailor discussions to your business needs.

2018 | 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.

Osprey Shipping Ltd ospreyltd.com

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

Osprey is a specialist logistics contractor which own and operate the UK’s largest fleet of heavy cargo barges.

Osprey operates the largest UK domestic SPMT fleet, heavy lift cranes, modular road transportation, installation equipment and ships. Osprey has significant nuclear experience and provides a muster port facility for HPC.

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

Ascentor Ltd ascentor.co.uk Ascentor helps organisations stay safe through information risk management – and equips suppliers to deliver projects and bid for contracts more successfully.

Its public and private sector customers rely on its pragmatic and business focused approach to their cyber security and information assurance challenges.

FAYAT Lifting Ltd en.metal.fayat.com FAYAT Lifting Ltd provides materiel handling and lifting solutions including: • • • • • • •

Overhead travelling cranes Polar cranes Gantry cranes Jib-cranes Monorails Hoists and lifting attachments Waste storage equipment

FAYAT Lifting Ltd provides design, supplies installation and maintenance for new-built nuclear power plants, as well as dismantling and decommissioning.

Canadian Nuclear Association cna.ca The Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) is a non-profit organization established in 1960 to represent the nuclear industry in Canada and promote the development and growth of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes.

The CNA undertakes several advocacy tasks related to nuclear technology in Canada, such as participating in relevant regulatory and environmental affairs, public, government, and media relations, education, and also provides several business functions such as conferences and workshops.

28 — SUMMER | 2018

Fugro fugro.com Fugro is a leading international provider of geo-intelligence and asset integrity solutions with expertise extending from pre-construction site investigation to measurement, monitoring and testing throughout the asset life.

With a wide range of technology and specialist expertise Fugro characterise ground conditions, helping designers reduce uncertainty and manage risk.

Prysmian Cables and Systems Limited uk.prysmiangroup.com Prysmian is a global group with manufacturing facilities in the UK. As the world's leader in the Energy and Telecom cables and systems industry, Prysmian provides a wide range of products, technologies and services to the worlds key players across all sectors.

Prysmian supports the Nuclear industry and its various technologies with its compliant/approved cables and components for all areas (K1, K2, K3 etc.).

TÜV UK Ltd tuv-nord.com/uk TÜV UK Ltd was founded in 1979 to meet growing demands of quality management systems and their implementation. The company dealt with the growing demands in the British industry for increased quality, safety, reliability and efficiency.

TÜV staff are renowned for ensuring that industrial systems and products are designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned in accordance with the appropriate standards and regulatory bodies.

OPINION

PowerPolitics “THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY’S KEY BREXIT CONCERN REMAINS EURATOM, AND OUR ABILITY TO OPERATE EFFECTIVELY AFTER LEAVING”

If a week is a long time in politics, the three months since my last column have been an eternity. Bullying and sexual harassment stories were barely cold before the Windrush scandal came to light. Taking everyone by surprise, this quickly resulted in a move from ‘hostile’ to ‘compliant environment’, and another Cabinet resignation.

The latter, according to newspapers, has unsettled the Cabinet’s delicate Remain/Brexiteer balance, although how this plays out remains to be seen. At the time of writing a battle royal is underway about the UK’s future involvement in the Customs Union – with the Brexiteers describing the Remainers’ preferred Customs Partnership option as ‘cretinous’, only to be referred to in turn as ‘toddlers’.

Whether either depiction is fair is not for us to say, but as an internationally based business civil nuclear clearly supports an outcome that minimises any additional UK customs procedures or processes. These can only lead to delays.

That said, the nuclear industry’s key Brexit concern remains Euratom, and our ability to operate effectively after leaving.

In this context there has been progress in that the Nuclear Safeguards Bill, which allows new safeguarding arrangements to be put in place in the UK, has almost completed its Parliamentary Stages. It is currently going between the Commons and the Lords, but since there is only one amendment in dispute it should be passed by the time this is printed.

Of course as we’ve reiterated endlessly, this important piece of legislation only resolves one of the challenges that comes from the UK’s impending withdrawal

from Euratom, and we need to ensure there is progress on the other key issues.

These include actually setting up an operational IAEA accredited safeguards regime; negotiating Nuclear Cooperation Agreements with four key markets (USA; Canada; Australia and Japan); and establishing an efficient Export Control Licence regime. Government also need to negotiate an agreement with Euratom to secure the ‘close association’ they are seeking, and ensure current benefits to the UK and EU nuclear sector continue.

Government has told us all of these are currently well on track, but clearly it is essential momentum is maintained.

The March European Council agreed an eighteen month transition period, which should theoretically provide breathing space, but since this would still fall through in the event of a breakdown in negotiations it cannot be relied upon.

Looking beyond Euratom we are continuing to await finalisation of the draft nuclear sector deal, which was first published on the government website back in December. We are keen to discuss with Government how the key proposals – which look at how we can maximise the benefit to UK plc right across the fuel cycle – will be taken forward.

A key strand of the deal is financing of new nuclear projects, and in this context the Energy Technologies Institute published a Nuclear Cost Drivers report at the end of April based on analysis of historic, contemporary and future UK and international projects. Whilst it is always important to avoid comparing apples with pears, the report suggested there are several consistent characteristics

shared among the world’s lowest cost plants that could provide opportunities for reducing costs.

Since the industry is committed to reducing the costs to the consumer and is working with the Government through the sector deal to achieve this we believe these are well worth examining.

Finally, turning to the other end of the fuel cycle, the Government has recently been undertaking two consultations relating to the proposed Geological Disposal Facility (GDF), one on Working with Communities and the other on a proposed National Policy Statement.

The NIA is generally supportive of both proposals. We believe the consent based approach to developing the UK’s GDF infrastructure, which builds on the experience gained from the previous GDF process, is the right one.

We wonder however whether further guidance is needed on some key issues, particularly arrangements for exercising the Right of Withdrawal and the test of public support. Given that these could lead to the immediate abandonment of a potential GDF site it is important that decisions are not taken lightly or without thorough consideration.

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

2018 | SUMMER — 29

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