Industry Link - Winter 2018

MAGAZINE OF THE UK NUCLEAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION WINTER / 2018

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APPG Site Visit 2 to Taishan GREG CLARK VISITS NUCLEAR AMRC 16 Supply chain 22 event attracts record visitors NEW NUCELAR ENERGY FACTS FROM NIA 18

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Welcome to IndustryLink

Hannah Fensome hannah.fensome@niauk.org

Welcome to the Winter 2018 issue of Industry Link. As an industry we’ve had a busy couple of months and this is reflected in this edition of the magazine. We have an article from Andy Shearer from McCarthy on its role in the nuclear supply chain, an article on Greg Clark’s visit to Nuclear AMRC, and a piece from Framatome on the future of Nuclear.

This issue also includes a farewell from the NIA’s outgoing Chair, Lord John Hutton, as he reflects on seven years in the role. Our new Chair, Dr Tim Stone, gives us his thoughts on where the industry is heading and what he wants to achieve as Chair of the NIA. I’m sure many of you are aware that our chief executive, Tom Greatrex, accompanied the APPG group visit to Taishan in November, and he has given us a summary of his trip in this edition of the magazine.

In this issue, we also have a review of the NIA Decommissioning Business Group meeting which took place in Birchwood in September and the NDA Estate Supply Chain event which took place in Manchester in November, where many of our members were recognised in the NDA Estate Awards.

I’m sure we will see many of you at our Nuclear 2018 conference and Annual Dinner. For those of you who we won’t see, on behalf of the NIA I’d like to wish you a relaxing winter break and all the best for the New Year.

IN VIEW

IN THIS ISSUE...

PAGE 19 AQUILA TO WORK ON EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE

PAGE 14

PAGE 10

WHERE DOES LEV FIT IN? PAGE 8

IN CONVERSATION: TIM STONE

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Editor - Hannah Fensome Art Editor - Dan Powney Contributors - Tom Greatrex, Peter Haslam, Shayne Halfpenny-Ray, Ieuan Williams, Sam Lystor, John Hutton, Tim Stone, Andy Shearer – McCarthy Environmental Ltd, Marc Duret – Framatome UK, Tim Chapman – Nuclear AMRC, Sally Seed – BECBC, with additional thanks to World Nuclear News

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Cover image: Courtesy of Framatome UK - www.framatome.com This magazine is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable based inks.

(l to r) Tom Greatrex, Lord Broers, Trudy Harrison MP, Neil Coyle MP, Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, Sue Hayman MP, Viscount Hanworth

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APPG site visit to Taishan BY. TOM GREATREX

“HAVING THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING IN THE CAVERNOUS TURBINE HALL IS LIKE VISITING A CATHEDRAL TO THE VALUE OF ATOMIC ENERGY, WHICH WILL PRODUCE 1.6GW OR MORE OF LOW CARBON POWER EACH YEAR FOR SIXTY YEARS OR MORE”

T

ravelling into Guangzhou city centre from the massive international airport, in what is China’s most populous province of more than 100 million people, two of the reasons for the rapid expansion of nuclear power in China are very obvious.

Not only is the city growing at an incredible pace, evidenced by the construction cranes building new high rise accommodation for people and businesses alike and a liking for neon signs on many of the city’s buildings, but there is a haze that sits in the air above the city that you can taste.

Though nowhere near as polluted a city as Beijing, a rapidly urbanising society whose metropolitan elite are enjoying a love affair with cars of often western extraction brings with it challenges of congestion, air quality and meeting demand for the electricity to power homes and businesses.

It is little wonder, then, that alongside an expansion of thermal power plant and a rapid increase in the amount of wind turbines and solar panels, the provinces of China are simultaneously expanding their nuclear capacity. With a target for 58GW of capacity to be in place by 2030, and a further 30GW under construction, the pipeline of activity over the next ten years demonstrates just how China is at the forefront of global nuclear new build activity. With the most recent published statistics showing an increase in demand for electricity of around 10% in China in just one year, the need for all of those forms of power generation is stark indeed.

In recent months, we have seen both the first EPR and AP1000 reactor designs be completed in China and connected to the grid.

With a cross-party group of MPs and peers, all members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Nuclear Energy which the NIA supports, there was huge interest in seeing the first completed EPR reactor in the world.

The construction of Hinkley Point C is well underway in Somerset, and successfully completed the early phases in the two years since the final investment decision was confirmed,

but it is at Taishan, in south China, that the first EPR connected to the grid is located.

While this no longer means those sceptical of the reactor design can lay claim that it has not been built anywhere (and those that pay close attention to the language used by ideological opponents of nuclear power will have noticed the subtle shift in phraseology in recent weeks), what is both impressive and daunting is not just the scale of the exercise of the construction, which can also be seen at Hinkley, but the vast nature of the structure.

Having the privilege of being in the cavernous turbine hall is like visiting a cathedral to the value of atomic energy, which will produce 1.6GW or more of low carbon power each year for sixty years or more, helping to meet the burgeoning domestic demand for clean power.

Despite some of the APPG members on the visit having previously had very limited experience of nuclear facilities, the group included two MPs from West Cumbria (Sue Hayman, MP for Workington and Trudy Harrison, MP for Copeland) who are both very familiar with Sellafield and currently particularly concerned about the future of the Moorside site as part of the UK new build programme.

In the UK we seem to take an inordinate amount of time to progress decisions to build any infrastructure, there is a much greater sense of immediacy in China. Within the space of just over a decade, you can stand on the hill overlooking Taishan units 1 and 2, with the adjacent site cleared in anticipation of decisions on the development of future reactors, where previously there was nothing.

Most impressive to the APPG was not just seeing the power station, but the discussions with those who have led the construction of the first unit, and are close to completion of the second unit alongside. There is a tremendous professional pride taken in what has been achieved at Taishan, and the engineers, construction managers and executives involved were very open

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and willing to talk about the achievements of the last few years, and how they have built experience into their team as a result of overcoming the challenges of a nuclear new build project.

That experience was also a demonstration of the long term value of the partnership between CGN and EDF over a thirty year period. The reactors built at Daya Bay, which power much of Hong Kong’s high demand for electricity, were the beginning of that partnership. As the APPG met the senior management of CGN in their offices in Shenzhen, they were keen to impress upon the visiting Parliamentarians their commitment to the continuation of that partnership, including in the UK, as an investor in Hinkley and subsequently at Sizewell and Bradwell.

While we focus on the partnership with EDF, and the involvement in the UK that comes as a result of that, the base of activity of CGN is much broader – with the company working in 20 different countries and across the full range of power generation technologies – it is the opportunity for continued partnership which is of most interest to member companies of the NIA. At the same time as the APPG visit, in Shanghai major contracts worth close to £800 million were signed between CGN and UK companies (and NIA members), Ultra Electronics and Rolls Royce). This is in addition to the UK companies – including Weir, Delta Controls, Clyde Union, Hayward Tyler and Mott McDonald – that already have contracts or co-operation agreements with CGN. In developing plans for the UK, CGN were very clear in understanding from members of the APPG of the importance of local content from our supply chain.

Often, the relationship between China and the UK is portrayed as something novel, unusual or even highly risky.

The reality is that the relationship has been developing over several years – and there are real opportunities for our supply chain working with CGN at home and abroad. That should not be a surprise – our industry is a global one, and it is through partnership and co-operation that we make most advances.

THE ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY The APPG is a cross-party group of MPs and members of the House of Lords with an interest in nuclear energy.

The group is co-chaired by Ian Liddell-Grainger, the Conservative MP for Bridgewater and West Somerset and Sue Hayman, the Labour MP for Workington.

The group hold meetings and arrange briefings for Parliamentarians on a range of issues, some of which are open for industry representatives to attend and take part in.

The NIA provides the secretariat for the APPG – and for more information on the APPG’s work, please contact shayne.halfpenny-ray@niauk.org or call Shayne on 020 7766 6641.

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MEDIA WATCH NEWS

Government launched its first ever Green Great Britain Week, which saw numerous companies get involved. In support, Tom Greatrex said: “Green GB Week is the perfect time to reflect on the significant progress we have made as a country since the Climate Change Act came into place ten years ago, when just 18.5% of electricity generation came from clean energy.

“This is particularly significant when compared to generation in 2017, when low carbon sources of electricity accounted for 50.1%.”

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPPC)report was published in October, warning we have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe. On behalf of the Nuclear Industry Association Tom Greatrex, said: “The IPCC’s Special Report issues a strong warning that unless we limit global warming to less than 1.5°C, there will be severe consequences.

“The report is clear that limiting global warming to 1.5°C will require rapid and substantial changes across energy, transport, industry, and beyond.”

At its Party conference in September, Labour committed to decarbonisation, including stating it would set a target of 60% energy from low carbon sources within 12 years of the party being in power.

The NIA responded, “Currently around half of all UK energy comes from low carbon sources, so a target of 60% by 2030 is fully achievable. Nuclear is pivotal in achieving this as it provides clean, reliable and secure power to the grid whatever the weather.”

Toshiba announced its plans to wind-up NuGen, the nuclear power plant construction project in Cumbria. The announcement is sad news for all those involved in the project and for the nuclear sector.

The NIA said “The Moorside site in Cumbria remains a site designated by Government for nuclear new build and has huge local support. It is therefore vital Government facilitates the build of new nuclear on the site for the sake of the energy security of the UK and for the local economy in Cumbria. With all but one of the UK’s nuclear power plant due to come offline before 2030, there’s an urgent need for new nuclear to be built quickly, and the Moorside site has a key role to play in this.”

The UK has joined the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), which means the UK can now participate in in significant research and development into the next generation of nuclear technologies.

The NIA commented “The UK becoming party to the GIF framework is positive news for the nuclear sector in the UK. The UK has consistently been a world leader in nuclear technology and joining the GIF will enable us to share our expertise in nuclear research and technology. It will also help facilitate a closer working relationship with the 14 other members of the Forum.”

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Poland needs nuclear Polish Energy Minister Krzysztof Tchórzewski has made the case for the country to adopt nuclear power, explaining how such a policy would boost investment in Polish engineering knowhow and a knowledge-based economy.

Poland produces most of its electricity from coal and imported gas, and Tchorzewski has warned that the country will not meet European Union carbon emissions reduction targets unless it revives plans to build a nuclear power plant. In 1990, coal-fired power plants accounted for 98% of electricity in Poland. Today its share is 80%.

The Polish Energy Ministry has prepared an amendment to the Nuclear Energy Programme, which he said will be submitted to the Council of Ministers by the end of this year.

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Canada to build advanced medical isotope centre PM Justin Trudeau announced a CAD50 million investment in a new centre for isotope research and development.

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The Institute for Advanced Medical Isotopes (IAMI) will house a new TR-24 medical cyclotron, a cyclotron control room and six laboratories. Canada is already a leader in the global medical isotope market and contributes more than 50% of the world’s raw material for medical isotope supply.

Announcing the federal funding, Trudeau said: “IAMI will be a state-ofthe-art facility where industry leaders and academics can work together to push the boundaries of research and discover new ways to protect and improve our health.”

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Orano prepares Fugen fuel for reprocessing Orano has been contracted to carry out preparatory work for the transport of 731 used fuel assemblies from the Fugen experimental Advanced Thermal Reactor in Japan to France for reprocessing.

The reactor entered commercial operation in 1979 and was shut down in 2003 with a decommissioning programme approved in 2008.

Orano said it will conduct all technical preparatory works for the future shipments of 111 tonnes of nuclear materials, planned to be carried out between 2023 and 2026.

This will include the design and manufacturing of a f leet of transport casks which will meet national and international nuclear safety and security regulations.

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PRISM selected for US test reactor Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GEH) PRISM technology to support the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) programme.

The project is looking at what would be needed to establish a reactor-based fastspectrum neutron irradiation capability for the USA by 2026.

GEH has been subcontracted by INL and will work with Bechtel to advance the design and cost estimates for a VTR based on PRISM. A VTR is needed for the development of innovative nuclear fuels, materials, instrumentation and sensors, and the project will help inform a DOE decision about whether to construct a sodium-cooled test reactor.

The PRISM reactor builds on the EBR-II, an integral sodium-cooled fast reactor prototype that operated from 1963 to 1994. It is the only sodium-cooled reactor to date to have successfully completed the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission pre-application review process.

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

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A farewell message from Lord Hutton

D

ecember sees me step down from my role as Chairman of the Nuclear Industry Association after seven years in the post. A lot has happened in this time, not least the COP21 agreement, the Brexit vote, and more recently government’s final decision to press ahead with Hinkley Point C. Even this year we have seen some significant developments in the industry, including the Nuclear Sector Deal. The deal set out ambitious targets to ensure nuclear continues to play a key role in providing clean energy, maximising opportunities in overseas markets, leveraging technology and innovation, and increasing competitiveness.

With a bold target of a 30% reduction in the cost of new build projects by 2030, and a 20% reduction in decommissioning costs to the tax payer, this is a significant deal for the nuclear industry in its entirety.

Throughout all this, the point that needs to continue to be reiterated is that as a nation we desperately need to continue a speedy transition to clean carbon technologies, both to address climate change as well as in order to secure the UK’s energy supplies.

With the majority of the UK’s nuclear fleet due to close before 2030, we now have the urgent need to replace our ageing energy infrastructure. Unless we have new nuclear, we’re going to lose a vital source of reliable, secure low-carbon electricity, and while we’ve seen a welcome expansion in renewables, these are intermittent and cannot fill the gap alone.

It’s an exciting yet challenging time for the industry and as I hand over to Dr Tim Stone, I know I leave the industry in capable hands. I look forward to keeping a close eye on industry, as it builds on its strengths and ensures it remains competitive against other forms of clean energy.

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Where does Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) fit in?

Andy Shearer from Extraction and Local Exhaust Ventilation experts, McCarthy Environmental talks about their role in the nuclear supply chain - compliance, safety in the workplace and how to protect workers’ health and wellbeing …

Health, safety, quality and environmental impact - these are the fundamental factors which form the foundations of the nuclear sector supply chain.

With many and varying disciplines across manufacturing, engineering and construction sectors, we have to give attention to any impact that our operations or processes may have on the environment and be seen to be taking preventative measures to counter these. As part of the underlying health & safety remit, we must also constantly evaluate the potential impact that these operations and processes may have on the workplace environment and ultimately, on workers’ wellbeing and longterm health.

There are various risks and hazards which result from the diverse range of manufacturing and fabrication operations carried out by the supply chain.

For example, we use a lot of stainless steel in the nuclear sector; fumes and dust arising from welding and cutting stainless steel and other chromium-based metals are classed as carcinogenic. Also, workers exposed to coolants and lubricants used during machining processes are at risk of developing respiratory problems or skin disorders.

Exposure to welding fumes within the workplace also has a number of risks attached to it. The effects when inhaled have the potential to cause various health issues, which may occur quickly or they may develop over a number of years.

Under HSE and COSHH guidelines, we have to be seen to be taking measures to prevent or control workers’ exposure to substances which are classed as hazardous to health.

The COSHH Hierarchy of Control highlights an employer’s obligations and lays out the process which should be followed to prevent or reduce risk of exposure.

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Our first priority is to establish if processes and/or materials used can be changed to eliminate or reduce the initial risk of exposure. Following this, we look at implementing appropriate engineering controls, i.e. the processes and systems which manage a worker’s exposure at source. This will normally include some form of workplace ventilation system.

Engineering controls need to be adequate and would include: →→ Looking at where we can totally enclose any process and

handling systems →→ Changing the plant or process to keep production of hazardous

fumes, dusts or vapours to a minimum or contained within plant to limit possible contamination area →→ Considering any changes to working methods which may minimise the release of contaminants to reduce exposure and limit the number of workers that could potentially be exposed →→Implementing supporting workplace ventilation and filtration systems that can control any substances released from a process, i.e. extraction and Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems

SO, WHAT IS LEV? A LEV system will control a range of contaminants, including welding fumes, dusts, oil mist, aerosols, gases and vapours within the working environment and is a very effective way to prevent or reduce exposure to hazardous substances.

A good, well designed LEV system will control the contaminated air within the working environment, contain contaminants and clean or filter the air to remove the

contaminant, with the system required being dictated by the nature of the hazardous substance.

Any contaminant not captured at source will provide exposure to other workers within the general environment, requiring additional complimentary systems which will support LEV by capturing and filtering contaminants outside of the LEV capture zone.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER FOR SPECIFICATION OF THE RIGHT LEV SYSTEM SOLUTION? For a LEV system to be effective, it is imperative the system be correctly specified and designed. You will need to describe the process, the containment required, sources to be controlled and exposure benchmarks which classify the hazard of the emitted material, along with detail on other processes and activities that occur adjacent to the process the LEV system will control.

At this point you may need to take advice from a specialist concerning the type of LEV system to be used, its effectiveness at controlling exposure and of course, costs involved.

You should require the LEV system to be easy to use, check, maintain and clean, whilst also taking account of any other risks, e.g. accessibility and potential for contamination from waste removal or filter changing.

DEVELOPING THE LEV SYSTEM: Once a specification is established, a design team will then look to carry out a benchmarking exercise to assess the effectiveness of a proposed LEV system and its capability of controlling exposure. This will include an exposure benchmark, i.e. the level of exposure that may result once the control is in place.

As part of this, it may be necessary to carry out air quality testing and exposure monitoring to establish current levels and the point for a LEV system designer to work from.

Also, for an employee to sufficiently carry out their obligations to use the implemented system efficiently, operator training should be provided as part of the commissioning process.

Ideally, look for a model which can provide you with a full-service partnership incorporating consultancy, design,

installation, commissioning, operator training and ongoing systems testing.

There are additional long term benefits and cost savings that result alongside health and safety compliance.

Having healthy, well-motivated employees who appreciate good LEV and an employer who is looking out for their wellbeing will aid with staff retention.

It also aids longevity in the life of your plant, machinery and equipment.

At McCarthy Environmental, our role is to support and work with businesses within the nuclear supply chain to ensure compliance, safety in the workplace and to protect workers’ health and wellbeing by providing expertise, products and effective systems that exceed health & safety legislation within demanding environments.

ANDY SHEARER Business Development Manager, McCarthy Environmental Ltd andy@mccarthyenvironmental.co.uk

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As Dr Tim Stone takes the reins as Chair of the NIA from Lord John Hutton, we decided to interview him to find out what made him want to take on the role, what he thinks the future holds for nuclear, and what he wants to focus on as Chair.

AS THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE NIA, WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT YOUR NEW ROLE? I’ve been heavily involved in the development of the nuclear industry since I first started working in Whitehall in early 2007 and am passionate about doing all I can to help the industry benefit across the board from the opportunities that now exist.

We have a once in a generation opportunity to make a real difference and lasting impact and I hope I can help catalyse the change from this new role.

IN CONVERSATION ...

TIM STONE

YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY FOR OVER 20 YEARS, WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU’VE SEEN? AND SPECIFICALLY TO NUCLEAR?

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There’s a real sense that civil nuclear power has a vital part to play in the drive to a low-carbon economy while at the same time being a major contributor to national economic competitiveness. It’s not just the UK that gets this; China and Russia have been there for a while.

For the Chinese, driving low-carbon is essential for the future of their society and they’ll become ever more committed. There’s a recent paper in which Chinese academics have looked at a world in which China builds 500GW of nuclear.

In addition, we can deliver nuclear power at a good price and the work we’re doing is really about the economic futures for our children and grandchildren. In my opinion that’s a pretty good reason to try very hard.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE ENERGY MARKET IN THE UK? Change, buckets of change. The energy landscape is changing radically both in terms of generation but also demand. The decarbonisation of transport and heat will have a profound effect on the whole energy economy and the most vital issue now is to think of this as a system.

It is the system cost which will drive national economic competitiveness and the pace and scale of change is unlike anything we’ve seen before. There will be winners and losers from this change but we have to make sure that it’s the UK overall which wins.

My comments are heavily based so far on new build; without that momentum driving trust and confidence, the whole industry will return to languishing. That simply can’t be allowed to happen. Getting new build moving properly will create major positive consequences for the rest of the industry.

On decommissioning, we need to be a bit braver here and show the public that we really can make a difference. Don’t just stop with height reduction on sites - be a bit braver and take old units down completely. Look at the great result at Maine Yankee in the United States - why can’t the UK do jobs like that?

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY IN THE COMING YEARS? Two things - firstly we have to drive productivity really hard.

It’s not so much about wage rates but far more about actual

The Twittersphere BY. IEUAN WILLIAMS

output. We have lost a lot of skill through the lack of a continuous pipeline and that’s our first challenge.

The second is to ensure the investment proposition becomes far more compelling and not abrogated to a state (or two). States have an essential role to play but we need to make sure the widest sources of capital can be deployed into what must become lowish risk projects.

NUCLEAR SECTOR DEAL HAS A STRONG FOCUS ON SKILLS AND EXCITING FUTURE GENERATIONS ABOUT NUCLEAR, HAVING BOTH EXPERIENCE AS A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR AND IN INDUSTRY, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS FUNDAMENTAL TO THIS SUCCESS? This will absolutely depend on the trust and confidence of industry in its future. Without robust trust and confidence - which will in part be driven by increasing momentum in new build - the industry response will be just too weak and impotent. If industry doesn’t become able to believe in itself, the results will be poor.

YOU HAVE HAD A LONG TERM INVOLVEMENT AND INTEREST IN INFRASTRUCTURE, WHAT EXPERIENCE WILL YOU BRING FROM THIS THAT WILL BE USEFUL IN YOUR NEW ROLE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE NIA? Nuclear is a special type of infrastructure. It’s particularly different in the scale of the projects - but like all national infrastructure, no matter how it’s procured, in the end Government owns failure.

As with other aspects of infrastructure, it doesn’t mean government has to “do” all the work but they have to be competent and sensible commissioners of the infrastructure; provision of major infrastructure is something citizens will always look to government to ensure is there when it’s needed and it works reliably.

Given the consequences of the safety regulation in nuclear, it ought to be capable of becoming a no more risky investment proposition than a major airport or port - in fact it could be even better if fleet build happens properly and a grown up approach to design and construction planning is driven.

ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC MATTERS YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON FOR NIA MEMBERS DURING YOUR TENURE AS CHAIRMAN? I want to improve, significantly, the team effort that is the NIA and its members together. I want to see more of a “let’s do it” attitude and for us to take our capabilities to government and hold them to account for progress they’re responsible for enabling.

I want to see a more disciplined approach to the way the industry comes together as one and where we all recognise the greater benefits for us all acting together far more effectively.

What’s more, we have a great base to build on.

At the end of my term, I want to see an industry more energised, working far more effectively together and achieving far more with a view of the future that’s far more optimistic.

We can do it; we need to do it as our part of driving a better economic future for this country.

David Cameron once said, “Too many tweets make a twa…” you get the picture. But then again, this is the guy who also tweeted: “Britain faces a simple and inescapable choice stability and strong Government with me, or chaos with Ed Miliband.” I’ll let the reader make the punchline on that one.

To me, Twitter is an odd place. Despite the best worded of arguments, any retort you like, be it indisputable facts, full use of the (now) 280-character limit, proof akin to the stone tablets that Moses himself brought down from Mount Sinai, your point will always pale into insignificance by the right GIF. GIFs, or the Graphics Interchange Format (which is, by the way, pronounced with a hard G) has been around for quite a while, but it’s only fairly recently in the big data consuming age that they’ve really come into their own. There’s now “that person” in every group chat that solely converses in moving pictures, with a well-cultivated library of GIFs that can be dispatched no matter the conversation.

You’ve probably seen them yourselves, the classic Michael Jackson Eating Popcorn or Ryan Reynolds Facepalm, that can now be posted in reply to tweets or Facebook posts.

Unfortunately, the NIA will not be publishing The Essential Guide to Great GIF Comebacks.

Who to follow?

You knew what you were Want information on nuclear getting yourself into when you joined Twitter, so embrace and other relevant topics?

This issue we recommend it, find and save the one of you follow: Robert Redford smiling in a film from 1972, or Leonardo @ShellenbergerMD DiCaprio raising a glass of Champagne in Gatsby. @tompeck While I’m on the subject, @estwebber NIA has now jumped on the bandwagon and started making its own GIFs, courtesy of our Head of Design, Dan Powney. These short animations bring to life the points we want to get across to the public and have proven popular amongst the energy community on Twitter.

I encourage everyone to check them out @NIAUK and see how a simple message can come to life, you might also notice how our Twitter account has broken through the 10,000-tweet barrier, hopefully we haven’t yet proved David Cameron right…

Twitter Count Followers: 6,491 Tweets: 10,129

@NIAUK

Proof that tweets don’t necessarily age well: @David_Cameron Britain faces a simple and inescapable choice - stability and strong Government with me, or chaos with Ed Miliband: https://bit.ly/2Bhf1Y1

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The future of Nuclear is digital BY. MARC DURET / FRAMATOME

Large Projects

Nuclear power is a sector in constant evolution. Every day, the industry faces technical challenges, often resolved by applying innovative approaches.

Martin Roulleaux-Dugage, Framatome’s Senior Expert Knowledge Management Program declares: “An important transformation of the nuclear sector has been taking place since the beginning of 2000s, especially with the ongoing globalisation of the market.

“An increased competition led the sector to develop systems exportable in various environments, in particular regulatory environments, and to develop new nuclear services to nuclear fleets around the globe, making this innovation a central strategic question to contribute to operators’ competitiveness.”

Digital revolution is tangible in several areas. Digital modelling and virtual reality are now fully embedded into the development processes and are building bridges with new technologies in all the service activities, in particular when it comes to maintenance projects: smart sensors into instrumentation and control systems, big data and machine learning, connected objects.

Innovation at Framatome Framatome designs, manufactures, and installs components, fuel and control and instrumentation systems for nuclear power stations and offers a full range of reactor services.

The company is a major international player in the nuclear energy market recognised for its innovative solutions and value-added technologies for designing, building, maintaining, and advancing the global nuclear fleet as well as for preparing reactor decommissioning.

With 14,000 employees worldwide, every day Framatome’s expertise helps its customers improve performance and safety of their nuclear plants to achieve their economic and societal goals.

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In the UK, Framatome is sharing ownership of the EPR technology with EDF. Framatome supports developers in their new build projects, first of which is Hinkley Point C. The company is also a long term partner of EDF Energy for the maintenance of its Pressurised Water Reactor Sizewell B” states Marc Duret, Managing Director of Framatome UK. “It is Framatome’s mission to relentlessly imagine innovative solutions that will create value to our customers throughout their asset lifetime, from design to decommissioning.”

Dimensional inspection of test pieces is going digital at Le Creusot Innovation is everywhere in Framatome. A recent example was raised at the Le Creusot manufacturing site in France: test piece machining workshop has been using a latest-generation dimensional inspection tool since spring 2018.

A test piece is a sample of steel taken from the solid part of a forging or casting and machined to be used for the purposes of a given mechanical test. Before being sent to an in-house laboratory the test pieces are inspected one by one.

At the end of 2017, the site invested in a new machine which makes it possible to take measurements and re-transcribe them automatically. This easy-to-use tool transfers all the data into a dedicated spreadsheet which is then integrated directly in the test report.

“We are saving time and above all improving reliability by no longer having to do a large amount of re-transcriptions by hand.

This is allowing us to take a real step up in terms of productivity and quality” explains David Denoyelle, Machining Manager.

A Framatome team winner of Innovatome 2018 prize Michaël Dessagne, Innovation Officer at Framatome is proud to state that a Framatome team won the 2018 edition of the Innovatome contest, created on the initiative of the French nuclear association SFEN YOUNG GENERATION. The prize rewards graduating students and young professionals working in the nuclear sector.

Framatome was distinguished for the project AROBASE (Automated Robot with Assisted Shaving Execution), a robot which allows to address three major problems met by operatives on dismantling construction sites: improve the safety operatives, optimise duration of site works and reduce waste.

Innovation in Customer Relationship Innovation is not only about developing and improving products for existing or new markets. It is also ensuring that proven solutions find their place in our customer’s value chain.

In order to efficiently create this link, Framatome has launched a webbased catalogue named Solutions Portfolio. It aims at raising the visibility and awareness on Framatome’s internationally recognized “flagship” offerings, those which provide answers to the challenges nuclear power stations are facing around the world in terms of competitiveness and nuclear safety. This solutions portfolio covers a wide variety of topics and technical issues: →→ New plant: for new build projects, improve safety and efficiency with our

Light Water Reactors Nuclear Steam Supply Systems designs

→→ Plant in Operation: for existing reactor fleets, deliver safe and reliable nuclear

power to meet growing worldwide energy demands, while staying competitive with other energy sources

→→ Plant’s Long-term Operation: Anticipating and integrating the long-term

operation of your nuclear power plant while maintaining a high level of safety and a competitive position in the market

Find out more at www.framatome.com/solutions-portfolio

Nuclear services

Fuel supply and services

Components manufacturing

Instrumentation and Control

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IN VIEW

UK Power Networks Services Ltd UK Power Networks Services Ltd is an expert in distributed energy solutions and power distribution, optimising existing assets and integrating new technologies to deliver improved performance and commercial benefits.

It provides energy technology consulting, asset financing, major project delivery, design and build, operations and maintenance, and asset management. With expertise in the integration, monitoring and control of new technologies such as electric vehicle infrastructure, battery energy storage and smart micro-grids.

Through the delivery of end-to-end energy solutions, it helps its clients increase the productivity of their assets, decarbonise their infrastructure and enable them to realise their infrastructure as a strategic asset.

It has delivered for its clients for more than 50 years and its portfolio includes the UK’s leading airports, High Speed 1, Network Rail, London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, EDF (Hinkley Point C), Felixstowe Port, and Canary Wharf.

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Image courtesy of UK Power Networks Services (Commercial) Ltd — wwwukpowernetworksservices.co.uk

Greg Clark visits Nuclear AMRC BY. TIM CHAPMAN / NUCLEAR AMRC

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Greg Clark and Andrew Storer meet young engineers and apprentices at the Nuclear AMRC

B

usiness secretary Greg Clark MP visited the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre to see the centre’s work in supporting the next generation of nuclear power and delivering the nuclear sector deal.

During a tour of the Nuclear AMRC workshop in Rotherham, Mr Clark saw a range of advanced machining, joining and robotic technologies which can significantly increase productivity in the manufacture of a new generation of small and advanced modular reactors.

“This cutting-edge facility in Sheffield is pioneering innovative nuclear technology of the future, as the UK continues to seize the opportunities of moving to a greener, cleaner economy through our modern industrial strategy,” Mr Clark said.

“The UK was the first domestic nuclear power country in the world and this government commissioned the first new nuclear power station in over a generation.

The development of small modular reactors as part of our landmark £200 million nuclear sector deal could unlock more jobs and more local growth.”

Published in June, the nuclear sector deal supports a variety of initiatives to create a more competitive supply chain, using advanced manufacturing technologies to win work in the UK and worldwide.

In return for funding support of up to £200 million, the industry has committed to significantly reducing costs in nuclear new build and decommissioning, and growing the pool of skilled employees by improving gender diversity.

During his visit on 25 October, Mr Clark was shown workpieces from an ongoing project to reduce production time for a small modular reactor pressure vessel.

These include pressure vessel sections which have been joined by electron beam welding, a technique highlighted in the sector deal as offering significant productivity and quality improvements by reducing weld cycle times from days to hours.

“The Nuclear AMRC is playing a vital role in delivering advanced manufacturing techniques and developing the supply chain for the nuclear industry,” commented chief executive officer Andrew Storer.

“I was delighted to show the Secretary of State some of our world-leading capabilities for industry-led research and development, which are part of the key to achieving the ambitious targets of winning work in the UK and overseas in the nuclear sector deal.”

Mr Clark and Andrew also discussed the centre’s work to improve competitiveness of the UK supply chain, including proposals

to expand and develop the established Fit For Nuclear (F4N) programme. Around 1,000 companies have already engaged with the programme, with 145 now granted F4N status after driving business improvements with support from the Nuclear AMRC. An expanded national supply chain development programme, backed by the nuclear sector deal and linked to advanced manufacturing and construction R&D, could create or sustain up to 12,500 jobs and up to £2 billion domestic and international contract wins by 2030.

“Our supply chain development programme has already helped hundreds of companies become more competitive, and we’re planning to expand that to help even more companies win work in nuclear,” Storer noted.

Mr Clark also met some of the centre’s young engineers and apprentices during his visit.

“Diversity is important and provides confidence we are developing scientists and manufacturers for the future,” Storer said. “I was really pleased to introduce our apprentices and allow them to explain what they aspire to become.”

To find out more information on the work of the Nuclear AMRC visit the website at http://namrc.co.uk.

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BY. SAM LYSTOR

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As a recent graduate and young representative of the industry, I found myself exhibiting at several careers events over the past year. Recently, at an event for high school students, I realised the disparity in views on nuclear energy between the generations.

The vast majority of the students attending were more than happy to come and chat about the industry and seemed to be aware of both the benefits and challenges of nuclear.

The teachers and parents, however, were a lot more tentative (generally speaking), with one asking me if anyone had come up to us at all as they would surely be ‘too scared’.

While I was encouraged by the positive attitude of the students, this experience highlighted the work left to do to improve the public perception of nuclear.

In its role as a public information body the Nuclear Industry Association launched

its new and updated Nuclear Energy Facts booklet. A useful and informative tool that aims to educate and dispell myths and misconceptions of industry. It explains the basics from new build to decommissioning, and everything in-between, in terms that everyone can understand.

The Facts Book is pitched at such a level that everyone from school children through to technical industry workers can stay engaged and get something from it.

The first version proved to be a brilliant tool in informing teachers, MPs and decision makers alike, and we hope to build on this with the new version.

While battling negative stereotypes assigned to nuclear energy seems to be a constant battle, we hope by distributing the facts in a digestible way, we will play a significant part in ensuring generations to come can develop an informed opinion on nuclear. You can read and download the new facts book at www.niauk.org.

SNAPSHOT

AQUILA TO WORK ON THE EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE Aquila Nuclear is delighted to announce that it has been selected by UKAEA to design, install and commission a shaft cutting station within the Active Cells of the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden.

ESS is one of the world’s largest scientific and technology infrastructure projects being constructed today. It is funded by the ESS European Research Infrastructure Consortium to fulfil an international requirement for a highenergy neutron source for scientific and engineering research.

UKAEA’s RACE robotics centre is supplying significant parts of the ESS Active Cells, as part of the UK’s in-kind contribution to ESS. Aquila Nuclear’s mission is to design, test, install and commission a remotely operated cutting machine to size reduce

highly irradiated components within the ESS Active Cells.

It will be supported by BD Nuclear (part of John F Hunt Group), who provide extensive experience in the size reduction of radiation hardened components.

The company’s expertise in system integration and remote handling for the nuclear environment, will enable them to deploy BD Nuclear’s technology in the ESS Active Cells.

Aquila look forward to working with UKAEA and contributing the success of the ESS Facility by delivering a pragmatic and costeffective solution.

More information: www.gov.uk/ukaea and www.race.ukaea.uk.

DIAJET - the most powerful water-abrasive jet cutting & cleaning product on the market BHR Group, the experts in fluid engineering, today announced that they have been awarded a contract to supply a skid mounted 690bar cutting system to Veolia Nuclear Solutions (UK) Limited (VNS-UK).

VNS-UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Veolia Nuclear Solutions are remote handling specialists currently developing a long-reach robotic manipulator for remote cutting. They will be operating in environments with restricted access to cut and remove complex structures and a variety of exotic materials.

This required a cutting tool that has a proven track-record, is robust and reliable and is compact, lightweight and versatile for cutting operations. It was for this reason they turned to BHR Group and its Direct Abrasive Injection Jetting

(DIAJET) suite of abrasive-water jet cutting tools and services.

BHR Group leads the world in the design and manufacture of progressive cutting and cleaning solutions, creating equipment that employs its DIAJET suspension slurry technology.

This unique technology delivers an abrasive-water slurry along a single hose.

As a result the engine/pump, water and slurry modules can be remote from each other and/or from the cutting/cleaning nozzle. The cutting/cleaning operation at the nozzle can be up to 1000m from the pumping and slurry modules with little reducing in cutting performance.

This is a distinct advantage over entrainment waterjet systems when the operator and equipment need to be located well away from any poten-

tial hazard or where human access for cutting/cleaning is restricted.

Working with the VNS-UK team, BHR will develop a bespoke solution to meet their complex challenges. A skid mounted DIAJET SM40SE waterjet cutting product will be adapted and the end-effector integrated onto an VNS-UK manipulator.

Moving forward, engineers from both companies will work together to understand the environment that the equipment will be designed to operate under.

Together, the organisations will design, integrate and test cutting, measurement and manipulation components and systems ahead of final deployment of the DIAJET SM40SE equipment.

For more information on BHR’s proprietary water jetting solution, visit the website at www.bhrgroup.com.

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Joint meeting focuses on America and beyond BY. SALLY SEED / BRITAIN’S ENERGY COAST BUSINESS CLUSTER

On Wednesday 31 October, just before the annual NDA Supply Chain event in Manchester, the NIA’s International Group held a joint meeting with the Nuclear Engagement Sector Group of Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC) in Haydock.

Previously, each organisation has held a clashing meeting ahead of the NDA event so it made sense to collaborate and bring together the overlapping memberships for one bigger networking opportunity.

“Collaboration has been our theme this year,” said BECBC Stakeholder Director, John Grainger, “and this was another example of how that makes excellent business sense.

Together, we attracted over 150 delegates from nearly 100 different companies and organisations and anyone who tried to hold a quiet conversation over lunch was aware of just how much networking and discussion was going on!”

Presentations reflected the “America and beyond …” theme in different ways. Jon Halladay of DIT highlighted the support available and a gradual move in the department’s brief to include exporting to the US as well as inward investment.

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Nigel Thornton, a director of Atkins/SNC-Lavalin (sponsors of the meeting), talked about his experiences of building collaborations in America, the separation of civil and federal nuclear markets and, to much laughter, the implications for business relationships of two countries separated by a common language.

A regular feature of NIA meetings is a taster session where three speakers have just three minutes to present. Congratulations go to Jerome Flick of DEF Energie et Environment, Gerry McNulty of BHR Group and Dave Goodill of RPS Group for rising to the challenge.

In conclusion, Gareth Davies, Chair of the NIA International Group, said: “This joint meeting was a tremendous success with and plenty of opportunities for NIA members to interact with BECBC colleagues and contacts. We’ll look forward to doing this again in future.”

BECBC has over 330 members and regular networking meetings are held at Energus in Lillyhall every month. You can find out more online at www.becbusinesscluster.co.uk or on Twitter (@becbc) or www.linkedin.com/company/becbc.

Register your interest now to secure your place at the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Civil Nuclear Showcase 2019 With an established reputation in the Civil Nuclear calendar, the DIT Civil Nuclear Showcase provides a unique opportunity to network with a diverse mix of senior delegates from the UK and across the globe, including China, France, Japan and the USA. At a time of significant challenge and opportunity, with the Nuclear Sector Deal in play, and exit from the European Union fast approaching, this flagship event is not to be missed!

This two-day event will be facilitated by Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive, Nuclear Industry Association and Campbell Keir, Deputy Director Energy & Infrastructure at DIT.

• Business Intelligence - Hear first-hand from a fantastic array of speakers, including project

owners, developers, procurement bodies, policy makers and the supply chain - both from the UK and around the world

• Collaboration - Country break-out events will highlight opportunities for UK companies to export to and collaborate with international partners

• Networking - Unrivalled networking and one-to-one meeting space will provide you with the opportunity to develop relationships with overseas delegates

• Company Profiling - Listing in the event brochure (available for registrations up to 31 January only) The DIT Civil Nuclear Showcase 2019 will ensure you are part of the global conversation with key players at this exciting and crucial time for the industry.

UK Delegate price £220 + VAT per person up to 31 January (£325 + VAT thereafter)

Sponsorship offers exceptional platforms for UK companies to:

• Gain significant commercial exposure, through a strategically important event, held in a growing and well-established international market

• Showcase the very best of British expertise and services to an influential and relevant audience Please contact DITNuclear@brayleino.co.uk for further information on sponsorship and exhibition packages.

Supply chain event attracts record 1,700 visitors BY. SAM LYSTOR

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On 1 November the NIA attended the NDA Estate Supply Chain event at Manchester’s EventCity, where a record 1,700 visitors attended.

Visitors had the opportunity to speak to upwards of 300 different companies from the UK and abroad who were exhibiting at the event. This event followed our International Business Group meeting which was held the in collaboration with Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster the day prior to this.

The morning of the NDA event began with an opening speech from NDA Chief Executive David Peattie, followed by the NDA Estate Awards. The annual awards cover five categories and are in place in order to show recognition of the huge contribution suppliers make to the UK civil nuclear clean-up programme.

Unsurprisingly, several our member companies were amongst the winners on the day. Cavendish Nuclear and Sellafield Ltd won the ‘Technical Innovation’ category for their Plutonium Hold-Up Measurement

System, with Croft Associates Ltd being highly commended for its Transport Package design and fabrication.

Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster won the ‘Approach to Ethical Practice or Social Responsibility’ category for their Business Schools Collaboration Project.

For this category both highly commended projects were NIA members, Stainless Metalcraft (Chatteris) Ltd and TSP Engineering Ltd. In the ‘Collaboration’ category the Competimates Collaboration project won, which comprised of Darchem Engineering, Stainless Metalcraft, and Sellafield Ltd. Featuring in the highly commended projects were Costain Limited, Sellafield, Cavendish Nuclear, and Mott Macdonald.

We would like to congratulate all the companies mentioned above, as well as all the non-NIA member companies that won various awards on the day.

After morning proceedings closed, everyone took to their stands for the day.

We met hundreds of representatives

from across the supply chain during the day, and enjoyed the various exhibits displayed, particularly in the ever popular ‘Innovation Zone’.

This was supported by Innovate UK, and hosted over 40 exhibitors showing off their cutting edge technologies and innovations for the industry.

The ‘Skills Zone’ was another popular area of the exhibit, with organisations offering advice and facilitating discussions on skills development.

I was drafted into this area for some time after bumping into some fellow Nucleargraduates, who were there exhibiting on behalf of the NDA’s flagship scheme.

By 4 o’clock the NIA team were just about ready to head home, after a long but enjoyable two days up north.

All in all, the NDA Supply Chain Event was wholly successful for the NIA. We hope all our members got as much out of it as we did, and we look forward to seeing you all there again next year.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Sellafield plant to be celebrated in new exhibition A unique art exhibition ‘The Art of Reprocessing’ has been commissioned by Sellafield to mark the end of nuclear fuel reprocessing at Sellafield’s Thorp plant.

It celebrates the plant’s immense contribution to the global nuclear industry. It launched on 16 November at the Beacon Museum, Whitehaven, and will run until March 2019.

Thorp began operations in 1994. It reprocessed spent nuclear fuel from 34 plants around the world and is one of only two commercial reprocessing sites in existence. Its switchoff is a key step in the transformation of Sellafield Ltd from nuclear operator to environmental restoration business.

The exhibition features sculptures, relief printing, collages, textural canvases, paintings, and sketches by artists from the UK and Japan. Each piece has been individually commissioned to convey a moment in the life of the plant.

Jamie Reed, Sellafield Ltd’s head of development and community relations, said: “The end of reprocessing at Thorp is one of the most important events in Sellafield’s history. After the closure of Calder Hall, it’s the biggest change to our site in the 21st century. The plant has made a huge contribution to west Cumbria in terms of jobs, skills, pride, and prestige. The Art of Reprocessing will celebrate its unique achievements and the people who made it possible.”

Wylfa reactors 75% defueled

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Hazard reduction at Magnox’s Wylfa Site on Anglesey has reached a significant milestone, with three quarters of the used nuclear fuel now emptied from its twin reactors.

Wylfa site’s priority to remove fuel elements from the most powerful Magnox reactors in the world and transport them to Sellafield for reprocessing has progressively gained momentum throughout the year to achieve this new landmark.

It takes 24 hours to fill a flask with approximately 150 used nuclear fuel elements. The flask is then cleaned in a huge washing machine and meticulous checks are made to ensure it is safe and compliant for onward transportation to Sellafield.

There are now less than 200 fuel flasks to go to end one of the UK’s largest programmes of nuclear and hazard reduction work.

Tim Dunham, Magnox Head of Nuclear Operations, stated: “The site is totally focused on achieving its mission to be fuel free in 2019. I’m so proud of how hard everyone has worked to achieve this.”

BECBC joins Northern Powehouse

UK HPR1000 moves to next design assessment stage

Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC) is the latest organisation to join the Northern Powerhouse as a Partner.

The Business Cluster, which currently has over 330 member companies and organisations, brings together all tiers of the energy supply chain in Cumbria, encouraging collaboration among members and using its combined voice for global reach, socio economic improvements and business development.

Ivan Baldwin, Chair and Board member of BECBC and VP for Government and International Business with the National Nuclear Laboratory, said: “We share so many of our aims, objectives and priorities with the Northern Powerhouse that it makes absolute sense to extend our regional networking and get more involved as a Business Cluster.”

“An additional 10 Cumbrian businesses have joined the Partner programme this year and we’re alongside other BECBC members such as Sellafield Ltd, RSM and Recycling Lives in becoming a Partner, increasing Cumbria’s voice in the Northern Powerhouse.”

Science Minister signals hi-tech expansion for Culham

Science Minister, Sam Gyimah, announced the development of Culham during his visit to Culham Science Centre.

The planned development – which is estimated to bring 200 new jobs – aims to cater for the increasing number of companies wanting to move to Culham. Currently, the existing on-site accommodation, which hosts approximately 60 tenants, including 20 start-ups, is full.

In his visit, Science Minister Gyimah also revealed further Government funding to extend UKAEA’s Materials Research Facility to allow for increased lab space for conducting research on nuclear reactor materials. The Minister also welcomed a new £3.6 million academic partnership with the US in order to make the most of transatlantic research talent.

The collaboration between UKAEA and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory will see UKAEA post-doctoral researchers undertake extended visits to Princeton to work on areas of common interest in fusion science.

Minister Gyimah addressed UKAEA employees during his visit, and underlined the government’s commitment to fusion research post-Brexit.

The UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agency (EA) have completed “initial high-level scrutiny” of the UK HPR1000 reactor design, allowing the design to move onto the third of four stages in the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process.

The UK HPR1000 is the Hualong One design that General Nuclear Services (GNS) - a subsidiary of EDF and China General Nuclear (CGN) - proposes to use at a prospective new nuclear power plant in Bradwell, England.

The regulators aim to complete the GDA of the UK HPR1000 in late 2021.

Under a strategic investment agreement signed in October 2016, CGN agreed to take a 33.5% stake in EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C project in Somerset, as well as jointly develop new nuclear power plants at Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex.

The Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C plants will be based on France’s EPR reactor technology, while the new plant at Bradwell in Essex will feature the Hualong One design.

As part of that agreement, CGN formed a joint venture company with EDF Energy to seek regulatory approval for a UK version of the Hualong One design.

2018 | WINTER — 25

New Build Group visits Nuclear AMRC in Rotherham BY. SHAYNE HALFPENNY-RAY

As the Nuclear Sector Deal heads rapidly towards its implantation phase, it’s never been more crucial for suppliers across the sector to be well aligned.

The NIA’s most recent New Build Group, which took place in September and was kindly hosted by Nuclear AMRC in Rotherham, was the perfect opportunity to get all those in involved in new build in one room to talk current issues and the best ways of approaching them.

The day saw a focus on the Nuclear Sector Deal and Horizon Nuclear Power’s Wylfa Newydd project, which complemented each other and I’m sure left attendees with food for thought.

We were fortunate to be joined

by BEIS’ Greg Ashurst who gave an informative and passionate speech about the Nuclear Sector Deal.

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Greg explained that the Nuclear Sector Deal needs to be central for both government and industry throughout the next twelve years in order to create a strong partnership, enabling the sector to be even more competitive and successful.

With Horizon Nuclear Power’s new delivery structure in place, we believe it’s imperative that the NIA’s New Build Business Group provides a forum for industry to best understand its needs and expectations for Wylfa Newydd.

At the meeting, Ivor Sheppard and Ron Surrock of Horizon Nuclear Power gave an exclusive presentation on building Wylfa Neywdd and the work they would be doing to engage with the supply chain as early as possible.

This was particularly interesting for the group as it followed the optimisation

of Bechtel’s position as the Project Management Contractor.

The NIA Business Groups give industry the chance to engage with developers to understand the expectations they have and how best to pursue contracts. This meeting did exactly that, with Horizon Nuclear Power announcing an early engagement programme on the day.

It’s certainly an interesting time for nuclear new build, and as we look ahead to our flagship Nuclear New Build conference on 10-11 June 2019, and our next meeting in February, I continue to work with our Chairs Tris and OJ to take onboard feedback to provide attendees of this group with the most helpful and productive meetings.

For more information on the group email me at shayne.halfpenny-ray@niauk.org.

NIA Decommissioning and Existing Generation Group BY. SAM LYSTOR

The last NIA Decommissioning Group meeting, supported by Welsh Government and KBR, was held at Birchwood back in September.

Upon arriving at the venue, we noticed the presence of an ever-growing f leet of pest control vehicles in the car park…not the most promising start to the day. Turns out they were there for their own conference, and we could get on with the day in hand.

The meeting was an overall success with talks across a range of topics. Phil McDermott from Underwater Construction Corporation UK Ltd gave an engaging talk on Ponds Decommissioning, more specifically the ‘Nuclear Diving’ that has taken place at both Dungeness A and

Sizewell A, and how effective it has been.

Chris Savage, NIA, spoke extensively on the Nuclear Sector deal and what it means for the industry. This talk was complemented nicely by Ken Robertson, KBR, who later spoke about challenges laid out in the Nuclear Sector deal, and how to achieve them by incorporating lessons from outside of the industry.

Plenty more topics were covered, sparking some great discussions and engagement within the group.

We also had our usual taster sessions, where member companies are given the opportunity to promote their company’s activities, in just three minutes. Usually a challenge, everyone involved managed to stick to the three-minute limit (just)

and welcomed feedback during the networking breaks.

We also welcome feedback for all NIA meetings, as we want to make sure what we are putting on is useful for our members.

If you have any feedback on previous meetings, or ideas for future meetings, you can contact the chair of the Decommissioning Group, Corhyn Parr on corhyn.parr@aecom.com.

If you are interested in getting more involved with the group, speaking, sponsoring or participating in any way in NIA group meetings please send an email to Stephanie Mckenna on stephanie.mckenna@niauk.org or call Stephanie on 020 7766 6651.

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NEW NIA MEMBERS BHR Group bhrgroup.com Meeting safety standards for products in complex, high pressure environments is critically important. We work with operators and manufacturers in subsea oil & gas, nuclear and aerospace to ensure their fluid power systems are robust and operationally reliable.

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

EnerMech enermech.com

CG Power Solutions UK Limited cgglobal.com/uk Formed in 1999 the company provides engineering and project management services to the HV electrical industry.

As part of CG it has the capability to provide a complete range of services to the transmission and distribution sector in the UK, including solutions for the renewables and power generation sectors.

Ebeni Limited ebeni.com Ebeni’s core business focuses on vital, complex,critical, or software-intense systems, including the assessment and assurance of safety and mission critical operations, applications and products.

We also provides regulatory and airworthiness support, programme, project and risk management services, and has access to an extensive multi-disciplinary team of Subject Matter Experts.

EnerMech deploys expert teams across varying services within the power sector to meet the needs of electrical projects through the entire asset lifecycle, from construction, installation, completions and commissioning, to maintenance and operations.

EFINOR is a contractor providing large turnkey projects for the nuclear industry for 30 years. We perform engineering, manufacturing, support and maintenance.

Its core activities are boiler making, welding, piping, mechanical equipment and electrical engineering.

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

Harmonic Limited harmonic.co.uk

Steel Dynamics Ltd steel-dynamics.co.uk

Harmonic is a specialist delivery and business winning partner to organisations operating in complex and transformational environments.

It specialises in the effective and efficient mitigation of the small number of intractable business issues that have a disproportionate impact on winning and delivery performance.

Steel Dynamics providing profiles & CNC machined parts in contamination free stainless steel sheet & plate, from 1000 tonnes of stock in 304, 316, Duplex, Super Duplex & 254SMO; delivering added-value parts with a one touch focus increasing yield, reducing cycle times, manufacturing processes & scrap.

RB Safety Consultants Limited rbsafetyconsultants.com

Efinor Limited efinor.com

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

RB Safety has a proven track record in supporting clients in high hazard industries for operations, maintenance and management of modern design reactor plants.

Its considerable nuclear SQEP is currently embedded in industry supporting development of nuclear new build providing a full range of support across the product lifecycle.

It is delighted to be working very closely on the Horizon Nuclear Power UK Advance Boiling Water Reactor (UK ABWR) solution for installation in Anglesey.

UK Power Networks Services (Commercial) Ltd ukpowernetworksservices.co.uk UK Power Network Services delivers a culture of excellence and safety within its business and the businesses it work with.

It has a record safety achievement of more than three years without a lost time injury – more than 2.7 million hours worked.

It has achieved this milestone in the UK whilst working on the busiest airport runways, track-side on the fastest mainline railways, and on nuclear sites.

OPINION

PowerPolitics “EXCLUDING NUCLEAR FROM THE MIX WOULD NOT ONLY BE IMPRACTICAL BUT INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE”

You might have hoped that with the EU Withdrawal Agreement now agreed, at least at official level, Brexit would finally leave the front pages, passions would die down, and we could all focus on something else, but no such luck.

The debate has simply moved on to the Parliament stage and depending on your perspective the deal will either deliver Brexit at minimum cost or convert the UK to an ‘EU colony’ or worse a ‘Slave State’, and that’s not to mention fisheries or the Irish border. It really does seem Government has narrowly escaped one seemingly impossible situation only to be confronted with another even more intractable.

Given the potential consequences for all stakeholders the odds must surely be on a deal being agreed, but I wouldn’t bet the house on it. Clearly the Government shares this view, which is why from the late summer they have been publishing a series of so-called technical notices giving ‘practical and proportionate’ advice to business in the event of no deal.

One of the first of these related to nuclear and it was gratifying to note it covered most of the key areas raised by industry, albeit at a very high level. It is vital these gaps are filled over the next few weeks.

One area that was not covered was future immigration arrangements, which is a key issue for the nuclear industry. The supply and free flow of labour is critically important to the continued success of our sector, particularly to new build.

We are heavily investing in UK skills and talent, but this will take time and will be insufficient to meet the large volume requirements for the Hinkley Point C and Wylfa Newydd projects, which will need very large numbers of electricians and welders for example.

The Government’s original position was that the Immigration White Paper

would appear at the end of last year, but Christmas came and went and this morphed into after the Migration Advisory Committee had produced their recommendations. Since these appeared in September we trust the White Paper will now be published imminently.

In the round however we are grateful for all the effort Government has put in – particularly the officials in BEIS and DExEU – to ensure the right arrangements are in place to ensure there is as little disruption as possible when we leave the EU and Euratom. They really have pulled out all the stops to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible, and that nuclear can continue to keep the lights on.

And the need for nuclear is not going to go away. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) told us just last month that global warming is still a massive issue, and that the 1.5°C temperature rise threshold – above which there will be massive impacts such as the f looding of low lying islands and the devastation of crops – could be reached in as little as 12 years. We really do need to wake up and smell the coffee.

Alarmingly the IPPC’s research also warned that, if nothing was done, temperatures could ultimately rise to as much as 3°C above pre-industrial levels, with all that that implies. It concluded keeping to the 1.5°C target was possible, but only if ‘rapid, far reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society’ were implemented all around the world.

This could include phasing coal out far sooner than previously planned and giving over vast tracts of land to forests, but also taking difficult decisions on new low carbon infrastructure. In this context the IPPC included several energy pathways, most of which show nuclear increasing its share of generation in the mix.

In terms of the UK, this chimes with several other reports to come out over recent months concluding that excluding nuclear from the mix would not only be impractical but incredibly expensive, especially as we move away from fossil fuels. The MIT report, The Future of Energy in a Carbon Constrained World, showed in the case of the UK the system costs would be over twice what it would be if nuclear were not included as part of the mix.

All of which underlines the importance of making progress on new build at a time when our existing plants are coming off the bars. While construction is now well underway at Hinkley Point C and Horizon making good progress with Wylfa Newydd, last month’s announcement by Toshiba that they are winding up the NuGen project is clearly a setback.

It is not only very sad news for all those involved in the project, who had worked so tirelessly and professionally to make it a success, but to the Cumbrian economy and the industry as a whole.

However this should not be the end of the matter. The Moorside site is one of the few sites designated by Government for new nuclear build, and has huge local support. It is vital therefore Government does all it can to encourage further development there. We cannot afford to leave the site empty when we desperately need new nuclear to be built in the UK. PETER HASLAM Head of Policy, NIA peter.haslam@niauk.org

2018 | WINTER — 29

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