Industry Link - Spring 2018

MAGAZINE OF THE UK NUCLEAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION SPRING / 2018

NIAUK.ORG

A tale of two 12 name changes TERMINATING THE UK’S NUCLEAR HAZARD 2 10 Major leap forward for UK ABWR BOXING UP NUCLEAR WASTE 16

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Welcome to IndustryLink 2017 seemed to focus on a few key issues – the furore over the withdrawal from Euratom, uncertainty over the future of NuGen and stalled policy positions. Thankfully it ended with a flurry of announcements from government and industry.

In this edition we cover a number of those. Looking at the future of long term waste disposal as well as the secured investment for continued research into fusion.

Events also feature heavily, with the 10th anniversary of NSAN; the WiN UK annual conference and our own Nuclear 2017 all taking place in the last couple of months.

We also look at a number of achievements across industry. The NDA’s latest competition into innovative robotics, and how its use of divers to help decommission ponds at Dungeness A has been employed at Sizewell A. The UK is well placed at the heart of the international nuclear industry and its appropriate we release this edition in time for the international showcase. We feature recent trips by Tom Greatrex to the US and Japan in this issue.

With work going on across the UK’s sector there is international interest for the slice of the pie as well as export opportunities for UK expertise.

2018 is already looking positive and could be the year the UK’s much coveted nuclear renaissance really picks up the pace.

IN VIEW

IN THIS ISSUE...

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DIVING INTO INNOVATION AT SIZEWELL PAGE 7

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NSAN TURNS 10

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Editor - Rupert Lewis Art Editor - Dan Powney Contributors - Sara Crane, Peter Haslam, Tom Greatrex, Jay Ferriday, Jonathan Bew, Stephanie McKenna, Adrian Bull – NNL, Mary Kinsella – NSAN, Richard Crutchley and Sean Weller – Wood, with additional thanks to World Nuclear News

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Cover image: LaserSnake2 in action courtesy of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority This magazine is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable based inks.

Terminating the UK’s nuclear hazards BY. RUPERT LEWIS

The five successful projects are (lead contractor in bold): 1. Barrnon Ltd

Atkins Cambrian Intelligence Ltd Createc Ltd Veolia (Oxford Technologies)

2. Createc Ltd

OC Robotics Red Engineering Design Ltd Structure Vision Ltd React Engineering Ltd UKEA, Race Ltd

3. Wood

Airbus Defence & Space Ltd Damavan Imaging Clicks & Links Ltd TWI Digital Concepts Engineering Ltd IS Instruments Ltd i3D Robotics Ltd University of Lancaster University of Salford Kawasaki

4. Cavendish Nuclear

Babcock Analytic Solutions OC Robotics

5. Nuvia

Clicks & Links Ltd Hu-Tech Ltd Imitec Ltd PaR Systems Ltd UKEA RACE Ltd University of Bristol University of Manchester

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list of 15 and because of the response from the supply chain, more funds have been made available, increasing a planned pot of £3 million to £8.5 million.

“We were all incredibly excited by the quality and diversity of submissions, which came from established organisations as well as industries working with us for the first time,” said NDA’s Head of Technology, Melanie Brownridge.

“The projects demonstrate the full range of innovation – using existing ideas in an innovative way through to cuttingedge new technologies.”

The NDA has said the winner or winners could be put to work at Sellafield’s Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant and Magnox Reprocessing plant, which are set to close by 2020. Following closure, each facility must be cleaned out, with the waste safely treated for packing and storage.

On this particular subject, Brownridge explained, “The new integrated system must establish what’s inside the cells, measure the radioactivity, access spaces that have been sealed for years, cut up the contents, segregate the waste, then remove it for treatment and safe storage.

“Radioactive levels are extremely high, preventing workforce access, so the work must be carried out remotely”. The perfect job for the NDA’s army of nuclear Arnold Schwarzenegger’s!

According to the NDA, the robots range from common “nuclear favourites”, others have been used in different sectors and some which are brand new.

Ideas include large industrial robots to “small ant-like devices” and one of the auto-mapping systems put forward in the competition was used in missions to Mars and will be modified to scan the interiors of radioactive cells.

Beyond this competition, Derek Allen, Innovation Lead for Energy at Innovate UK, said it “has the potential to open up significant business opportunities for UK organisations both nationally and globally.

In addition, “This programme fully aligns with one of the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund priority areas… which is looking to create a safer working world for people, improve productivity and support advances in industry and public services.”

The first set of trials for the five winners will take place over 18 months and those identified as best will progress into more challenging radioactive environments.

These robots may not make a great Hollywood blockbuster but the money saved for the taxpayer and the business generated in the UK and overseas for the successful robots should total more than £55 million The Terminator took at the box office.

Images courtesy of Nuclear Decommissioning Authority — www.gov.uk/government/organisations/nuclear-decommissioning-authority

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hen the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) issued a press release about “super-smart auto-navigation” robots commissioned by government agencies, I wondered if James Cameron’s Skynet had finally been created and an army of chiselled Arnie’s would soon be prowling the earth on a mission to destroy nuclear waste…

Sadly not, but the good news is that a group of five consortia have each been awarded up to £1.5 million to build prototypes for testing in a simulated radioactive environment.

There has been much talk in the press and pubs about machines taking over various forms of employment for decades, but the nuclear decommissioning sector is one which will thrive with the advancement of robotics.

In the past, working in high-hazard environments has involved teams of workers dressed in protective equipment restricted to working for no more than a few hours. A time consuming, costly and risky business.

Set up by the NDA, the purpose of this competition was to help “reduce risks to workers, increase productivity, deal efficiently with waste, reduce timescales and cut overall costs to the taxpayer”.

The five ideas set out by the consortia have been chosen from an original short-

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Warm welcome from Japan BY. TOM GREATREX

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ven a rare and sudden flurry of snow in Tokyo could not dampen the warmth of the engagement at the second annual UK and Japan nuclear industry forum in January.

Hosted by the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the UK Embassy in Tokyo, this was the second forum where NIA and JAIF, our Japanese equivalent, joined forces to help build relationships, develop understanding and exchange intelligence about the civil nuclear industry in both our countries.

At the first event last year, there were a series of introductory discussions on the industry in both countries including the political environment and policy frameworks and current activity which companies were engaged with.

This year, there was a concentrated focus on decommissioning, detailing achievements and experience developed in the UK and examining the current and likely future programme of work in Japan.

Of course, the relationship between the industry in Japan and the UK goes back to when its very first reactor opened, but has deepened since the earthquake and tsunami which affected the country – and most notably the Fukushima prefecture – in 2011.

Since then, the capability and expertise developed in the UK has been used to support the efforts of TEPCO at Fukushima Daiichi – from large entities and companies like Sellafield to more niche and specialist outfits including Oxford Technologies with their expertise in remote handling and robotics.

At the same time, the UK’s need for new nuclear capacity as our current generation f leet comes towards the end of its life has stimulated interest in investment in the UK.

MEDIA WATCH NEWS

A new nuclear Activity Report, commissioned by the NIA and compiled by Oxford Economics, has for the first time set out the huge economic impact of the UK civil nuclear industry. The headline figures show that in 2016, the sector contributed £6.4 billion in GDP to the economy and supported more than 65,000 jobs across the UK. Tom Greatrex, NIA Chief Executive, said: “For the first time we have comprehensive data which shows the important role the UK’s civil nuclear sector plays in generating highly skilled and well paid jobs, making a significant contribution to the economy and supplying low carbon electricity to keep the lights on.”

The full report can be downloaded from the NIA website at www.niauk.org/resources/publications.

Hitachi, owners of Horizon, gave an update on the Wylfa Newydd project, which has recently completed its Generic Design Assessment in the UK. The opportunities for co-operation and collaboration between the UK and Japan, and our respective industries, are clear to see.

The potential for future partnership was recognised by the UK and Japanese governments, who signed a memorandum of co-operation in December 2016.

This message was reinforced by the recently appointed Minister of State at DIT, Baroness Rona Fairhead, who spoke at the forum.

The following day gave the Baroness and industry representatives the opportunity to visit Fukushima – many for the first time.

With 5,000 people working on site at the Daiichi plant, there is a hive of activity at a level which you might not expect from travelling into the exclusion zone, and past the evacuated houses, shops and other buildings.

What is in many ways an eerie experience soon gives way to an industrious, determined and committed operation at the site – complete with an impressive catering operation, using much local produce.

As everybody reading this knows, the perception and the reality of the impact of radiation bear almost no relation – but being reminded that f lying to Japan meant several times more exposure to radiation than a site visit was all the more powerful when there.

Tom Samson, NuGen’s CEO, confirmed at the NIA’s Nuclear 2017 conference that KEPCO had been awarded preferred bidder status for the company and to take forward its new build plans at Moorside.

Commenting on the announcement KEPCO said the deal requires agreement from the UK and Korean governments but it is “pleased to reach this significant milestone in the process” and “is excited about bringing their delivery experience to the UK and build on the important nuclear heritage of the UK”.

The news was met very positively across industry, especially in the north west. Ivan Baldwin, Chairman of Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster commented: “The local supply chain for any new development is already strong”. He added “we’re well placed to do a great job in supporting NuGen and its investors in creating a new nuclear power station here in Cumbria.”

Following cross-party concern in Parliament over the issue, Secretary of state for BEIS, Greg Clark, has issued a Written Ministerial Statement detailing hopes for a “close association with Euratom” during and following transition and committing to progression reports in Parliament every three months.

Sky’s Political Editor, Faisial Islam reported on the announcement setting out government intentions to include Euratom in the transition period and that plans are also being put in place for the potential no deal scenario.

The NIA welcomed the statement from Greg Clark, explaining this is “a useful and welcome step” from the government, but noted “there is much still to do in equipping the UK’s regulator to take on Euratom’s safeguarding activities.”

It was reported in the Financial Times that both the UK and Japanese governments were willing to look at financing arrangements for the Horizon new build project at Wylfa Newydd on Anglesey.

This comes soon after the Office for Nuclear Regulation’s recent approval of the UK ABWR reactor design through the generic design assessment process.

Commenting on the announcement, Duncan Hawthorne, CEO of Horizon Nuclear Power, said: “This is a huge milestone for Horizon and a major leap forward for us in bringing muchneeded new nuclear power to the UK.”

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

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Countdown to Salamanca construction Berkeley Energia is planning the start of construction at the Salamanca uranium mine in Spain. Having received initial funding through the Oman sovereign wealth fund, the company is focusing on awarding major contracts, filling key management positions and conducting detailed reviews, and has selected Sanchez y Lago as its preferred mining contractor.

The majority of new staff required for the first construction phase will be recruited from local villages, and Berkeley Managing Director, Paul Atherley, said the project has strong stakeholder support from a community which is experiencing high levels of unemployment.

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Partners on workforce development Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is teaming up with the Foundation for Student Science and Technology (FSST) to launch a series of national programmes targeting young people pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and maths.

The first programme to be launched aims to help young women through

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support, information, research and other useful resources. The second programme is a national competition intended to “stretch and showcase the imagination and ingenuity of future leaders.” High school students will submit research proposals to a competitive, peer-review process designed to evaluate the quality of the research work.

In a joint statement CNL and FSST said the aim of their partnership “is to help cultivate an innovative workforce essential for meeting the country’s economic needs for years to come”.

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Swedish repository gets positive response Sweden’s Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) submitted a positive opinion on Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB’s (SKB’s) application to build a repository for used nuclear fuel, together with a plant to encapsulate the fuel prior to disposal.

SKB’s application concerns disposal of 6,000 capsules with a total of 12,000 tonnes of radioactive waste at a depth of about 500 meters.

SSM recommended the government approves SKB’s licence applications. SKB CEO Eva Halldén said “SSM’s opinion shows that our final disposal concept, which we researched and developed for almost 40 years, is capable of meeting the very high standards of radiation safety.”

The Land and Environment Court has told the government it believes further documentation is required on the copper capsules to be used before a licence is issued, stating “SKB’s assessment is solid, but there is still uncertainty about the ability of the capsule to contain the nuclear waste in the long term.”

Under its current timetable, SKB plans to start construction sometime early in the 2020s and they will take about 10 years to complete.

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Russia to assist Argentina in mining Russia and Argentina have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on uranium exploration and mining.

Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom is also proposing to supply Argentina with a nuclear power plant.

It aims to promote cooperation between Russia and Argentina in exploration and mining, with particular focus on the in-situ recovery method of uranium extraction. It builds on previous MoUs and intergovernmental agreements on co-operation including design, construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants and research reactors, and support of the nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management, and isotope production.

Diving into innovation at Sizewell BY. SARA CRANE

Specialist scuba divers are going to new depths to haul radioactive waste out of the nuclear fuel storage pond at Sizewell A.

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his innovative approach, introduced by the Cavendish Fluor Partnership, was first used in 2016 at Dungeness A where the divers were able to cut up pond skips, once used to store nuclear fuel as well as removing other debris and sludges.

Wearing full protective suits and shielded from radiation by the water, the 12-strong team from US Contractor, Underwater Construction Corporation, was able to complete the work faster and more efficiently than using the traditional method.

Conventionally, pond clean out takes place using remotely operated equipment to lift the whole radioactive skip clear of the water, exposing them to the air, where they are carefully cut up before decontamination, storage and eventual disposal. This process is slow with potential radiation dose risks for workers.

“The scale of work to be delivered by the divers is huge.

Although we only have one pond to decommission, the inventory of the ponds is larger than at Dungeness A but we will still be looking to speed up the work wherever it is safe to do so, said Steve Franks, Sizewell A Site Ponds Programme Manager.

“In addition to a reduction in the overall radiation dose for workers, compared to traditional methods, the diving technique has a lower environmental impact, ultimately providing value for the UK taxpayer”, he continued.

The work will take around 10 months to complete at Sizewell A and has employed many of the lessons learned during the process at Dungeness A. “During more than 250 dives at Dungeness A, a number of new ideas emerged including the use of lightweight plastic platforms for divers to stand on when exploring uncharted areas of the pond floor, said Geoff Suitor, Head of the Magnox Programme for the NDA. Mr Suitor concludes: “Magnox’s implementation of innovative approaches, such as the use of divers to handle radioactive waste in ponds, contributes real progress in reducing risks and hazards at the Magnox sites. Together, we are success-fully cleaning up and making safe the UK’s earliest nuclear sites on behalf of our communities and the environment.”

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The fact that nobody outside the region was told about the incident for days, and the city wasn’t evacuated until the afternoon of the day after the accident is overlooked.

Perhaps most amazingly, the other reactors on the Chernobyl site carried on operating for years after Reactor 4 exploded in April 1986, with the site continuing to supply the grid until 2000. In Japan, not only was the Fukushima

site shut down after the accident, the nation’s 50+ reactors remained off line for some years and even now only a few have restarted.

My tourist visit to the abandoned city of Pripyat included close proximity to some items and patches of ground which had radiation detectors bleeping loudly, whereas close to Fukushima we struggled to find any significant contamination – something I know Tom Greatrex experienced on his recent visit. Yet the Chernobyl tour required no PPE, in contrast to the Japanese experience.

Both incidents showed – in different ways – the importance of prompt evacuation. Yet it was also evident that decisions about turning a temporary evacuation into a semi-permanent exclusion have been driven more by media pressure and local political considerations than by scientific assessment.

I was left feeling that in both situations the nuclear industry and governments could have done much better in terms of open, prompt communication and pragmatic, evidence-based decision making regarding public health.

Hopefully those lessons can be learned for the future, although never needed!

Communicating Chernobyl and Fukushima BY. ADRIAN BULL ⁄ NATIONAL NUCLEAR LABORATORY

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Pripyat, Ukraine by Hugh Mitton on Unsplash — https://unsplash.com/photos/K0qMZOUw1Qc

I wrote an Industry Link article in 2016, following my visit to the Fukushima region in Japan, with the main message that many well-intentioned measures had been put in place to “reassure” people, but all were having the opposite effect.

Examples being the substantial PPE requirements to enter the exclusion zone, and the programme of thyroid testing being carried out annually on local children.

In September 2017 I visited Kiev, including a two-day trip into the Chernobyl exclusion zone, with a tour of the power plant.

Comparing and contrasting these experiences was a salutary lesson that it’s sometimes the handling of the aftermath – rather than the accident itself – which creates the biggest impact.

The overriding message from the Japanese was contrition and shame the accident had happened. In Ukraine, the narrative was essentially: “Our Soviet engineers built four reactors, supplying power to homes and factories; we were building more and planning a dozen in total; …then a bit of an accident happened….; our best academics then worked out what was going on in the plant; our brave firefighters and rescue services sprang into action, risked their lives and prevented a second accident which could have destroyed the world; we evacuated a city of 40,000 people in three hours; we built new homes for them all; etc, etc…”

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Major leap forward for UK ABWR reactor technology The UK ABWR recently became the first technology to complete the UK regulators’ Generic Design Assessment (GDA) on schedule, and at the first time of asking. NIA’s Sara Crane spoke to Hitachi-GE GDA Programme Manager Chas King, to find out more:

What does GDA mean to you, as a Requesting Party?

GDA is one of the most significant projects you can undertake as a reactor vendor. The benefits and implications of success are significant, but the challenge of getting there is unparalleled outside main construction.

Successfully obtaining a Design Acceptance Confirmation (DAC) and Statement of Design Acceptability (SoDA) is a benchmark globally - due in significant part to the reputations of the UK regulators. When you are granted a significant vote of confidence under one of the world’s most stringent regulatory regimes, it sets a tone for your wider market presence.

Also – and let’s be very clear on this – success in GDA was a mission-critical landmark on the path to delivering Wylfa Newydd. Clearly, GDA is a key step, but it was more than that.

It was the first point at which our proven technology achieved a concrete mark of success under the UK regulatory regime – crucial to wider confidence in the project.

What do you see as the key factors in your success?

There are two key aspects to success in GDA. One is technology and the second is approach.

The ABWR is tried and tested – it’s been built and operated four times, with four more under development. It’s the culmination of 50 years continuous improvement in Boiling Water Reactor technology, and strong operational data to underpin the regulators’ assessment.

None of that means it was a shoe-in of course. We are entering a different operating environment, and international best practice has moved on in leaps and bounds since the first ABWR entered operation in 1996.

The intervening period has included international events such as 9/11 and Fukushima – both of which had a significant effect on how the industry approaches certain kinds of risk.

The outcome of incorporating these learnings, and the UK’s specific regulatory expectations, is the UK ABWR.

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GDA entailed over 6,000 submissions, more than 1,000 technical and project meetings, and a peak team of more than 300 from Hitachi-GE, Horizon and GE-Hitachi, supported by supply chain partners – it’s a massive programme of work to deliver in four and a half years.

The key here is a common and shared objective, supported by an integrated global delivery structure and, of course, a highly committed team. This provided the framework within which our team worked together to co-ordinate and manage our workstreams; control our communications with the regulators; and enable clear oversight and decision-making.

These ensured accountabilities were clear; division of scope was understood, and all interactions worked towards the ultimate goal.

In addition, we were moving the ABWR from a prescriptive to non-prescriptive regime; and crossing linguistic and cultural boundaries. Understanding the regulatory environment was key – the expectations, the nomenclature, and exactly what was expected of us.

What next for Hitachi-GE and the ABWR? The immediate priority is to help Horizon deliver Wylfa Newydd – and a significant proportion of the GDA team is now seconded to Horizon, supporting work on site specific licensing. Beyond that, we have a proven technology, which has secured significant approvals in the UK, and is progressing well towards its first European deployment.

In a world which needs ever more low-carbon, secure and sustainable power – the UK ABWR has a vital role to play.

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Images courtesy of Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe Ltd — www.hitachi-hgne.co.jp/en

So can you tell us more about the approach you took to GDA?

BY. MARY KINSELLA ⁄ NSAN

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anuary saw around 100 people from across the sector come together to celebrate the first 10 years of NSAN at the House of Lords.

Marking the event, is a new brand.

Commenting at the launch, Managing Director Jo Tipa conceded that after a decade of trying to get industry to call it National Skills Academy for Nuclear, they’ve given up, “NSAN it is”, she said, and the new branding ref lects this.

Jo was joined at the event by former Chief Executive, Jean Llewelyn and Chair Martyn Fletcher. They outlined the progress which has been made in the past decade and looked at the considerable skills recruitment and training challenge facing the sector.

Lord Hutton opened the event and highlighted NSAN’s collaborative approach to working with nuclear employers and training providers, among others, to help provide a solution to the skills issue.

With Cogent, NSAN has been responsible for launching the UK Nuclear Skills Awards. March will see the 10th Annual Skills Awards which highlights excellence in skills for nuclear through many apprentice and graduate awards.

Jean spoke passionately about the Triple Bar Programme, which has seen more than 20,000 people complete courses helping provide workers with the construction and manufacturing skills industry needs, but are new to nuclear, with the understanding of the compliance needed to work in the sector.

By working with industry, NSAN has played a key role in in many developments in the apprenticeship programme including providing an additional 258 apprentices into the supply chain through NSAN apprentice funding initiatives – the Community Apprentice Scheme and Supply Chain Apprentices Nuclear.

They’ve supported the development of five nuclear specific apprenticeship trailblazers from Level 2 to Degree levels, and the Nuclear Bursary Scheme has provided 348 individuals with more than £300,000 funding to support their career.

There are still challenges ahead and as an industry we need to maintain a collaborative approach to the skills challenge.

NSAN will continue to work closely with members delivering a dedicated service that provides added value to the sector.

Here’s to the next decade!

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The UK nuclear industry’s leading annual conference, Nuclear 2017, was for another year, a tremendous success. The one-day event organised by the NIA saw more than 230 delegates from across the industry congregate at London’s iconic County Hall.

In a venue overlooking Parliament, it was more than befitting that Richard Harrington, Energy Minister for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, took the opportunity to announce a raft of funding commitments to the UK industry.

Speaking about SMRs, the sector deal and fusion technology, he confirmed up to £56 million for advanced modular reactors over the next three years, and £86 million for the UK Atomic Energy Authority to establish a centre to support innovation and expertise in nuclear fusion.

Yet this was not the only major announcement of the day.

Tom Samson, CEO of NuGeneration Ltd, took to the stage to confirm KEPCO has been granted preferred bidder status for the acquisition of NuGen. Discussing the project in his speech, he said: “KEPCO’s desire to acquire NuGen is a major vote of confidence for Cumbria and for the UK nuclear sector”.

The conference also featured many speakers from across the nuclear industry who spoke about the key developments of

2017 as well as a look ahead to what 2018 has in store, covering Brexit and Euratom, the supply chain and nuclear skills.

Shaking up tradition in a moment that captured the attention of the audience, CEO of Horizon Nuclear Power, Duncan Hawthorne, handed the responsibility of discussing the future impact of the new build project to apprentice, Sophie Wright.

Whilst a little unorthodox from Duncan, Sophie’s delivery was equivalent to that of a well-seasoned speaker and her fresh approach really reflected the overall feeling of promise throughout the day. This was further captured in comments from Lord Hutton, NIA Chairman, speaking of the “commitment and a desire of this industry to be a positive force for change.”

The conference was not just about stimulating speakers, and delegates made the most of the opportunity in-between sessions to network and explore the exhibition.

The conference served as an excellent showcase to the nuclear industry, the successes it had through 2017 and the challenges it will need to be overcome in the coming years.

With the announcements made throughout the day, the civil nuclear industry can still be seen as one with great promise, in particular in meeting the UK’s climate change targets for future generations to come.

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IN VIEW

2,200 3m3 boxes

Image courtesy of Sellafield Limited — www.gov.uk/government/organisations/sellafield-ltd

The first batch of nuclear waste boxes (see p16) are now ready to store hazardous material from Sellafield’s Pile Fuel Cladding Silo.

Two firms, Darchem Engineering in Stockton on Tees and Metalcraft in Cambridgeshire, won the contract to provide 2,200 of these boxes, which will be used to hold legacy waste.

The 1.3 tonne boxes are made from duplex steel, which is stronger and more resistant to corrosion than typical stainless steel.

They are designed to last at least 500 years to see them through their journey into a Geological Disposal Facility.

This is the most significant step yet towards getting the waste out of the facility in 2019.

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Boxing up nuclear waste BY. RUPERT LEWIS

SELLAFIELD LTD HAS ESTIMATED 15,000 3M3 BOXES WILL BE REQUIRED TO REHOUSE THE WASTE BEING SHIPPED OUT OF THE BUILDING OVER THE NEXT TWO DECADES

It’s fairly uncontroversial to say boxes aren’t traditionally the most interesting subject. They don’t hold much, in fact, any affection for most people and back when The Simpsons was the most watched programme on TV, Bart’s school trip to the Springfield box factory brilliantly sums up the boring normality of boxes.

However, in the nuclear industry most things aren’t normal and even boxes are interesting in this sector! Particularly the ones being manufactured by Darchem Engineering and Metalcraft which will hold the waste from one of the world’s oldest nuclear waste stores.

Emptying the legacy intermediate level waste from Sellafield’s Pile Fuel Cladding Silo will take 10-12 years to complete and a total of 2,200 3m3 boxes will be required.

Although, unsurprisingly, these are not the boxes featured in The Simpsons sketch… they are highly engineered to allow any hydrogen to be safely vented and are built from super-strength Duplex steel (see p14.)

Both Darchem Engineering and Metalcraft will be producing two of these boxes a week from a production line that includes automatic welding machines which turn a three-hour manual weld into a four-minute job.

More impressively these 1.3 tonne boxes are designed to last for at least

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500 years and will eventually end up in the UK’s Geological Disposal Facility.

At the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo, Sellafield Ltd has estimated 15,000 3m3 boxes will be required to rehouse the waste being shipped out of the building over the next two decades.

The design of the boxes are different from the Pile Fuel Cladding Silo ones, in that they will have a detachable inner container which is filled inside the Silo Emptying Plant - the machine which runs on rails along the top of the silo, grabbing the waste out.

Sellafield has said the contract for this work will be awarded by the end of 2019 and more than one company is expected to win, ensuring a diverse range of suppliers.

The company expect the contractors to be able to produce 22 boxes each month and want to direct their suppliers into “a whole new ‘Model T’ production line mentality”.

Glen McCracken, Sellafield Ltd’s head of portfolio for decommissioning said, “We’re on the brink of seeing waste retrievals starting from our two legacy silos, with both facilities expected to start getting the waste out in 2019.

“That will be a massive moment, but as well as getting it out, we need to be sure that the waste has got somewhere safe to go to.

“That means having enough boxes ready to be filled and having the confidence that a conveyor belt of production will be delivering a steady stream of them.”

As well as the 2,200 boxes for the Pile Fuel Cladding Silo and an estimated 15,000 for the Magnox Silo, Westinghouse were awarded a contract with the potential to make an initial 247 selfshielded boxes for storing zeolite skips currently stored in the legacy ponds.

With this volume of demand and with more waste containers required, Sellafield is exploring how it can use this opportunity to achieve maximum benefits in the upcoming manufacturing opportunities as well as other issues.

“Schedule, quality and overall cost price are all essential factors in helping [Sellafield] decide which manufacturers to choose. But Sellafield has been really innovative in building in the requirement for manufacturers to demonstrate what the social impact would be of winning a contract,” said Glen McCracken.

The supply chain is ready and with an approach at Sellafield dictated around innovation and partnerships, these contracts will only serve to deepen the strength and diversity of the UK’s nuclear manufacturing supply chain.

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Why equipment qualification matters BY. RICHARD CRUTCHLEY AND SEAN WELLER / WOOD

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aults in seemingly insignificant sub-assembly items can be a serious matter for nuclear power plants. A tiny component worth a few pounds could delay construction or even cause a temporary shutdown of a plant costing up to $25 billion to build.

That’s why equipment qualification (EQ) and materials qualification (MQ) are such essential activities for the nuclear industry, and why Wood and its EQ partners, Element Materials Technology, Tecnatom and TUV Rheinland have formed the EQ Services Alliance (EQSA) Greg Willetts, vice president for consultancy at Wood’s nuclear business, says: “EQSA is dedicated to ensuring the new build supply chain and existing operators can qualify safety critical components right first time to meet UK and European regulatory expectations while helping to avoid delays and unforeseen costs as the project develops.

“We support customers on materials selection and preparation of qualification plans as well as analysis and testing – all designed to establish, preserve and upgrade required equipment qualifications.”

Demonstrating that new and existing plant equipment will operate safely and shut down safely in fault conditions is vital; and EQ is a regulatory requirement.

For example, the pumps and valves essential for safe operation and smooth running of the cooling system rely on elastomer ‘O’ ring seals to maintain the equipment’s integrity.

If these seals fail, they could curtail the operation of the plant or significantly delay its life extension.

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Extensive accelerated ageing tests, which simulate the wear and tear caused by heat, mechanical stresses and radiation as well as accident conditions, can reveal discrepancies in manufacturing quality as well as a wide variance in performance between different batches.

Common thinking is that EQ is simply a qualification process for manufactured components. In fact, it can be applied at any point in the nuclear power plant lifecycle.

There is considerable value in incorporating EQ requirements into the design stage to ensure downstream EQ programmes go to plan and equipment qualifies right first time.

EQ assessments, tests and justifications can take many months to complete, making early EQ planning essential.

EQ programmes can often be optimised by testing families of components, grouping similar equipment and components with similar functionality and materials, so that one piece within the family can be tested and justified as representative of the entire family.

Although a lot of work is required to group a family accurately, the time and effort invested can yield quite considerable EQ savings in both time and costs.

On current new build projects, Wood and its partners are providing EQ services to suppliers of electrical, control and instrumentation products and services, valves and pumps.

“Our collective capability and expertise means that EQSA can meet all of our customers’ EQ and MQ needs on new build or modification projects”, continued Greg Willetts.

Nuclear fusion is 30 years away.

Still. Maybe. Or maybe closer?

BY. JAY FERRIDAY

For many, nuclear fusion is a sci-fi idea that will undoubtedly change the world, if it ever happens. But if you spend two minutes talking to Professor Ian Chapman he would fill you with enough confidence to put your money on the latter.

Ian is the Chief Executive officer of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and with the launch of the National Fusion Technology Platform (NaFTeP) on the back of the government’s recent £86 million investment in the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, his dream of a fusion future has edged closer to reality.

NaFTeP will consist of two new centres of excellence: Hydrogen-3 Advanced Technology (H3AT) and Fusion Technology Facilities (FTF).

H3AT will research how to process and store tritium, one of the fuels that will power commercial fusion reactors whilst FTF will carry out thermal, mechanical, hydraulic and electromagnetic tests on

prototype components under conditions experienced inside fusion reactors.

Commenting on the investment, Professor Ian Chapman said: “Fusion is entering the delivery era, with increasing focus on the key technologies that will be needed for the first power stations.”

ITER, the international fusion research experiment currently being built in France is key to the “delivery era” for fusion.

NaFTeP is expected to create around 100 jobs and support British industry to secure around £1billion in contracts from ITER and other global fusion projects, signalling the UK’s intent to continue its participation in international science collaboration after leaving the European Union.

To date, 38 UK companies have won contracts worth a total of over €500 million on the €14 billion ITER project.

H3AT and FTF will work closely with the industrial supply chain to place them in pole position for the next phase of ITER

procurements in areas including the tritium plant, Hot Cell, measurement systems, assembly, maintenance and reactor materials.

Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the NIA, said: “The level of government investment seen with the £86 million National Fusion Technology Platform demonstrates the expertise, confidence and ability of staff at Culham in being at the cutting edge of research.

“As well as being a world leader in fusion research, we have a similar industrial capability which we have the opportunity to seize.”

With emission targets becoming ever more stringent, can anyone afford not to be serious about nuclear fusion?

The UK certainly doesn’t seem to think so. With bold new fusion funding plans coming into play, the UK is set to play a significant role in securing the world’s future energy supply.

2018 | SPRING — 19

WiN UK Conference BY. JONATHAN BEW

W

omen in Nuclear UK (WiN UK) held its fourth annual conference at the fabulous setting of Church House in London. The theme was ‘power together to create change’ and over 200 delegates from across the industry participated in the one-day event.

Jack Gritt, President of WiN UK, opened the conference and spoke of the successes of last year and the challenge to inspire us all to each take a small step to collaboratively make a big change.

This was built on in the keynote speech, given by Jo Swinson MP, in which she gave a passionate and honest reflection of prejudice in light of recent high level pay inequality scandal.

Jo wants “people to feel empowered to do more on gender equality” and encouraged us all to not “feel you need to fix everything, but you do need to fix the bit you can.”

In the first of the panel sessions, speakers shared with the audience compelling and personal stories of times when they have faced challenge, inequality and gender bias. It was an eye-opening experience to hear of such events and great to see the audience actively engaging with the panel and asking questions. Deanna Pearson, of Sellafield, spoke positively on how “change is visible” in the industry but there is still more to be done.

Alex Pett, Director of River Leadership Consultancy and host for the conference, wrapped up commenting “being authentic to yourself and maintaining professionalism will encourage you to find your own personal power.”

Following this was a thought provoking session on using organisational power to make a difference to gender diversity.

Panellists from across the industry gave insight into what their companies are doing to address gender balance, how to overcome unconscious bias and promote cultures of cognitive diversity.

Camilla Barrow of Bechtel spoke about the difference between diversity and inclusivity, saying you can “hire in” diversity but “inclusivity needs to be developed” from within an organisation. A prominent message and one developed throughout the day.

In the afternoon delegates attended workshops tailored to further explore themes such as cognitive diversity and finding and using your personal power.

Three outstanding people from across the nuclear sector were recognised with awards at the conference; Narmeen Rehman of EDF Energy – Champion of the Year Award, Kath Morris of the University of Manchester – Mission Possible Award, Nikolaos Adamidis of the NDA – Ally of the year. Congratulations the winners and all those nominated for awards.

Commenting on the winners, Jack Gritt said: “This year’s awards have shown the breadth of activity in the sector to be role models and mentors, provide guidance on the need for gender balance and help change perceptions.”

Closing the conference, Adrienne Kelbie, Patron of WiN UK and ONR chief executive, said: “Your power is there, waiting. All you have to do is switch it on.”

WiN are looking for volunteers to join them in setting up local WiN hubs across the UK. If you are interested and would like to find out more head to www.nuclearinst.com/Women-inNuclear-UK.

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SNAPSHOT

Help shape the UK’s GDF policy BY. RUPERT LEWIS

After a handful of false dawns scuppered by the General Election and Brexit, the government has published two consultations which have been set up to look at the policy process for a UK Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).

One is about the approach to working with communities during the process to find a suitable site and host community.

The other, the National Policy Statement consultation, will help create a clear route for planning future decisions.

The GDF is not a new idea in the UK or around the world. Back in 2013, Cumbria County Council voted against moving to the next stage, geological screening and in Sweden and Finland construction is underway for a GDF. For the non-nuclear amongst you, a GDF is a long-term solution to nuclear waste

disposal. It is a highly engineered structure made up of various tunnels and vaults between 200 m and 1,000 m underground.

Like any other nuclear project, the GDF has huge potential benefits for its host community. Initial funding of up to £1 million per year will be available for interested communities and funding of up to £2.5 million per year for those sites that proceed to deep underground investigations.

During construction it is expected to create up to 2,000 direct and indirect jobs and overall will generate an economic benefit of at least £8 billion over the lifetime of the facility.

Various organisations will take an active role in the delivery of a GDF. BEIS has policy development responsibility, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will implement that policy and then

Radioactive Waste Management will deliver the policy.

The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management will provide independent scrutiny and advice, and as with other nuclear sites, the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency will serve as regulators.

As the government has stated, the GDF is the best possible long term solution to nuclear waste disposal and these vital consultations will help communities play an active role in determining their own long-term socioeconomic development and prosperity.

The consultations are now open and available to view on the BEIS website, and will close on 19 April 2018.

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Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, United States by Zach Savinar on Unsplash — https://unsplash.com/photos/38Ik75KQNhk

T

aking the opportunity to visit a number of our member companies over the last two years has been hugely valuable in helping me understand what the priorities are for NIA members.

One visit took a little longer to organise, but late last year I was able to use a visit to the USA as an opportunity to witness the progress made by NuScale Power, a US technology company looking to bring its small modular reactor (SMR) technology through to commercialisation.

Attending NuScale’s testing facilities in Corvallis, Oregon, I toured the company’s one-third scale, electrically-heated thermal-hydraulic test facility (the ‘NuScale Integral System Test’ (NIST) facility), and was shown a full size mock-up of the upper portion of the NuScale Power Module™.

I saw a demonstration of the operation and performance of the NuScale power plant during a tour of its control room simulator. All of these facilities demonstrated the scope of the testing programme the company has been involved in in the US since 2003 – progressing technology development since winning cost share funding of $226 million from the US Department of Energy.

With that support, alongside backing from its majority investor Fluor Corporation, NuScale finalised and submitted a design certification application (DCA) to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – the equivalent of entering the Generic Design Assessment process here in the UK. I had some fascinating conversations with the technical teams, the academic originators of the technology and those leading the commercial activity at Nuscale.

As I have found across this industry, there is a lot of skill, experience and enthusiasm – all geared towards developing what may turn out to be a new aspect of civil nuclear power.

Progressing well with its DCA review process, NuScale is aiming to achieve regulatory approval in the early 2020s supporting an initial deployment project in Idaho in the mid-2020s.

So what is the relevance of this to the UK? As one of the technologies expressing an interest in the UK government’s SMR competition, and continuing to show an interest in the UK, NuScale has partnered with a number of UK companies including Ultra Electronics, the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Sheffield Forgemasters, in setting out its plans for possible UK deployment – with the IP remaining in the UK. A recently published UK SMR Action Plan set out the framework of a UK-US partnership on SMR, with UK companies providing more than 85% of the content required for deployment here.

Of course, there are other NIA member companies who have also expressed an interest in the government’s SMR competition. The announcement of support for advanced reactor design development, made by Energy Minister Richard Harrington at the NIA’s Nuclear 2017 conference, is of relevance to some. For others, the Expert Finance Working Group he also announced will be significant.

The NIA has always been clear of the potential complementary role that smaller and modular reactors could play to our large scale new build programme, particularly as overall demand for electricity

Welcome to...

BY. TOM GREATREX

THE MEMBERS OF THE EXPERT FINANCE WORKING GROUP HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED Chair: Fiona Reilly, Atlantic SuperConnection Members: Amjad Ghori (Ex Credit-Agricole) Dougald Middleton (EY) Giorgio Locatelli (University of Leeds) Greg Pearce (Commonwealth Bank of Australia) Larry Henry (KBR) Michael Redican (MAR Consult) Richard Abadie (PwC) Government members: Craig Lester (BEIS) Joshua Buckland (HMT) Helen Lister / David Clayton (IPA) Andrew Howarth (NIRO) 22 — SPRING | 2018

(and the amount of energy coming from electricity) is likely to increase.

SMRs offer an exciting opportunity to provide a complementary technology, with UK industrial, supply chain and export potential. What is needed – be that for NuScale or any other technology – is clarity of intent from the government.

The UK’s lead in SMR development is in danger of being lost, and as the regulatory process in the US demonstrates, there are other countries working to reap the benefits that could accrue from a determined approach to developing SMR. The ball may be very much in the court of the government’s finance working group just now, but the work that is underway in Oregon shows that is based on much more than just a design in concept. Whether we eventually embrace that opportunity, we will find out soon enough.

The Twittersphere BY. JAY FERRIDAY

“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it” – Buddha.

I’m fairly certain Buddha wasn’t thinking about social media with those wise words, if he was then it was an incredible bit of foresight to predict the rise of Facebook 2,400 years and more into the future. But it certainly applies to the modern maelstrom of social media.

Social media is a brilliant platform for companies to interact with customers, or it can be a perfect way to market your company and generate business. It can also be a fantastic way to tell the story of what your business does, or you can use it for outreach and push causes that matter for your industry.

Social communication can cover it all, but rarely all at the same time. Like many things, social media is most effective when there is a clear purpose and plan for what a brand or company wants to achieve.

Some of the most effective brands on social media use humour to add a personal touch to customer interactions (see @JetBlue).

Obviously this is great if your customers are on Twitter, but for much of the supply chain B2B dominates.

So what else can you do? Well, social media is exactly that.

Social. Interaction with your customers/suppliers is a great way to get your brand recognised among their followers who you should see as potential Who to follow? customers.

Want information on nuclear Don’t be shy, congratulate and other relevant topics? partners and celebrate collaborations and successes This issue we recommend you follow: in public. Remember, social media is a chance to show @WiNuclear your company is not made of @NuclearAMRC corporate robots. @SelLtdcareers One of the first things a millennial will do before applying for a job is to check the social media of a potential employer. No exception. So what does yours say about you? @generalelectric created a Twitter identity that flawlessly promotes itself as a company on the cutting edge of technology, but also one that isn’t afraid to have fun. No wonder they’re one of the top graduate recruiters in the world.

The real key to any successful social media presence is to have a clear idea of what you’re trying to achieve and keep that in the back of your mind every time you post. Is it to reach new customers? To raise awareness of your brand? Is it to promote causes that are important to your business? Or a combination of those things. Whatever the aim, find your #purpose, decide your #approach and reap the #benefits that follow.

Twitter Count Followers: 5,677 Tweets: 8,694

@NIAUK

@Zendesk Money is green, spreadsheets are blue, if you love numbers our Dublin Accounts Payable Administer job is for you zdsk,co/1njvuBx

2018 | SPRING — 23

NEWS IN BRIEF

New appointment at Horizon

Gwen Parry-Jones OBE will join Horizon Nuclear Power as Director, Nuclear Operations leading site development as well as growing the team on the island and playing a key role in building stakeholder relationships.

With nearly 30 years of nuclear experience, her career started at the Wylfa Magnox station next to the Horizon site.

Commenting on her appointment, Gwen said: “For me this was an unmissable opportunity - the chance to join a growing and talented team, building a uniquely new kind of nuclear company, and delivering a transformative project on my home island.”

Nuclear New Year’s Honours A leading nuclear communicator and member of NNL’s communications team is the latest in the nuclear community to be awarded an MBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours list.

External Relations Director, Adrian Bull, was appointed to be a Member of the British Empire recognising his work on the development of public understanding in nuclear research.

Adrian said: “I was speechless... It is a tremendous honour and I feel hugely privileged to have had the opportunity to work in some fascinating areas of communication and public engagement.”

Adrian is in good company with Dr Fiona Rayment OBE, NNL Director, and Dorothy Gradden OBE, a nuclear leader at Sellafield, both receiving Honours for the Queen’s Birthday in June.

AGR graphite contract signed

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EDF Energy and Cavendish Nuclear have signed a five-year contract worth £7.5 million to support the continued operation of the company’s fleet of Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors.

Cavendish Nuclear will provide specialists and equipment to EDF Energy stations across the UK to carry out inspections of the graphite blocks in the reactor cores. The 12-month contract will also deliver reduced overheads to cover planned work and emergent repairs, compared to managing multiple small complex contracts across the fleet.

Sue Walker, who manages EDF Energy’s graphite team said: “Establishing this long term contract has secured a more efficient, sustainable, flexible and resilient service for graphite inspections across the AGR fleet. Long term partnerships like this are an essential part of ensuring that EDF Energy’s nuclear stations continue to provide secure, affordable low carbon electricity for the UK.” Previously, the service was delivered on an outage-by-outage basis under contracts with individual stations, which deterred long-term investment in skills, planning and equipment.

Paul Smith, director of Nuclear Services at Cavendish Nuclear, said: “I’m delighted we have been able to build on our long-term partnership with EDF Energy to deliver a more efficient service for our customer and secure long-term investment in the skills of our staff.”

Advanced modular reactor funding

The progress of decommissioning

At the Nuclear 2017 conference in December, Richard Harrington MP made a series of announcements centred on nuclear research funding.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has initiated a two phase competition to establish an advanced modular reactor (AMR) feasibility and development programme.

The first phase of the competition will provide up to £4 million to be shared between companies undertaking feasibility studies for AMR designs. Phase one contracts will be worth up to £300,000.

Phase two will select successful projects from phase one and provide a share of an estimated £40 million fund to undertake development work.

As part of the Clean Growth Strategy, up to £7 million will be provided to regulators in order to build the capability and capacity needed to assess and licence small reactor designs.

This funding will also provide support for pre-licensing engagement between vendors and regulators.

Government is also setting up an Expert Finance Group to advise how small and advanced nuclear reactor projects could raise investment in the UK. The group will be asked to report in the Spring.

Sellafield joins Northern Powerhouse Sellafield Ltd was confirmed as an official partner of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse programme by Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry. The announcement was made at the Cumbria Day event in the House of Commons.

Jamie Reed, head of community and development for Sellafield Ltd, said: “We’re delighted to become official partners of the Northern Powerhouse.

“Sellafield has long been a powerhouse in its own right. We pioneered the civil nuclear industry and we’re now leading the world in nuclear decommissioning.”

Designed to drive economic growth in the north via investments in skills, innovation, transport and culture, the Northern Powerhouse’s footprint is defined as the 11 local enterprise partnership areas of the north of England.

Speaking about Sellafield Ltd, Jake Berry MP said: “The company plays a huge role already in the north’s economy, employing more than 11,000 people and spending more than £1.1 billion a year in the supply chain.

“The Northern Powerhouse is all about ensuring economies like Cumbria are able to achieve their full potential by working together with other towns, cities and rural communities.”

Announced by former Chancellor George Osborne in 2014, the Northern Powerhouse aims to redress the north-south economic imbalance and attract investment into northern cities and towns.

As we start 2018, Industry Link looks back at some recently achieved decommissioning milestones.

Sellafield’s newest plant, Evaporator D, is up and running and set to work reducing the volume of highly active liquor.

Costing £750 million, the plant is the only evaporator on site able to process Sellafield’s most radioactive waste product and is going through a 12 month process to prove its capability to regulators. Once fully operational, the new evaporator will replace Sellafield’s two older evaporators which will retire.

Elsewhere on the Sellafield site, the project to enter and retrieve waste from inside the Pile Fuel Cladding Silo continues to make great progress.

Six car-sized holes have been cut and airtight doors painstakingly installed on the site’s oldest radioactive waste storage facility, a massive concrete structure, in preparation for its robotic clean-out and decommissioning.

The project is a landmark for collaboration and innovation in the UK nuclear industry, promising to deliver a major hazard reduction project two years ahead of schedule and for £250 million less than previous estimates.

The decommissioning of retired reactors continues with hazard reduction at Magnox’s Wylfa site reaching a significant milestone – more than half of the used nuclear fuel has now been emptied from the site’s reactors.

The two reactors contained nearly 100,000 fuel elements whilst operating and once all the elements have been dispatched to Sellafield, more than 99% of the site’s radiological hazard will have been removed. Completion of defueling will mark the end of one of the UK’s largest programmes of nuclear hazard reduction work.

Stuart Law, Wylfa Site Director, said: “This is a landmark achievement for the site which has involved a lot of hard work and dedication from the highly skilled team at Wylfa.”

2018 | SPRING — 25

A tale of two name changes

The much publicised restructuring of Areva first outlined in 2016 has happened and here is your short guide to what has occured.

New Areva has become Orano and will focus on nuclear materials development and waste management. Orano’s activities will encompass a broad section of the nuclear fuel cycle from front-end activities, mining and conversionenrichment through to back-end activities including used fuel recycling and dismantling.

In the UK, Orano will continue to work on the majority of the UK’s nuclear licensed sites and provide expert, local services to its clients and projects.

Philippe Knoche, Orano CEO, said: “Orano symbolizes a new start. A new start that has been under preparation for several years now.

“Our new name symbolises our conviction: nuclear power has a future, as it is a competitive, low-carbon energy that creates jobs. Orano has all it needs to play a key role in this.”

Meanwhile Framatome is the new name for New NP, the division of Areva that designs and supplies nuclear steam supply systems, equipment, services and fuel. EDF is the majority shareholder in the company with 75.5% of the shares

26 — SPRING | 2018

with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Assytem holding 19.5% and 5% respectively.

Employing 14,000 employees worldwide, Framatome confirms its recognised manufacturer’s ambition to be the supplier of safe and competitive nuclear solutions, supporting its electrical utility customers all over the world.

Bernard Fontata, Chairman of the Managing Board and CEO, said: “Framatome possesses unique know-how in an industry that today is and will remain key for a low-carbon energy mix.

“Steeped in a rich heritage, Framatome is today one of the reference players in the nuclear sector worldwide, benefitting from unparalleled operating feedback. Our ambition is delivering a level of industrial excellence that is unrecognized by our customers.”

Areva SA is the sole company trading under the Areva name, retaining the contracts for the Olkiluoto 3 project in Finland (and the resources required to complete that project) as well as contracts relating to components forged in the Le Creusot plant.

For more information on the two new companies visit www.orano.group and www.framatome.com.

NIA Business Group’s – dates for the diary BY. STEPHANIE MCKENNA

As I write this in January, work is underway to fill another busy calendar for the NIA’s business groups and by the time you read this one group meeting will have already been held ahead of the Civil Nuclear International Showcase.

The NIA’s latest and fastest growing group – the International Group – hosted

by Nuclear Risk Insurers at Lloyds of London met on 26 February, and focused on opportunities and potential areas for collaboration between the UK and Canada.

The global nature of the industry means this group is increasingly important and future meetings will focus on significant nuclear markets, and plans are underway to put an agenda together which will help members scope out supply chain opportunities in the US. Plans are also in place for NIA’s biggest groups – new build and decommissioning and existing generation.

The next new build meeting will be held in Bristol at Atkin’s Aztec House offices on 22 March. Speakers are already in place from government to discuss the nuclear sector deal and the plans to ensure the UK has a smooth withdrawal from Euratom.

Earlier in the month, on 8 March, the decommissioning and existing generation group is meeting in Glasgow at the University of Strathclyde. In partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Opportunity North East the two day event has been divided up to help give non-nuclear Scottish companies a flavour of the sector, and the second day will run as normal for seasoned NIA members.

Sandwiched between will be the usual reception and pay-your-own-way dinner as well as a tour of Hunterston B kindly organised by EDF Energy.

The group’s next meeting has also been organised and pen the date in your diary – 27 September. Held at Birchwood Golf Club the meeting will follow on from Nu-Tech Engineering & Technology Solutions Exhibition held the day before.

With new Chairs for each of the NIA’s biggest groups, change is afoot and each of them are growing with new themes and ideas and as these are designed for our members, so please send us your feedback and thoughts.

Planning is also underway for the next Legal and Financial Affairs group, to be

held at Norton Rose Fulbright in London on 24 May. This group is not to be missed for the latest on nuclear policy it.

I also want to mention three other groups that are not often published but cover a lot of ground and are open to members who express an interest.

The NIA’s Brexit business group has become an important government-industry forum helping both sides understand the complexities and challenges of the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom.

Our cyber-security group is set to be launched in the first quarter this year and will play a key role for members to interact with each other and hear the latest input from around the sector, government and the National Cyber Security Centre.

Finally, the NIA’s External Relations Steering Group runs to join the industry together in its communications and wider external relations activities.

More details on each of the NIA’s groups can be found on the NIA website at www.niauk.org/business-groups and if you have any questions email membership@niauk.org. I look forward to seeing you at one of our many upcoming events.

2018 | SPRING — 27

NEW NIA MEMBERS

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

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

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

Clifford Chance cliffordchance.com Clifford Chance is a world leading law firm, with significant depth and range of resources across five continents. As a single, fully integrated, global partnership, it prides itself on its approachable, collegial and team-based way of working.

Clifford Chance provides top-tier legal expertise in the power sector across the conventional, nuclear and renewables industries, to global and domestic clients across the world through its offices in Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East – a network that few firms can match.

Like Technologies Ltd liketechnologies.co.uk Like Technologies is a well established company providing professional technical services, electronic and control engineering and software solutions to industry, especially where safety is paramount.

Our services and solutions are utilised in many industry sectors, including nuclear and power generation supporting many global and national tier 1 providers.

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Norton Rose Fulbright LLP nortonrosefulbright.com/uk Norton Rose Fulbright is a global law firm with more than 4,000 lawyers located in over 50 offices worldwide and is recognised as a leading provider of legal services in the energy sector. It is an active and well established member of the nuclear industry and has extensive experience in the sector.

The team is involved in all aspects of the nuclear cycle, including feasibility studies for the development of new stations, new build (construction and financing), operational issues, uranium mining and trading, fuel fabrication, transportation and supply, waste management and disposal and decommissioning.

Optima Systems Consultancy Ltd optimasc.co.uk Optima Systems Consultancy is an independent, privately owned systems engineering and management consultancy.

It recognises the challenges involved in developing today’s complex systems and operating in highly-regulated environments, and understands the benefits a structured systems engineering approach can provide.

It’s client base includes government departments, industrial prime contractors and specialist technical consultancies, across the civil nuclear industry. It provides high-calibre and experienced consultants, all of whom are SC or DV security cleared.

Tenex tenex.ru A ROSATOM company, TENEX operates to promote the interests of the Russian nuclear industry and provides a significant share of worldwide uranium conversion and enrichment services required for western type nuclear reactors.

Since 2015 TENEX has been acting as the industry-wide integrator of international sales of back-end reference products, works and services – spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management, decommissioning of nuclear and radiation hazardous facilities.

Thornhill Heat Exchangers Ltd thornhillheatexchangers.co.uk Thornhill manufactures high quality gaskets and is the number one supplier of aftermarket plate heat exchanger spares to the UK and world market.

Thornhill’s products and services are individually tailored to suit the needs and requirements of all industrial sectors. It is the customer focussed approach that has enabled Thornhill Heat Exchangers to establish itself as the largest independent service facility in Europe, covering a comprehensive and ever increasing range of plate specifications.

OPINION

PowerPolitics “WITH PASSIONS RUNNING SO HIGH AND THE EU WITHDRAWAL BILL JUST STARTING ITS PASSAGE THROUGH THE HOUSE OF LORDS, THERE COULD BE MAJOR TROUBLE AHEAD”

Contrary to the expectations of my last column, the sexual harassment scandal has not overwhelmed Parliament. Instead the spotlight has moved on to other areas, particularly the seedier side of the business sector (including the President’s Club dinner).

There will nonetheless be serious implications for our democratic process; it is clear we now live in a very different culture and, any politicians considering putting themselves forward for leadership ballots will now need to weigh carefully whether their past behaviour will survive the inevitable scrutiny.

Whilst the harassment storm has abated, parliamentary calm has not been entirely restored.

New Year kicked off badly with May’s long-awaited reshuff le, which went anything but to script and left most of the top people – including those slated for sacking – in the same roles.

Although this has undoubtedly further undermined confidence in government, from the narrow nuclear perspective it was not all bad news, not least because Greg Clark remains in place as Business, Energy and Industry Strategy Secretary, with Richard Harrington continuing as his nuclear deputy.

Greg has been the driver behind the government’s industrial strategy, including the nuclear sector deal the industry has worked so hard on, and it would be a major loss to the industry’s prospects (and those of the UK economy) for this to go to waste.

Equally importantly, as we have said before, there are now several important policy decisions stacking up in BEIS that urgently need to be progressed, and not just in new nuclear build.

New Ministers would mean a further delay in getting to grip with these issues.

We would hope that BEIS Ministers, now securely in place, will be able to get their heads down to progress them.

Botched reshuff les apart, the other massive distraction has been renewed arguments over Europe and the UK’s approach to the Brexit negotiations.

At the time of writing these are again coming to a head, with Hammond’s statement at the Davos World Economic Forum that there would be ‘only very modest change’ in the UK’s relationship with the EU resulting in outrage from Brexiteers that he was pursuing BRINO – or ‘Brexit in Name Only’.

These Brexiteers were subsequently described in their turn as the ‘swivel eyed few’, a term last used by David Cameron before the referendum. With passions running so high and the EU Withdrawal Bill just starting its passage through the House of Lords, there could be major trouble ahead.

The irony is that only a month earlier government had been congratulating itself on making better progress than anticipated in its negotiations with Europe.

At the end of last year, the European Council agreed that sufficient progress had been made to move on to the second stage of negotiations – the future trade relationship – and that rapid progress should be made on an implementation period. Neither of these had seemed likely just a few weeks (days?) earlier.

With regard to nuclear, Greg Clark published the first of his promised three monthly ministerial statements on Euratom. This explained the government’s strategy in the negotiations is to aim for continuity with the current

relevant Euratom arrangements; to ensure the UK maintains its leading role in European nuclear research; to ensure the nuclear industry in the UK has the necessary skilled workforce covering decommissioning, ongoing operation and new build projects; and to ensure that by 29 March 2019 the UK has the necessary measures in place to ensure the nuclear industry can continue to operate.

This is very much the message the industry has been putting to government – as well as to Parliament and relevant Select Committees – so we hope that this approach will not be derailed by the wider debate.

One positive development is following the NIA’s representations, government is now being much more transparent on progress and what it is doing.

As well as the ministerial statements, Officials are holding meetings with the key nuclear players, as well as providing regular updates to the NIA’s own Brexit working group.

It is essential this continues as the negotiations progress, not just to ensure UK negotiators are aware of the business perspective, but to allow industry to plan for potential outcomes.

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

2018 | SPRING — 29

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