NuclearCONNECT
NuclearCONNECT MANAGEMENT • PROCUREMENT • SUPPLIERS WWW.NUCLEARCONNECT.CO.UK
ISSUE 14 JULY 2013 £12.50
ISSUE 14 JULY 2013
Success for Magnox sites
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Innovation support brings results? CONNECTING THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
Government initiatives spurring on SME success Legacy waste solutions
with
AMEC
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LAW
ANDY LEASK
BRYONY STUART
written by
CLIVE WHITE INDUSTRY NEWS
Why use an SME?
Apprentice to MD at Springfields written by
Rodgers Leask
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TRAINING
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HEALTH & SAFETY
NuclearCONNECT
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DIRECTORY 18/06/2013 12:10
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Objective Engineering, Optimised Results Nuclear projects are often complex activities presenting a variety of challenges. Through our dedication and track record, Nuvia provides an optimised approach to engineering offering our clients excellence in safety, accelerated programme delivery and cost reduction.
By working closely with our clients and contractors and understanding the intricacies of the industry we can examine complex issues and challenge designs to identify improvements and efficiencies. Essentially we know what works and, importantly what does not; by bringing us on board you can be assured that we will add value to even the most demanding project.
Your Nuclear Partner New Build | Plant Life Extension | Operations | Radiation Protection | Decommissioning | Waste Management
Further text if required... For more information: www.nuvia.co.uk www.nuvia.co.uk info@nuvia.co.uk
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NuclearCONNECT
Issue 14 1st July – 30th September 2013 MANAGING DIRECTOR Dan Connew Tel: 01937 580400 EDITOR Bryony Stuart Tel: 01937 580422 Email: bryony.stuart@theconnectseries.co.uk
Welcome to the Summer issue of NuclearCONNECT. This edition we reflect on ‘A Year of Progress’ for Magnox Ltd, highlighting key achievements across the 10 sites during 2012–13 (page 4). Our innovation feature on page 19 provides a round-up of new funding and initiatives like Innovus, plus recent success stories like OC Robotics’ LaserSnake2, National Nuclear Laboratory’s
EDITORIAL ADVISOR Gareth Davies Tel: 0117 307 6920 Email: gareth.davies@burges-salmon.com
RadBall and Createc’s N-VisageTM. Oxford Economics discuss the headlines from
CLIENT RELATIONSHIP DIRECTOR Angus Woodcock Tel: 01937 580424 Email: angus.woodcock@theconnectseries.co.uk
The Babcock Dounreay Partnership outlines on page 30 the challenges involved
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andy Bickerdike Tel: 01937 580407 Email: andy.bickerdike@theconnectseries.co.uk GRAPHIC DESIGNER Darren Palmer Tel: 01937 580417 Email: darren.palmer@theconnectseries.co.uk
their joint study with Atkins on page 23, showing how, despite current gaps in supply chain capability, the UK could benefit substantially from nuclear new build. in destroying the remaining hazardous alkali metal from the Dounreay reactors, plus future supply chain opportunities. With SMEs forming the majority of successful bidders for Sellafield’s latest framework contract, we check on progress of the NDA’s SME Supply Chain Action Plan (page 34); and SME Rodgers Leask offers its perspective on SME engagement on page 36. We review the current state of play with legacy waste solutions on page 44, followed with a supply chain view from PacTec on page 47. In addition, our Law feature by Burges Salmon on page 56 provides a policy overview of the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely process and next steps. Our Q&A this edition (on page 40) features Clive White, President of AMEC’s Clean Energy Europe business. In our H&S feature on page 54, Nationwide Platforms
Group Information Services Ltd,
describe how a push for safety access solutions in nuclear may set the standard
1– 2 Highcliffe Court, Greenfold Lane,
across industries. In our Training section, we meet the winner of this year’s Nuclear
Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS22 6RG.
Apprentice of the Year award, Andrew Hudson of Graham Engineering Ltd (page
Tel: 01937 580400 Fax: 01937 580499 Email: office@gisltd.co.uk Web: www.gisltd.co.uk The design and layout of this directory remains the property of Group Information Services Ltd, it must not be reproduced or transmitted to a third party without prior written consent.
58); we then hear from Mick Gornall about his journey from apprentice to MD at Springfields (page 61). Finally, in our Recruitment feature on page 64, Nuvia talks about its partnership working with BPS Ltd. For a list of future features please see page 66. If there’s a topic you’d like to see
© April 2010. All of the articles in this publication have been
covered, or if you have an idea for an editorial piece you’d like to submit, then please
supplied to the publisher by external sources. The publisher
get in touch – www.nuclearconnect.co.uk/contact-us.
can not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the content, or for any errors, omissions or mis-statements, nor can the publisher accept responsibility for the copy supplied by the advertisers. The publisher shall not be liable for any direct or indirect or consequential loss or damage suffered by any
Editor: Bryony Stuart
person as a result of relying on any statement in or omission from these articles. Opinions expressed in these articles are not the opinions of the publishers.
Particle Characterisation • R&D Support • Rig Facilities escubed limited, Leeds Innovation Centre, 103 Clarendon Road, Leeds, LS2 9DF, UK. t +44 (0)845 8388701 | f +44 (0)845 8388702 | www.escubed.co.uk
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CONTENTS Industry News
Industry News
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15
Horizon signposts contract opportunities Key industrial relations agreements for Hinkley C
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15
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VELA alliance wins Magnox contract
Ensuring high-level skills for the nuclear sector John Jenkins becomes ONR Chief Executive AREVA RMC opens new Bristol office
Sizewell A halfway towards defuelling
Diary of Events
NuGen executive directors announced
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ILW storage options for England and Wales Costain work on innovative waste technologies
Essential events to
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23
Achievements over 2012–13
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brings results? New funding and initiatives, plus
The economic benefit of improving the UK’s nuclear supply chain capabilities
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34
Metal reactor decommissioning at Dounreay: the next phase Government initiatives spurring on SME success A look at progress with the NDA SME Supply Chain Action Plan
months
Success for Magnox sites
Innovation support
recent success stories
attend in the forthcoming
Features
04
Features
36 38
Why use an SME? A perspective from Rodgers Leask
Diary from Anglesey Summer 2013
30
Cover image courtesy of Springfields
Your Partner in Particle Characterisation Escubed provides comprehensive physical characterisation of materials ranging from magnesium hydroxide simulant precursors and simulants, to water samples. We deliver outstanding results and innovative solutions for our customers by working in partnership to build trusted long term relationships.
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Wind&WaveCONNECT
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Directory Features
Health & Safety
44
54
47
49 50 52
Legacy waste solutions We review the current state of play
Supply chain action to provide waste solutions A view from PacTec
Heavy-duty steel cutting methods Cambridge Cleantech Tapping into the region’s know how and innovation
Addressing the Nuclear Delta The CQI’s new Nuclear Quality
New heights in safe access solutions
61
Knowledge guidance
Managing Radioactive
96 Industry Bodies
Waste Safely
96 Infrastructure
Meet the UK Nuclear Apprentice of the Year: Andrew Hudson Apprentice to MD at Springfields Mick Gornall
Recruitment
40
64
Clive White, President of AMEC’s Clean Energy Europe business
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101 Nuclear Sites 102 Office Management 103 Personnel Services & Training
107 Alphabetical Supplier Listings Search for companies you need by their name.
Tracing the career of
Q&A NuclearCONNECT speaks to
71 Consulting & Equipment
Training
58
Category Listings Search for companies you need by their category of services.
80 Engineering, Plant
Law
56
69
Website
skills and people
Upload your latest vacancies – visit the NuclearCONNECT website now at
Nuvia and BPS partnership
www.nuclearconnect.co.uk
Investing in
40
54
We are a leading particle characterisation laboratory with expertise in: • • • • • • •
Particle Size, Distribution and Shape Particle Density, Porosity and Surface Area Rheology and Viscosity Settling, Sedimentation and Zeta Potential Suspended Solids and Filtration Electron Microscopy (SEM/TEM/EDX) XRD and XMT
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FEATURE: MAGNOX SITES
SUCCESS FOR MAGNOX SITES Celebrating achievements at UK-wide Magnox sites for 2012–13, we highlight successful projects, the supply chain support to enable that success and work updates for 2013–14.
Words: Penny Lees
M
agnox Limited describes 2012–13 as ‘A Year of Progress’ in cleaning up elements of their nuclear legacy, with major milestone achievements and smaller but equally important steps supported by a focused workforce and robust, innovative supply chain. Managing Director Neil Baldwin explained that the year demonstrates success in bringing the Magnox Decommissioning Programme to life. Acceleration is a key element of this Optimised Decommissioning Programme, which sets out a strategy for the 10 sites operated on behalf of the NDA to reach the Care and Maintenance (C&M) phase. Progress is being made on all the major programme delivery areas, including
plant and structures decommissioning, cooling ponds, intermediate level waste management, fuel element debris (FED) treatment and waste.
Power generation Wylfa is now the last remaining Magnox nuclear generation site, producing electricity since 1971. Reactor two was shut down in April 2012, but since implementing the inter-reactor transfer (IRX) programme last August Wylfa has produced 1.2Twh of electricity, worth a credible £50m. Reactor one is currently licensed until September 2014, but last month Magnox began preparations to extend the ‘end of generation date’ to December 2015, to maximise electricity-generating potential in the remaining fuel.
Bradwell and Trawsfynydd sites are now following accelerated decommissioning programmes, to become the first UK reactor sites to reach final phase C&M in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
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Defuelling Spent nuclear fuel has been removed from Chapelcross with more than 38,000 fuel elements from four reactors making up 257 flask shipments for reprocessing at Sellafield over four years. To meet challenging NDA targets, an innovative approach based on the British Cycling Team’s ‘Marginal Gains Concept’ was implemented across the site’s defuelling operations. This resulted in a 50 per cent increase in flask despatches from the previous year, with 103 flasks sent to Sellafield in 2012–13. The Marginal Gains Concept principally involves improving every step within a process by at least 1 per cent, leading to significant improvements overall when added altogether; which may benefit other decommissioning projects.
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FEATURE: MAGNOX SITES
Recovery and treatment of ILW
The area of biggest challenge is the management of ILW across the Magnox sites. Trawsfynydd scored a major first by completing the clean-out of radioactive sludge from one of its resin vaults. Waste management Since establishing offsite VLLW disposal in September last year, Magnox has shipped a total of 365 cubic metres from Trawsfynydd, Chapelcross and Bradwell to the Augean East Northants Resource Management Centre and SITA’s Clifton Marsh facility. Supply chain support enabled significant disposal cost savings and preserves capacity at the LLWR.
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The removal, transport, treatment and recycling of redundant heat exchangers from Berkeley provides unique images of decommissioning but is also an example of successful collaborative working between Magnox, LLWR, metal recycler Studsvik and heavy-lifting contractor ALE. Recycling 95 per cent of each 310 tonne boiler to metal ingots reduces waste storage and commodity use.
The area of biggest challenge is the management of ILW across the Magnox sites. Trawsfynydd scored a major first by completing the clean-out of radioactive sludge from one of its resin vaults. A specially designed remoteoperated vehicle (ROV) was used to jet and flush waste from Resin Vault 1 for ILW encapsulation. The ROV used a variety of tools to retrieve the ion-exchange resin sludge, including a plough, high-pressure spray and wet vacuum system. Five cubic metres of sludge were retrieved, which followed the recovery of all bulk resins from vault 2 in 2012, leaving just the sludge to remove. Retrieving the waste and decommissioning the vaults is due for completion in 2013.
Images: Removal and transport of the Berkeley boilers, courtesy of Magnox
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FEATURE: MAGNOX SITES
Images: Courtesy of Magnox
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The work was enabled with support from NSG Ltd and ENERGYSolutions. Trawsfynydd also records good progress on FED treatment, with SA Robotics supporting complex removal of sludge from the site’s Ponds North Void using its unique Rotary Deployment Arm. The newly skilled workforce is expected to share learning across Magnox and wider UK industry. The Magnox initiative to make the best use of transferable decommissioning solutions across its sites is a steadily growing portfolio. One company assisting this drive is Scottish firm Core Cut Ltd, specialists in diamond drilling, specialist wire sawing, concrete shaving, sawing and controlled demolition services. Core Cut Nuclear Division’s expertise in concrete and metal cutting techniques has already proved successful at Dounreay, Sellafield, Hinkley Point A and Chaplecross. Now Core Cut is helping develop and deliver techniques which currently support Pond Programme projects at Hunterston A around its empty redundant sludge tanks and the SAWBR project. New methods of removing contaminated surface materials, for example, are proving a cost-effective, versatile solution, with the potential for use at other sites such as Bradwell, under the Magnox Lead and Learn approach. Magnox awarded a major cross-site framework contract in 2012 to Costain Group and Balfour Beatty for the delivery of construction, infrastructure and maintenance projects. It will deliver the design, construction and maintenance of permanent buildings and structures, infrastructure maintenance and extension work
incorporating construction, civil engineering structures and ground work projects. It followed the introduction of the framework for site de-planting, demolition and asbestos removal. Worth £304m, the contract involves Keltbray/Doosan Babcock, Celadon (alliance of Hertel, KDC, NSG, AMEC, MWH and Halcrow), Erith, Squibb/LVI Group, Nuvia, EDS and Kitsons. Demolition of redundant buildings is already underway at Dungeness A with £12.8m of additional NDA funding announced to help speed up the decommissioning and demolition work. The south side of the site and 26 metre tall turbine halls will now be cleared in around three years, rather than the original 15, providing an additional 70 jobs on site and cumulative savings of £15m over the current plan. Work to remove asbestos from Hinkley Point A site has now been completed. The project to strip, process and safely dispose of over 2,100 tonnes of the material has been a major priority for the site over the last ten years. Almost 400 tonnes of asbestos were removed from the site’s turbine hall alone, showing the sheer size and scale of the project. Working closely with specialist contractors via Hertel and Kitsons, Magnox pioneered a number of innovative approaches to deal with the waste, reducing disposal costs and saving >£600k.
Care and Maintenance Bradwell and Trawsfynydd sites are now following accelerated decommissioning programmes, to become the first UK reactor sites to reach final phase C&M in 2015 and 2016 respectively. C&M will leave the reactor buildings and waste store onsite for a period of decades, until the contents can be transferred to the proposed Geological Disposal Facility, and the land finally cleared. This breadth of work outlines many common decommissioning projects and programmes moving across Magnox sites. A supply chain map showing suppliers contracted to strategic Magnox programmes, including lower-tier involvement, gives valuable insight into companies linked to specific areas of work and their relationships: www.magnoxsites.co.uk/ suppliers/opportunities/strategicprogrammes-supply-chain-map. The Magnox MD recognises the scale of challenges ahead, with £700m worth of upcoming work, but hopes at the end of 2013–14 to say that Magnox tackled them well – supported once again by workforce and supply chain team spirit, determination and new ideas.
www.magnoxsites.co.uk
Almost 400 tonnes of asbestos were removed from Hinkley Point A’s turbine hall alone, showing the sheer size and scale of the project.
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Nuclear_
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We are proud of our record of completing even the most complex de-commissioning operations on-time and on-budget. • Wet/Dry Diamond Drilling • Wet/Dry Diamond Wire Sawing of Concrete & Steel
With over 30 years experience in the construction industry, Core Cut’s specialist concrete drilling and cutting expertise has helped it become one of Britain’s leading specialists in diamond drilling, sawing, and controlled demolition work.
• Wet/Dry Diamond Wall Sawing
Over recent years, it has expanded its area of operations to include nuclear decommissioning and single projects on nuclear sites.
• Remote Controlled Demolition by Robolition
Core Cut is a member of the DSA (Drilling & Sawing Association, UK), the CSDA (Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association, USA) and has ISO 9001 Quality Assurance accreditation. A natural extension of our continued growth and development is Core Cut Nuclear.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
HORIZON SIGNPOSTS CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES
Horizon held its first supply chain events on Tuesday 21st May in Llandudno and Thursday 23rd May in Gloucester, to signpost opportunities for contracts from its multi-billion pound power station projects. These were the first conferences since its acquisition by Hitachi in November 2012 and attracted some 400 business representatives from across Wales and the UK. The company plans to build between four and six nuclear reactors at sites on Anglesey in North Wales and Oldbury-onSevern in South Gloucestershire. Horizon Chief Operating Officer Alan Raymant said: “We’re delighted to have seen such a high turnout at these events, and more importantly to have enjoyed really constructive engagement with potential suppliers. “Our projects can provide a real economic boost to the UK, and in particular
to the regions around our sites – Wales and the South West of England. Early engagement is crucial to help ensure that suppliers can meet our needs in cost, quality and capacity, and to help make sure that UK businesses are well positioned to benefit from the project.” Following her address to the conference in Llandudno Edwina Hart AM, Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, said: “I am very pleased the event was so well attended by businesses working across a wide range of sectors in Wales. They are all potential suppliers to the future development at Wylfa and it gave them an opportunity to learn more about the roles of Hitachi Ltd, Horizon and HGNE and their proposals for Wylfa. “In particular, it presented participants with an early indication of project timetables and an overview of the work packages which may be tendered as the projects progress. I am delighted that Horizon is engaging with interested parties at this early stage.” Secretary of State for Wales, Rt Hon David Jones MP, said: “Horizon’s projects represent a £20bn investment in the UK economy and I am keen to see maximum benefit for Welsh and local firms. Holding their first supplier event since Hitachi’s acquisition in Wales is a real sign of intent, and we are fully behind Welsh companies as
they ready themselves to compete for work on the project and bring a real economic boost to Wales.” Meanwhile, Horizon has announced two appointments to its Board of Directors: Mr Duncan Hawthorne, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bruce Power, and Mr Sanghoon Lee, General Manager for Accounting, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy Ltd, will join the Board as non-executive Directors. The other Board members are: Chairman Mr Masaharu Hanyu, Chief Executive of Hitachi’s Nuclear Power Systems Business in Europe; Sir Stephen Gomersall, Chairman of Hitachi Europe Ltd; and Mr Tatsuro Ishizuka, CEO of Hitachi Power Systems Company. Alan Raymant said: “A strong and experienced Board of Directors will provide essential support and guidance to the company as it moves through the major steps of building a UK supply chain and commercial discussions with the UK Government. Both Directors bring a wealth of expertise which will be invaluable in taking the project forward, financing construction and developing Horizon into a UK nuclear operator.”
www.horizonnuclearpower.com
KEY INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AGREEMENTS FOR HINKLEY C
EDF Energy has signed two important labour relations agreements with trade unions and a major contractor for the proposed new nuclear project at Hinkley Point C. The agreements with the GMB, UCATT, Unite and Prospect unions and the main civil engineering contractor Bouygues Laing O’Rourke address the management of industrial relations,
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as well as pay and conditions. The two agreements are: a Common Framework Agreement covering industrial relations, recruitment, training, apprenticeships, health and welfare; and a Civils Sector Agreement concerning pay, pensions and productivity. EDF Energy says that having these agreements in place before the final decision to proceed with the project is an important step towards ensuring it is ready for delivery. It will strengthen productivity through a strong commitment to the safety and well-being of workers and sets a climate for positive industrial relations. The agreements demonstrate a partnership approach between EDF Energy, unions and contractors and a joint commitment to the success of the proposed project.
Hinkley Point C Construction Director Nigel Cann said: “These are important agreements for the project and having them in place now is a significant achievement. This reflects the strength of relationships between the parties involved and their commitment to make the Hinkley Point C project a success. The agreements will help set high standards for health, safety, skills and delivery.” Negotiations between EDF Energy and the UK Government on a contract for difference which would set the price for electricity produced by Hinkley Point C are continuing and both sides have characterised them as positive.
www.edfenergy.com
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INDUSTRY NEWS
VELA ALLIANCE WINS MAGNOX CONTRACT AMEC recently announced that the VELA alliance, comprising AMEC and Jacobs Engineering Group, has been awarded a contract by Magnox Ltd to provide project management capability for the company’s UK nuclear decommissioning programme. Under the three-year ‘Project Management Resource Partnership’ contract, the value of which has not been announced, VELA will provide senior project managers to assist in the planning and delivery of the decommissioning of the 10 Magnox sites. Also as part of the contract, VELA will gain access to a highly skilled pool of talent from within Magnox with which to augment and develop its teams of experts serving the wider nuclear industry. VELA and Magnox will work closely together to undertake skills development and provide coaching opportunities. “Safely delivering innovative and cost-effective solutions for customers is
AMEC’s primary focus and we are delighted to be working in a strong partnership to achieve that,” said Clive White, President of AMEC Clean Energy Europe. “The Project Management Resource Partnership is an important development for us in supporting Magnox during their transition from nuclear power generation to care and maintenance.” Magnox Director of Projects, Peter Burns, said: “This agreement is a unique opportunity for the three companies to work in an innovative way and give Magnox the opportunity to balance its resourcing requirement for both the long- and short-term, while investing in long-term career opportunities for our staff. Our aim is the retention of skills within the entire nuclear industry and this agreement will play a key role in achieving that aim.”
www.amec.co.uk www.jacobs.com
SIZEWELL A HALFWAY TOWARDS DEFUELLING
Progress towards decommissioning Sizewell A nuclear power station has passed a major milestone. More than half of the 52,945 fuel elements have now been removed from Sizewell A’s twin reactors. Dr Brian Burnett, NDA Head of Programmes, said: “This is an important milestone on the site’s journey towards Care and Maintenance and a vital step in reducing hazard on the site.” Defuelling is due to be completed at the
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site in September 2014 and Site Director Tim Watkins is confident his team will hit that target. He said: “This is a significant milestone in Sizewell A’s lifecycle. Our highly skilled teams are doing a fantastic job in keeping the fuelling machines online, defuelling safely and efficiently. Removing spent fuel from reactors and transporting it to Sellafield for reprocessing is a complex process, but Magnox is using all its experience and expertise to deal with the legacy of this first generation of nuclear power stations. “It is good news that with defuelling recently completed at our Chapelcross site, Sizewell A now has priority for flasks and is making steady progress with fewer than 160 flasks of fuel left to dispatch. Once all fuel has been dispatched, we will have reduced the radiological hazard on site by more than 99 per cent.”
NUGEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ANNOUNCED NuGen, the UK nuclear company owned by GDF SUEZ and IBERDROLA, recently announced the appointment of Robert Zadora and Manuel Marco as Executive Directors of the company. Robert and Manuel will now be in charge of the next development phase of NuGen’s Moorside project in West Cumbria. Both directors have extensive experience of developing major nuclear energy projects. Manuel Marco is a physicist with a Masters in Nuclear Engineering and is Head of Nuclear Development at IBERDROLA. He joined IBERDROLA in 1977 and has been involved in the start-up of four nuclear power stations – three in Spain and one in Mexico – and has also worked on new nuclear build projects in Rumania. Robert Zadora has a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was involved for 14 years at EDF in the construction and commissioning of new nuclear power stations in France, South Africa and China. Since then Robert has worked on major engineering projects for GDF SUEZ for more than 15 years. The move comes as NuGen progresses into a new phase of the Moorside project. Good progress has been made with site assessment, with results being analysed following completion of onsite work for phase one. NuGen is also moving forward with preparations for phase two of the site assessment, the company’s main focus for 2013. This new phase will involve subsurface work, including the drilling of boreholes on-site to enable a variety of tests. NuGen will keep stakeholders updated on this work, which will begin in due course. The Moorside project could result in the largest ever investment in West Cumbria by the private sector.
www.nugeneration.com/
www.nda.gov.uk/news/sizewelldefuelling-50-per-cent.cfm
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operational efficiency by providing easy, on-demand access to integrated plant information. The portal integrates information from a wide variety of sources, from scanned paper documents to intelligent design data, to maintenance records and Master Equipment Lists.
Modification AVEVA solutions enable efficient plant modifications, from routine maintenance tasks to complete life extension programmes. By integrating 3D modelling with laser surveying in the same 3D environment, AVEVA enables power companies to accelerate and streamline refurbishment projects.
Decommissioning AVEVA solutions provide plant owners and decommissioning contractors more control over the entire decommissioning process. As with modifications, laser scanning can quickly and accurately capture a plant’s as-operating condition. This can then be used to plan, validate and approve a safe and efficient set of tasks for the decommissioning and dismantling programme. In addition, AVEVA’s easy to use, web-based information portals can provide access to key information about the plant, such as the location and history of hazardous or contaminated materials, work management Information such as safety case documentation and Work Permits, and provide an overarching knowledge capture capability.
www.aveva.com
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AVEVA’s engineering portal and web-based collaboration tools help maximise plant availability and
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ENGINEERING
DESIGN
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
Images courtesy of Paks Nuclear Power Plant
AVEVA engineering, design and enterprise software Building Reputations Owner Operators and engineering contractors the world over trust AVEVA to create and operate the most complex engineering assets.
Find out more about AVEVA in the nuclear industry
We empower our customers to make thousands of accurate engineering, design and business decisions every day, across the entire project and asset lifecycle. You too can benefit from improved productivity, minimised risk and reduced costs, resulting in maximised ROI. The leader in design, engineering, and information management software for the process plant, power and marine industries, AVEVA invests in our customers’ success through a global sales and support network in more than 40 countries. AVEVA – building solid reputations for over 45 years
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IChemE nuclear events The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) offers an extensive range of events and quality-assured training courses, tailored to support the career development of chemical, process and other related engineers. We constantly strive to meet industry needs and all our courses and events reflect this. Fundamentals of Process Safety (Nuclear) 4–8 November 2013, Preston, UK A course for all levels of staff at a nuclear facility who are keen to develop and improve their knowledge of process safety, hazards, risk and their management. Delegates will: ■ understand the hazards of the nuclear industry and how the
risks can be controlled
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10%
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t off quot t 31 A ing NC10 raining ugus b ook t2 your 013 to re by c disco unt eive
■ apply the process safety principles you will learn to your
everyday working practices ■ understand the consequences of poor process safety Visit www.icheme.org/nps to find full details and to register online
Tailored training All our courses can also be run in-house at a time and location convenient for you and your organisation, contact courses@icheme.org for more information
Electricity Nuclear Power Plant
Spent Fuel
Sustainable Nuclear Energy Conference 2014 9–11 April 2014, Manchester, UK
Uranium Fuel/MOX Fuel
Reprocessing Plant
Fuel Fabrication Plant
Natural Uranium
Plutonium Recovered Uranium
Waste
Call for papers deadline: 16 September 2013 View the call for papers and submit your abstract via www.icheme.org/snec2014
Building upon the success of the inaugural Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference in 2012, this event will include a broader range of topics and streams for nuclear energy suppliers, academics and consumers to use as a platform to discuss the latest challenges and opportunities associated with the rising global energy demand. Keep up-to-date with the latest conference developments by registering your interest atconferences@icheme.org
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For the full range of training courses visit www.icheme.org/courses and www.icheme.org/events to access our events calendar
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ADVANCING CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WORLDWIDE
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INDUSTRY NEWS
ILW STORAGE OPTIONS FOR ENGLAND AND WALES The NDA has published a Strategy Paper on optimising the number and location of Interim ILW Storage Facilities on Magnox Limited and existing EDF Energy sites in England and Wales. A small number of credible options for centralised and multi-site approaches have been identified, which will be taken forward for further assessment. A number of Magnox and EDF Energy sites in England are co-located, specifically at Dungeness, Hinkley Point and Sizewell. Only EDF Energy sites that are co-located with Magnox sites have been included within the study. For Magnox sites, it is assumed that Berkeley, Bradwell and Trawsfynydd will have interim ILW stores that will be used to store their own wastes (Bradwell and Trawsfynydd stores have already been constructed, and Berkeley’s store is currently under construction). It is also assumed that there may be opportunities to store waste from others’ sites in these stores. All other Magnox sites are potential donor sites and most are potential host sites, i.e. all other sites may transfer
packaged waste for storage at another location, or may have a store for their own and potentially other sites’ wastes. According to BBC News (5th June), West Somerset Council is opposing the option of using the Hinkley Point A site to store waste from the former Dungeness power station in Kent and to treat fuel element debris (FED) from other sites. A stakeholder workshop is currently planned for July 2013. The NDA aims to publish a paper outlining the preferred option for stakeholder review during November 2013. The ability to implement the preferred option(s) will be tested by the end of March 2014.
Costain is developing a system for the gasification of graphite from decommissioned nuclear reactors. This will significantly reduce the volume of graphite waste. Costain is also working with Createc to trial onsite a system to measure the depth of contamination in structures. This will enable decontamination measures to be targeted more accurately and reduce the volume of material to be treated. Mark Rogerson, Costain’s Natural Resources Division Managing Director, said: “Long-term storage of nuclear waste is a major challenge facing the UK. By lowering the cost of processing and reducing the volume of waste to be stored, Costain is helping to meet the critical national needs of our country.”
The National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSA Nuclear) and the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) have signed an MoU to work collaboratively on the development of high-level skills to support future R&D capability for the sector. The agreement will ensure a streamlined and collaborative approach to ‘Subject Matter Expert’ development, which is critical for nuclear operating plant, for the longerterm R&D that is needed to inform future nuclear pathways and to provide strategic advice on emerging nuclear issues. NNL is currently operating a small Subject Matter Expert development model with Sellafield Ltd. NSA Nuclear will aid in the standardisation of such activity building it into a formal programme for use across the UK. The initiative also requires postdoctoral study with HE institutions like The University of Manchester and its Dalton Nuclear Institute. Dr Fiona Rayment, Fuel Cycle Solutions Director at NNL, said: “Among the many thousands of skilled people playing vital roles in our industry, I’d say there are 100 or more ‘Subject Matter Experts’ who each possess virtually irreplaceable levels of knowledge in their specialist fields, often accumulated over decades. These people are the ‘gurus’ of their particular technical areas and it is vital that we develop tailored programmes to help them to transfer their skill and insight to the next generation.” Jean Llewellyn OBE, CEO NSA Nuclear said: “Over half of the workforce [is] expected to retire in the next ten years. With Subject Matter Experts requiring 10 to 15 years train it is vital that a strategic approach commences with urgency. This is an urgent skills area for action and is intrinsic to the success of the future nuclear programme in the UK.”
www.costain.co.uk
www.nuclear.nsacademy.co.uk
www.innovateuk.org
www.nnl.co.uk
www.nda.gov.uk/news/ilw-storageoptions-england-wales.cfm
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englandsomerset-22780453
COSTAIN WORK ON INNOVATIVE WASTE TECHNOLOGIES Costain is developing three innovative technologies to reduce the cost of treating and storing nuclear waste, having secured funding from the Technology Strategy Board’s £18m competition to develop the nuclear civil supply chain. The competition brings together experienced organisations with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and universities to develop the supply chain and encourage innovation. It was co-funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). In collaboration with Tetronics International, Costain will develop a plasma waste vitrification system which will reduce the volume, and significantly enhance the stability, of intermediate level waste (ILW). In a further project being led by Bradtec and supported by Studsvik, Hyder Consulting and The University of Manchester,
ENSURING HIGH-LEVEL SKILLS FOR THE NUCLEAR SECTOR
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INDUSTRY NEWS
JOHN JENKINS BECOMES ONR CHIEF EXECUTIVE
John Jenkins has been formally appointed as permanent Chief Executive at ONR, from 1st June 2013. The appointment was recommended by ONR’s Board and approved by Ministers at both the Department for Energy and Climate Change and Department of Work and Pensions. It marks a significant step in
ONR’s move to a public corporation. Nick Baldwin extended his congratulations on the appointment saying: “I look forward to working with John as ONR moves successfully towards its journey as an independent Statutory Corporation, to deliver truly world-class safety and security regulation.” This is a restructured role which positions the CEO as sole executive head of ONR and line manager of the Chief Nuclear Inspector. It forms part of the process of achieving the necessary adjustments to bring into being the statutory ONR as a modern, effective regulator at arm’s length from Government.
www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/
Follow us on twitter @nuclearCONNECT
AREVA RMC OPENS NEW BRISTOL OFFICE AREVA Risk Management Consulting Ltd (AREVA RMC) has opened a new regional office in Bristol. It is intended to serve the growing demand for nuclear services in the South West as well as from the planned Hinkley Point C, for which it been chosen to supply the nuclear steam system. AREVA RMC expects to recruit and employ up to 35 staff over the next four years at this office, which will be sited at AZTEC West, Bristol. AREVA RMC MD Dave Loughborough says: “The new office in Bristol will allow us to provide and deliver a localised service to our clients in the South West of England. With the nuclear market starting to develop focus in the Bristol area it is strategically important for us to be in close proximity to our nuclear and defence clients and partners.”
www.arevarmc.com
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NES Adverts NEW:Layout 1 10/07/2012 13:25 Page 2
proud of our history excited about our future Wolverhampton-based Nuclear Engineering Services offers a complete package of bespoke engineering design, manufacture, assembly, test and commissioning solutions to the Nuclear Decommissioning, Defence and Nuclear New Build sectors. NES has a proven track record of over 50 years in the Nuclear sector. It is widely active in Decommissioning and regularly tackles some of the most complex technical and manufacturing challenges within the industry. As an approved MOD vendor, the company has also built 20 years’ experience in serving Defence industry, it is an OEM parts supplier and carries out nuclear servicing work for the navy. NES is also a Tier One Board member of the pivotal Nuclear AMRC organisation, giving the company access to world-class R&D facilities and programmes, and involvement in determining strategy and research directions.
NES Design & Manufacturing 01902 353 353 ■ HQ, Wolverhampton ■ Centre of Engineering Excellence, Risley ■ North West Division, Beckermet.
www.nes-limited.com
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Acting Locally,
Thinking GloballyTM
Connecting you... West Cumbria is poised to become an even greater place to do business by capitalising on a potential £90 billion worth of investment in the nuclear industry and seizing new opportunities in renewable technologies. A global reputation in energy, in particular the nuclear sector, combined with world-class research facilities, a manufacturing capability second to none and abundant natural resources make the West Cumbrian investment proposition compelling. Britain’s Energy Coast is a dynamic one-stop-shop for economic development charged with helping West Cumbria prosper. We can provide companies with funding, integration into the local supply chain and access to high quality property and development sites including our own Westlakes Science & Technology Park.
To learn more about our work visit www.britainsenergycoast.co.uk
BUSINESS SUPPORT & PROJECTS
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ENERGY INNOVATION
PROPERTY & MANAGED WORKSPACE
26/06/2013 10:04
FEATURE: INNOVATION
INNOVATION SUPPORT BRINGS RESULTS? Can new funding and schemes like Innovus help drive new product development and ways of working that our Government, decommissioning sites and supply chain seek to develop? We highlight recent major Government funding awards and collaborative initiatives that will encourage commercialisation of new ideas and technologies, and the success of some key innovative project developments, both at home and overseas.
Words: Penny Lees
I
nnovative product development is vital to the success of supply chain companies, the UK nuclear industry and projects worldwide. Eighteen million pounds of funding, provided by a range of public bodies, will support projects across the UK in developing new technologies for the construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants. It brings together more than 60 experienced organisations, including Laing O’Rourke, Sheffield Forgemasters, EDF Energy, Sellafield Ltd, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), and Costain, to work alongside innovative SMEs and universities. It is expected to leverage in an additional £13m, making the total value of the projects £31m.
An increased 2013–14 budget of £440m to support businesses and drive growth facilitates Delivery Plan commitments to invest over £300m through 75 new competitions to help fund innovative projects. The Technology Strategy Board (TSB), tasked with helping companies commercialise their ideas, works across business, academia and government, to help overcome challenges such as access to finance, knowledge, skills and equipment. An increased 2013–14 budget of £440m to support businesses and drive growth facilitates Delivery Plan commitments
In a nutshell Funding total £18m:
l
£10m Technology Strategy Board £3m Department for Environment and Climate Change £3m Nuclear Decommissioning Authority £2m Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council
Supporting:
Image: LaserSnake2, courtesy of OC Robotics
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£10.9m between 16 large-scale R&D nuclear projects £5.8m for OC Robotics to develop LaserSnake £900K for nine new nuclear-related Knowledge Transport Partnerships between businesses and universities £700K between 10 projects for technology feasibility studies
to invest over £300m through 75 new competitions to help fund innovative projects, including £25m for energy programmes and £25m to support high-value manufacturing. Many companies could benefit; one current competition will invest up to £3m in technical feasibility studies to support the development and commercialisation of ‘Emerging Energy Technologies’. The proposal application deadline is 24th July with project details via www.innovateuk.org. Secretary of State for Business Vince Cable said: “The TSB plays a vital role in helping UK businesses realise their potential and compete on a bigger scale. There are many innovative SMEs across the nuclear sector and our joint funding reinforces the government’s commitment to a nuclear strategy that will create jobs and growth. Our strong research base will help develop exciting new technologies that can be commercialised here and then exported across the globe.”
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FEATURE: INNOVATION Government’s recently published Nuclear Industrial Strategy has objectives to develop a strong and sustainable UK nuclear industry. One to ‘Enhance the UK’s Innovation and R&D landscape’ sees £15m government investment to establish a National Nuclear User Facility, centred around NNL, Dalton Cumbrian Facility (DCF) and Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, with monies used to install new equipment and support research access for academics and industry. Global forecasts show £930bn investment in new reactor build and £250bn decommissioning by 2030. The UK’s new build programme could generate up to 40,000 jobs at its peak. The new strategy sets out the basis for a long-term partnership between government and industry to exploit these opportunities. One significant R&D project attracting new support is OC Robotics’ LaserSnake technology, combining a snake-like robot arm with a lasercutting tool developed by TWI (£1m NDA-funded). Government will contribute £5.8m alongside funds from the TSB, DECC and NDA for an £8m
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project to develop LaserSnake2. OC Robotics, alongside NNL and collaborative partners Laser Optical Engineering, TWI and ULO Optics, will establish a demonstration laser cutter at NNL’s Workington Laboratory. Research will focus on the underlying technical challenges including software control, electronics, process development and onsite demonstrations.
“The LaserSnake2 technology has solid potential both inside and outside of the nuclear sector. It will come into its own in applications requiring work to be carried out in confined spaces, both in air and underwater.”
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FEATURE: INNOVATION
Image: Left: LaserSnake2, courtesy of OC Robotics Above: N-VisageTM, courtesy of React Engineering
NNL Business Leader Alan Grant explains: “The LaserSnake2 technology has solid potential both inside and outside of the nuclear sector. It will come into its own in applications requiring work to be carried out in confined spaces, both in air and underwater.” NNL has already developed a range of innovative ideas for use at Sellafield and UK decommissioning sites, including its RadBall technology, based on a radiation-sensitive material to analyse the extent and location of contamination within confined spaces, without external power supply. NNL welcomes a new commercial arrangement with Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy Ltd for potential clean-up applications using RadBall at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi site in Japan, following initial UKTI-led visits. Another home-grown innovation coming under this Japanese spotlight is N-VisageTM, developed by Cumbrian company React Engineering through its Createc arm, which won assistance from the TSB and NDA. N-Visage™ is a unique radiation source detection, characterisation and dose mapping technique combining laser scanning, gamma and camera capture to quickly generate a 2D image and postprocessing to derive an interactive 3D model of complex radiation environments. This enables ‘What if’ scenarios to help plan the right nuclear decommissioning strategies, which will save millions of pounds of tax payers’
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money. The brain child of Dr Matt Mellor drawing together technology from a range of applications, it epitomises the cutting-edge technology development UK initiatives seek to support.
Whether new innovations come from research programmes … or are the result of an ingenious invention planned out in the garage, Innovus can help take ideas forward to industry and make them a commercial success. One such initiative is the newly launched Innovus, which aims to connect individuals and SMEs who have ideas with end users, support and funding. Initially funded by Britain’s Energy Coast in partnership with the NDA, the project has also attracted £550K from Government’s Regional Growth Fund to create the Innovus Technology Investment Fund. This will provide proof-of-concept and prototype development matching investment to the most promising
innovative concepts, establish a network of Intellectual Property expertise, and grow the pipeline of new technology concepts. Delivery partners The University of Manchester and NNL provide access to development facilities at the DCF and NNL’s laboratory technologies, plus technical and market expertise. Innovus will support technology-based projects being conducted by SMEs based in Cumbria or adding prosperity to the county through working partnerships. A programme of events bringing together innovators from industry and academia, investors, the supply chain, government stakeholders and customers to discuss and realise innovative technology opportunities is underway. This first workshop in late June focused on the Clean Technology Sector, with later events centred around oil & gas industry needs, imaging and sensing technologies, and innovation for the nuclear industry. Whether new innovations come from research programmes being undertaken at UK universities, or are the result of an ingenious invention planned out in the garage, Innovus can help take ideas forward to industry and make them a commercial success. Contact innovate@innovus.org.uk
www.innovus.org.uk
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Innovation Delivered
At the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory, we deliver the right amount of innovation to meet our customers’ needs. On one level, we might simply drill a hole to analyse underground waste with our integrated microdrilling technology. At the other extreme, we are developing state-of-the-art power systems to support deep space exploration. Find out more about what we can do for you at www.nnl.co.uk or email customers@nnl.co.uk
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FEATURE: ECONOMICS
THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF IMPROVING THE UK’S NUCLEAR SUPPLY CHAIN CAPABILITIES Words: Neil McCullough Oxford Economics
I
t is recognised that the private sector has set out its plans to develop approximately 16GW of new nuclear power in the UK. Developments of this scale present significant opportunities for the UK supply chain1. Oxford Economics and Atkins have estimated the potential impacts to the UK under two indicative new build profiles2. 10GW of nuclear power by 2030; and 16.5GW of nuclear power by 2030. Our modelling suggests that despite limited capability in some areas of the supply chain currently, the UK could benefit substantially from nuclear new build.
Therefore, there is a clear rationale for government intervention to support capability improvements in the UK supply chain and, in doing so, encourage R&D spend.
Our study assumes the UK supply chain could currently capture 44 per cent of the total value of a new nuclear reactor. Modelling the likely impacts For modelling purposes we assume that the UK supply chain could currently capture 44 per cent of the total value of a new nuclear reactor, as informed by industry consultations and
a review of available evidence (referred to in Figure 2 as Scenario A). The same process enabled us to arrive at a view in which the UK share rises to 63 per cent of a single reactor as a result of government intervention and other actions undertaken by organisations involved in nuclear new build (referred to as Scenario B). These interventions and actions may increase the UK share of a single reactor by increasing the competitiveness of UK firms, or by realising capabilities in areas where the UK has some potential through additional investment (e.g. capital or training). We found that the 10GW programme could result in gross direct, indirect and induced employment impacts of 265,300 job years4, assuming the UK captures 44 per cent of the value of the new build contracts.
Market failures restrict growth The consultation exercise found that there are currently a number of barriers stopping new firms from entering the supply chain, including a lack of ‘nuclear culture’, the expense and time commitment of business development activities, established relationships and the perception of the difficulty to break into the industry. There were also reported barriers stopping existing firms from expanding and developing. These ranged from an inability to articulate requirements to non-experts involved in procurement, to difficulties with understanding specifications and standards, to the slow adoption of new technology. These barriers limit the supply chain capability and the direct benefits that the UK nuclear supply chain will receive from a new build programme. Consequently this in turn reduces the indirect and induced benefits3 that the wider UK economy would enjoy. In addition, these barriers are likely to put downward pressure on R&D expenditure and hinder the market from delivering the most efficient outcome.
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Figure 1 Barriers to entry and expansion
Lack of nuclear culture by new to nuclear companies Skills and knowledge transfer
Financial
Barriers to entry and expansion Lack of regulation and safety understanding
Lead times for new builds
Established relationships
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FEATURE: ECONOMICS
This could rise however to 332,500 job years if the nuclear supply chain captures 63 per cent of the value of work, an additional 67,200 job years of employment. Under this indicative new build programme, employment impacts would peak in 2024. The 16.5GW programme was estimated to have between 444,000 gross job years and 587,000 gross job years of impacts depending on the success of the UK nuclear supply chain (the published report presents the detailed findings). Under the 16.5GW programme, employment peaks in 2020.
Net impacts to the UK economy It is important when undertaking studies like this that you take account of displacement5. Displacement takes into consideration what UK companies might have done in the absence of the nuclear new build. During much of the time-frame of new build, the UK economy is already expected to be operating to its potential, i.e. there will be little spare capacity in the economy. Thus, a job created by a nuclear new
build programme would in effect be taking the place of a job that would have existed elsewhere in the economy. In this way the ‘net’ impact to the UK economy is actually lower than indicated by the jobs and GDP supported by nuclear new build. Given displacement we find that if the UK nuclear supply chain could increase capability to 63 per cent over time there would be no net employment benefits from the 10GW new build programme, but there is net additional GVA and output. The increase in GVA and output arises from a ‘nuclear premium’ effect whereby workers are employed in higher productivity jobs as a result of the UK capturing more new build activity. Under the 16.5GW programme, the UK would enjoy some additional benefits relative to the 10GW programme, as the timing of the 16.5GW new build means some activity takes place before the UK economy has recovered to its potential (i.e. there is some spare capacity in the economy when the 16.5GW
programme starts). We estimate that the gross impact of R&D spill-overs are nearly all displaced. Table 1 shows the net impacts of improving capability for the 16.5GW programme (i.e. the additional output, GVA and employment from improving the UK share of new build activity from 44 to 63 per cent).
Substantial benefits Our modelling suggests that despite limited capability in some areas of the supply chain currently, the UK could benefit substantially from nuclear new build.
www.oxfordeconomics.com References 1. In this study we define the UK’s supply chain capabilities as any work that can be undertaken within the UK. 2. Oxford Economics and Atkins, ‘The Economic Benefit of Improving the UK’s Nuclear Supply Chain Capabilities’, March 2013. 3. Indirect impacts are those flowing
Figure 2 Gross direct employment impacts, 2013–2030
from the supply chain as companies involved in nuclear new build demand products/ services from the wider economy; while employment generated by the new build programme (directly and indirectly) leads to additional ‘induced’ effects through the consumer spending of those employed. 4. One job year is defined as one person in employment for one year. 5. It is worth noting that the displacement assumptions used in the modelling are at a national level and thus could mask regional differences.
Table 1 Net direct, indirect and induced impacts and R&D spill-overs of achieving greater capabilities, 16.5GW programme
UK new build value (output), £ millions, 2012 prices Direct
GVA, £ millions, 2012 prices
Employment (job years), 000s
£1,485
£624
0.4
Indirect
£38
£17
0.3
Induced
£30
£15
0.3
R&D
N/A
£0.3
N/A
Total
£1,554
£657
1.0
Source: Oxford Economics and Atkins
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ADVERTORIAL: THALES
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STRIKING THE PERFECT BALANCE Securing the next generation of nuclear reactors
Words: Tony Burton Head of Critical Infrastructure Protection, Thales UK
T
he UK faces some tough decisions to ensure the continuity of its energy supply. According to government calculations, the country will require 60GW of new generating capacity by 2025. While renewable energy sources are expected to provide 35GW of this, nuclear power is likely to have to account for ‘a significant proportion’ of the remaining 25GW. Of course, as plans are drawn up for the next generation of nuclear power plants – and the lives of older plants are extended – security has to be an integral consideration to the process.
The GCHQ chief has warned of an ‘exponential rise’ in cyber-attacks on UK government departments and industry. Nuclear energy faces a wellpublicised battle when it comes to security. With nuclear power there is no room for complacency. The controlled deterrence, detection, response and recovery from a direct physical attack on a facility can help prevent potentially devastating consequences – and one of the biggest threats is silent, stealthy and invisible: cyber attacks. The GCHQ chief has warned of an ‘exponential rise’ in cyber attacks on UK government departments and industry. In fact, Stuxnet – a computer worm discovered in 2010 – is believed to have been created to target Iran’s nuclear facilities and highlights the willingness of state organisations to
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wage cyber-warfare on key elements of national infrastructure. Security threats present themselves in a number of forms – and it’s not just cyber criminals that cause concern. Even a facility’s employee could maliciously or unintentionally expose critical security information, cause operational errors or open up security gaps to cyber criminals. Compounding this problem is the cyber skills shortage, as the need for cyber security experts in the UK far exceeds the pool of qualified personnel. What is more, an influx of foreign investment in the UK’s critical national infrastructure has caused the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) to raise concerns that foreign companies like Huawei are able to gain a major stake in the control of CNI in the UK without due scrutiny of their security protocols. There is little doubt that the UK will turn to nuclear energy to ensure its future energy supply. Building new reactors could also make a major contribution to the UK economy in the form of a £5bn boost to GDP and the creation of 32,000 jobs, according to the Institute of Public Policy Research. The success of these initiatives however stands and falls with the security measures put into place – right from the planning stages through to everyday operation. Cyber-security however should not sit in isolation but rather be tightly integrated with plant processes, people and the physical environment. When managed together, technologies such as encryption, biometric authentication and pattern-of-life detection can all play their part in protecting people, places and sensitive information. To combat insider threats, firms need to start by performing extensive background checks during the
recruitment phase and then invest in continual employee security training and awareness programmes. Educating your staff both on your companies’ own security policies and procedures, as well as industry best practice and regulatory standards, will greatly reduce the risk of an incident resulting from poor or lack of education.
Cyber-security should not sit in isolation but rather be tightly integrated with plant processes, people and the physical environment. Employee education is also one of the areas that need to be addressed to meet compliance requirements in the heavily regulated nuclear industry. All firms operating here – whatever their origin – are subject to UK regulations and safety standards and projects should be subject to a thorough assessment of risks and regulations that ensure the safety and security of key national assets. In any investment decision about critical national infrastructure, there will be a number of important factors to weigh up. Where building the next generation of nuclear power stations is concerned, a prime consideration will be the balance between price, safety and security.
www.thalesgroup.com/uk/nuclear
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Nuclear_E
Nuclear Security. Better decisions deliver better outcomes.
Cyber security? Integrated security?
Securing data and plant operation against cyber attacks
Enhancing security and operational efficiency with fully integrated command and control systems
Smart surveillance? Increasing situational awareness through early warning systems and intelligent CCTV monitoring and analysis
Infrastructure protection? Providing innovative systems for perimeter protection, access control and accreditation
Through life support services? Delivering comprehensive obsolescence, spares support and equipment lifecycle extension support services
Nuclear power generation is a vital and integral part of a nation’s infrastructure and economy and the industry’s operational facilities are at high risk of physical and cyber attack. As a leading provider of integrated security solutions, and with a proven global heritage of delivering large scale critical infrastructure protection solutions for over 20 years, Thales is the only partner you need to secure your people, data and other assets. Our best-in-class solutions provide real time secure information to help you make better decisions, faster, and deliver enhanced security and improved operational performance. To find out more about our Nuclear Security solutions, scan the QR code or visit thalesgroup.com/uk/nuclear
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FEATURE: TITLE
DIARY OF
EVENTS JULY
NOTICE: All dates were correct at time of going to print, however, these may be subject to change. Please check first with the organiser. If you have any dates you would like to display in our next issue please email bryony.stuart@theconnectseries.co.uk
AUGUST
2ND
29TH JULY – 2ND AUGUST
OPPORTUNITIES WITH MAGNOX DECOMMISSIONING
21ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR ENGINEERING (ICONE-21)
(EIC members only) The Hallmark Hotel, Wilmslow
Chengdu, China
Tel: 01642 379 973 Email: northern@the-eic.com Web: www.the-eic.com/EventDetail.aspx?dateid=476
3RD VISIT TO HINKLEY B AND C Email: gabriel.carrillo@theiet.org Web: www.theiet.org/events/local/178715.cfm
8TH – 12TH DECOMMISSIONING AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT SUMMER SCHOOL Cambridge Tel: 0207 017 5518 Email: energycustserv@informa.com Web: www.ibcenergy.com [* WNA members can save 20% by quoting VIP Code FKA2356WNAWL]
Tel: 86-10-68555584/59 Email: cns@ns.org.cn Web: www.icone21.org
18TH – 23RD INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS (PATRAM 2013) San Francisco
Tel: 1-847-480-9573 Email: inmm@inmm.org Web: www.patram.org
26TH – 27TH NUCLEAR NEW BUILD 2013 Prague
Tel: +49 (0)30 20 91 32 74 Email: info@iqpc.de Web: www.nuclear-new-build.com
10TH – 11TH 3RD CONFERENCE ON DECOMMISSIONING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT Rheged, Penrith
Tel: 0203 475 4701 Email: exhibitionsales@ukdwm2013.com Web: www.ukdwm2013.com
If you would like to add an event to our online diary of events then head over to:
nuclearconnect.co.uk/diary NuclearCONNECT cannot guarantee that events will be added to either the print or online diary of events and reserve the right to exclude any content that is deemed unsuitable for the publication.
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FEATURE: TITLE
3RD CONFERENCE ON UK DECOMMISSIONING & WASTE MANAGEMENT 10th & 11th July 2013 | Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria Accelerated Decommissioning: Sharing and Learning
NI.indd 1
SEPTEMBER
12/06/2013 16:26
OCTOBER
15TH – 19TH
8TH – 9TH
LWR FUEL PERFORMANCE MEETING / TOP FUEL
EUROPEAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SIMULATION FORUM 2013
Charlotte, NC, USA
Web: www.new.ans.org/meetings
16TH – 20TH IAEA GENERAL CONFERENCE Vienna, Austria
Tel: 43-1-2600-0 Email: Official.Mail@iaea.org Web: www-pub.iaea.org/iaeameetings
22ND – 25TH 2ND EUROPEAN NUCLEAR POWER BRIEFING Budapest, Hungary
Email: clogan@stratcoms.com Web: www.stratcomsevents.com
24TH – 25TH DECONTAMINATION & DISMANTLING OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES
Barcelona
Tel: (+34) 656 886 245 Email: marketing@nrg-events.com Web: http://nrg-events.com
15TH – 16TH EBOC’13 Energus, Lillyhall, Nr Workington, Cumbria
Tel: Eva Foran 07715 557 606 Email: eva@resourcemarketing.co.uk Web: www.resourcemarketing.co.uk
15TH – 16TH ASSESSMENT, CHARACTERISATION AND MODELLING OF RADIOACTIVITY IN THE ENVIRONMENT Bonhill House, London
Tel: 0207 017 5518 Email: energycustserv@informa.com Web: www.ibcenergy.com/event
London
Tel: 0207 017 5518 Email: energycustserv@informa.com Web: www.ibcenergy.com
15TH – 17TH 8TH IET INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS SAFETY CONFERENCE INCORPORATING THE CYBER SECURITY CONFERENCE 2013
26TH – 27TH
Radisson Blu, Cardiff
COST ESTIMATION FOR DECOMMISSIONING & RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Tel: 01438 765 647 Email: ktitre@theiet.org Web: http://conferences.theiet.org
London
Tel: 0207 017 5518 Email: energycustserv@informa.com Web: www.ibcenergy.com
WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK
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FEATURE: DOUNREAY
METAL REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING AT DOUNREAY THE NEXT PHASE
Words: Jason Casper Reactors Project Director at Dounreay
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How the challenge of dealing with alkali metal coolant may be addressed to complete the timely decommissioning of the Dounreay reactors
T
he successful completion last year of a project at the Dounreay nuclear site to dispose of 57 tonnes of alkali liquid metal coolant represented the destruction of one of the most hazardous legacies of Britain’s earliest atomic research. Now Babcock Dounreay Partnership, responsible for the decommissioning, demolition and clean-up of the Dounreay site, working with the Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd team, is focusing on the significant challenge of destroying the hazardous alkali metal remnants inside the reactor vessel, applying innovative approaches while drawing on proven techniques and experience from other sites worldwide. In decommissioning liquid metal cooled reactors, dealing with the nature of the coolant – commonly sodium or the sodium-potassium alloy NaK – is a
The first stage was to remove the radioactive contaminated alkali metal in a safe, environmentally responsible and cost-effective manner, leaving the reactor primary circuits and vessels ready for the next phase. major consideration. Sodium metal reacts vigorously when exposed to water, releasing hydrogen and large quantities of heat – providing an explosive gas mixture and source of ignition. The products of combustion are also toxic, hazardous to ingest or inhale, and can cause severe burns. The Dounreay reactors are both the fast breeder type using alkali metal coolant; approximately 130 tonnes of NaK in the case of the Dounreay Fast
Reactor (DFR), while the larger Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) used around 900 tonnes of sodium. The first stage was to remove the radioactive contaminated alkali metal in a safe, environmentally responsible and cost-effective manner, leaving the reactor primary circuits and vessels ready for the next phase. This was achieved with the construction of purpose-built chemical plants which processed and neutralised the sodium
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FEATURE: DOUNREAY
in Idaho, USA, of which the team has direct experience. Detailed development of the project methodology is now underway and will involve a number of techniques. One method is to use lowconcentration wet vapour nitrogen, which reacts with the sodium in a series of ‘bubble and pops’, preventing build-up of significant sodium hydroxide layers. Any hydroxides and salts are then flushed out of the system. Complexities include getting exactly the right balance to control the process, without allowing a sufficient build-up of hydroxide crust to shut down the reaction, or potential break-through of the hydroxide layer resulting in violent sodium and water reactions. Another approach for targeted batches involves injecting superheated steam (above water’s boiling point to avoid any condensation) into an inert gas system at 340°C that contains alkali metals. The alkali metal is converted into hydroxides and the molten hydroxide sinks through the molten sodium, always leaving a fresh layer of sodium to react. The system is then flushed with an acid solution to remove any residual salts. This approach has been tried and tested a number of times for single or groups of components, and has proven to be controllable and safe. and NaK (some 1,500 tonnes and 57 tonnes respectively, in batches) and extracted the caesium, to produce salty water. Attention is now focused on the estimated 3.5 tonnes of residual NaK inside the DFR pipes and vessel, and around 9 tonnes of sodium in the PFR reactor vessel, which needs to be cleansed and/or destroyed. This is extremely difficult to access, and the destruction therefore more complex than the sodium and NaK destruction projects to date, with challenges including the potential for violent reaction and high radiation levels. A proven innovative approach is being taken to treat as much of the sodium and NaK as possible in-situ. This minimises the hazards and risks associated with cutting into the reactors to remove the affected components and, although not used before in the UK, has been proven in other projects around the world, such as the Experimental Breeder Reactor II
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A proven innovative approach is being taken to treat as much of the sodium and NaK as possible in-situ. A third proven approach is to use water jets to spray a low-volume acidified liquid solution directly into the reactor on sodium layers, resulting in small controllable reactions and removal of the hydroxide layers. The acid promotes the reaction and reacts with the hydroxide preventing crusting. Once the sodium has reacted, the vessel is then filled with liquid and flushed. This has been shown to be extremely effective, although it again involves challenges, in particular the need for careful control of liquid dosing and monitoring to avoid large violent reactions.
In addition to the skid systems, further opportunities for the supply chain in relation to these projects include a reaction vessel, supplemental safety and environmental support, and design resources. The approach for the Dounreay reactors is likely to involve elements of all these methods. Additionally, it is likely that some portion of the alkali metal will be extracted and treated in specific pressure vessels (using the superheated steam or wet vapour nitrogen technique), given that a suitable removal method can be identified. This approach does have a precedent, but has been found to be time-consuming and carry greater risk compared to in-situ methods, so will only be used to a limited extent. Following the optioneering phase to identify the exact methodology for the PFR, designs are now sufficiently complete to enable skid systems for the selected treatment to be ordered, comprising multiple skids per set, including dosing, neutralisation and ion exchange, vent pathway/HEPA filtration, and control and monitoring systems. These will be installed from 2014 for treatment of the PFR to begin in 2016. For the DFR the optioneering phase will be completed over the next two years, including characterisation and system design, with system installation scheduled for 2016 (following removal of some remaining breeder elements) and the NaK treatment to start in 2017. In addition to the skid systems, further opportunities for the supply chain in relation to these projects include a reaction vessel, supplemental safety and environmental support, and design resources. The treatment of both the PFR and DFR will be followed by reactor and vessel size reduction into waste packages (presenting further opportunities for the supply chain in reactor dismantling), and ultimately building demolition in 2022 and 2023. Details of the procurement and supply chain strategy and opportunities are available at www.dounreay.com/suppliers.
Images: Inside the DFR sphere, the chemical plant installed above the reactor to neutralise and destroy batches of liquid metal lifted from the primary circuit; courtesy of Dounreay
www.dounreay.com
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ADVERTORIAL: ZYDA LAW
PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AT DOUNREAY Dounreay, previously the UK’s centre of nuclear fast reactor research and development, is entering into Phase 2 of its decommissioning and restoration programme. Paul Zyda, an expert Nuclear Lawyer, briefly describes the challenges faced and successes shared with the SLC.
Words: Paul Zyda Zyda Law
At Zyda Law, we are very proud of our long and successful history of advising on the decommissioning and remediation of the Dounreay site, one of the world’s most challenging decommissioning operations. We first advised the UKAEA in 1997 and continue to advise DSRL. We first assisted the SLC in settling an extensive, complex and highly detailed Dounreay Site Restoration Plan (DSRP) – the UK’s first site-wide decommissioning ‘blue print’, produced and submitted to the nuclear and environmental regulators. Working with the SLC, we identified a need to secure local community ‘buy in’ and to win successive grants of planning permissions for new build waste management and decommissioning facilities from a local planning authority which was indifferent towards the site. We advised and masterplanned a phased approach to the legal achievement of decommissioning and restoration of Dounreay. We also partnered the local planning authority, the Highland Council, in the drafting and public consultation on the Dounreay Planning Framework (DPF) – a development brief for the timely achievement of the necessary grants of planning permission over a decommissioning programme which spanned more than 30 years!
only to four conditions, on 20th May 2013. Our winning strategy meant cost, delay and legal risk were minimised to provide our client with another major planning success.
Dounreay’s future We continue to work closely with DSRL to ensure they obtain all necessary future consents to complete the decommissioning and remediation of Dounreay. On the not too distant horizon is the need to secure planning permission for the final decommissioning programme (Phase 3) and we look forward to assisting DSRL in the drafting of the application and supporting planning materials, and the scoping of an appropriate environmental impact assessment. In the short term, DSRL will be implementing the recently won Phase 2 planning permission, and in this regard is scheduled to finish building the Shaft and Silo Handing and Waste Retrieval facilities by June 2016. Shortly afterwards, retrieving and packing the waste from the Shaft and Silo will begin with the aim of completing this work in 2021. As the waste will be stored onsite pending a national repository for ILW, the Dounreay site will need to be managed beyond 2025 and Zyda Law will continue offering our expert advice.
Images: Dounreay Site Restoration Limited and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Background
The DPF is a highly notable achievement for DSRL. It sets out a detailed development schedule, phased over three successive time periods. Importantly, it also sets out a consenting and environmental assessment framework to enable the early achievement of planning permission, on a multi-phased consenting basis – again a UK first! Interestingly, the 2011 changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations have replicated the approach adopted by DSRL, as advised and designed by us, as long ago as 2006! Other notable successes have centred around the achievement of not only the substantive ‘phasing’ planning permissions but also the winning of ‘prior approval’ planning permissions in respect of several ‘stand-alone’ major projects which do not ‘fit’ (for financial or other reason) within the adopted phases, including: low level waste stores; low level waste disposal facility; intermediate level waste stores; reactor fuel removal project; decommissioning of three nuclear reactors; cementation plant; shaft hydrogeological isolation; and LLW drain relocation. More recently, our work in 2012 has involved us advising on the submission of a planning application for Phase 2 of the decommissioning programme. The Phase 2 developments proposed include the construction of ‘state-ofthe-art’ facilities for retrieving, classifying, conditioning and packaging ILW waste from the Shaft and Silo, use of a building to store ILW and substantial demolition operations. The Phase 2 planning application – which related to a Major EIA Schedule 1 development and was accompanied by an environmental statement, the scope of which we assisted with – was granted planning permission by the Highland Council’s planning officers by means of delegated authority, subject
Our winning approach – strategy first! Our winning approach is based upon the simple doctrine of planning for planning! We believe that by early and careful strategic thinking it is possible to substantially de-risk major planning applications (and wider site decommissioning operations) and thus provide strategies which optimise prospects for success!
www.zydalaw.com
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Images: Dounreay Site Restoration Limited and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
MORE THAN JUST A LAW FIRM
"BEST IN CLASS" DR RON CRAWFORD, HEAD OF PLANNING, DSRL
AN AWARD WINNING NUCLEAR LAW FIRM WITH A 100% SUCCESS RECORD FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT PAUL ZYDA - HEAD OF NUCLEAR TEL.: 01789 413949 E-Mail: paulzyda@zydalaw.com
www.zydalaw.com United Kingdom LEADING FIRM
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26/06/2013 10:04
FEATURE: NDA SME SUPPLY CHAIN ACTION PLAN
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES SPURRING ON SME SUCCESS We look at measures to support the growth and development of SME engagement and involvement, and contracts that expand SME opportunity.
Words: Penny Lees
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T
he NDA recently launched a three-year action plan to support small businesses across its estate, following a Government call for all departments to develop proposals to help increase the proportion of public contracts awarded to the SME community. The SME Supply Chain Action Plan, which applies to SLCs as well as the NDA itself, sets a challenging target of 20 per cent of annual subcontract spend (both direct and indirect) – at least £300m to SMEs by 2015, almost doubling the currently reported level. Ron Gorham, NDA Head of Supply Chain Optimisation and SME Champion, had this to say: “We and our SLCs have been working to create improved opportunities for smaller businesses and this target is part of those measures.” Recognising the importance of a robust supply chain, the Plan requires the NDA and SLCs to consider the ‘SME friendliness’ of their procurement plans, strategies and processes to support SMEs.
SMEs are in the majority of successful bidders for the latest Sellafield framework contract (Enabling Innovation Framework) announced last month. The NDA plan highlights: An annual supply chain event organised jointly by the NDA and its SLCs: the 2013 showcase will be on 13th November at EventCity in Manchester with increased capacity for 1,000, including 200 exhibitors. Exhibition space and delegates are free of charge, with SMEs a priority to benefit from information-sharing and networking. Speakers will highlight decommissioning contract opportunities across the estate and the winners will be announced of
the 2013 supply chain awards, first held in 2012 and featured in the NuclearCONNECT Spring Edition. For information and to register interest in attending: www.decommsupplyevent.co.uk Establishing the Government’s Contracts Finder website as the single portal for NDA Estate opportunities: see www.gov.uk/ contracts-finder Formation of a national SME steering group supported by five regional groups: regional groups have been established in Wales, Scotland, Cumbria, Northern and Southern/Central England, giving the SME sector a direct and public voice to NDA. An overarching national group inputs to colleagues in the devolved assemblies and Whitehall. The steering groups provide a forum to discuss improving the attractiveness and health of the market that supports the NDA sites, with a particular focus
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“It is encouraging that alongside DBD other SMEs are also part of the framework, illustrating that the NDA SME Action plan is progressing.”
Image: © Delphimages Fotolia.com
on SMEs. Groups meet quarterly with each including representatives from 5–6 SMEs; two Tier 2 contractors; an SLC; the NDA; plus public sector organisations supporting businesses. An SME member will chair meetings and represent the region on the National Steering Group. SME Steering Group minutes can be found at www.nda.gov.uk/contracts/smesteering-groups.cfm Simplifying subcontract flowdown requirements; and raising the level at which flowdowns apply from £50,000 to £150,000: The NDA’s 2013–14 budget is £3.2bn, around half of which is spent with the supply chain across all tiers. Record levels of expenditure reflect a sustained commitment by Government to clearing up Britain’s nuclear legacy, with 55 per cent targeted for Sellafield, the NDA’s priority site. Here the focus remains on the high-hazard legacy ponds and silos whilst driving forward
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further progress across the site, including working towards contract completion at both the Magnox and Thorp reprocessing plants by the end of the decade. SMEs are in the majority of successful bidders for the latest Sellafield framework contract announced last month. The Enabling Innovation Framework (EIF) procurement, designed to be fully inclusive for the entire supply chain, has given nine companies the opportunity to support clean-up projects at Sellafield. Five are SMEs based in the North West – REACT Engineering, DBD, Westlakes Engineering, Northwest Projects and NSG Environmental; sharing the work with Nukem, Nuclear Technologies, Merebrook Consulting and the National Nuclear Laboratory. The EIF is aligned to Sellafield’s Overarching Acquisition Strategy, aimed at introducing external innovation and challenge into the process of defining problems to be addressed. It will also provide support throughout the lifecycle of delivery, helping to maintain focus on smart, fit-for-purpose processes and delivery methods. Tranche 1 for one year intends to prove the effectiveness of the approach and to further develop the principles, so that a longer, larger framework can be established. Keith Case explains: “The EIF will provide rigour and challenge at the very front end of problem definition, through all stages of subsequent scope development, execution, postinvestment appraisal and learning from experience. By utilising an entirely independent structure, there is the opportunity to facilitate innovation and creative thinking by better and more precise problem definition, thereby enabling the most efficient route to solutions.” The NDA welcomed the Sellafield initiative to access private sector expertise and SME involvement. Commercial Director Sean Balmer said: “The fact this framework involves
five SMEs from the north west with three from Cumbria is particularly pleasing as it reflects the local supply chain’s competency and the NDA’s renewed focus on ensuring more of the money we spend at Sellafield stays in West Cumbria.” Speaking for successful SME company DBD, Monica Mwanje, Head of Defence and Clean-Up, had this to say: “DBD is delighted to have been successful with its bid for the EIF; we relish the opportunity to apply our knowledge and expertise to this initiative. It is encouraging that alongside DBD other SMEs are also part of the framework, illustrating that the NDA SME Action Plan is progressing.” Meanwhile, the huge procurement programme to produce high-integrity stainless steel boxes has finally been launched. Sellafield released a pre-qualification questionnaire for an initial quantity of 2,200 three metre cubed boxes, to store waste retrieved from the historic ponds and silos at the Cumbrian site. Local suppliers are encouraged to get involved in bids for the contract, which could be long-term and contribute to UK supply chain growth.
Events for everyone involved in doing business on Britain’s Energy Coast and within the energy sectors include: eboc’13 on 15th–16th October – organised by private sector network BEC Business Cluster, the conference will feature energy market opportunities, best practices and developments. www.becbusinesscluster.co.uk Cumbria also hosts UKDWM13, the Nuclear Institute Decommissioning and Waste conference on 10th–11th July: www.ukdwm2013.com
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26/06/2013 10:04
FEATURE: SME PERSPECTIVE
Words: Andy Leask Rodgers Leask
WHY USE AN SME?
I
n the UK nuclear sector, across decommissioning and new construction, there is a lot of talk about engaging with small and medium-sized businesses in the supply chain, but is it happening? There are many good reasons for promoting this engagement, most of which boil down to making the most of the limited resources we have available within the industry. However, many large organisations are making great efforts to reduce the number of companies within their supply chain, whilst maintaining the cost benefits of competitive tendering. Could the perceived savings in managing a smaller supply chain be simply an illusion based on a view of in-house costs management alone, rather than a holistic understanding of initial capital costs and through-life costs of projects?
Could the perceived savings in managing a smaller supply chain be simply an illusion based on a view of in-house costs management alone, rather than a holistic understanding of initial capital costs and through life costs of projects?
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Our business provides consultancy services in civil, structural, geotechnical and environmental engineering to the construction industry. During the ongoing period of depressed construction activity, the cost of construction work has decreased, creating a potentially strong negotiating position for clients. Mature clients will look at quotations and consider the implications of accepting a tender which is unreasonably low. They may question the financial stability of the construction company, whether they will finish the work, but more importantly whether can they deliver the quality. Defects in construction, often due to cost-cutting, happen regularly in this financial environment. But rectifying defects can be extremely difficult, and in many cases a compromise on quality is the result, because the financial and programme consequences of taking work apart to do it again are not palatable to any of the parties.
So where does this leave SMEs? In many cases, clients will migrate to the larger companies, in the fields of consultancy and construction, where they believe there is less financial risk and a greater depth of expert resource, leaving SMEs out in the cold. In the nuclear industry, with the size and complexity of projects, and a greater than normal demand for specialist technical competence, safety and quality, there is inevitably even less appetite to take risks in selecting companies to trade with.
Images: Š alphaspirit – Fotolia.com
We win most of our work through maintaining the 3 Rs – reputation, relationships and recommendation.
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What can SMEs do to change this? We win most of our work through maintaining the 3 Rs – reputation, relationships and recommendation. We have longstanding relationships with most of our clients, and inevitably the majority of SMEs work to a similar formula, which we regard as a positive differentiator against the larger businesses, where their size can make these values more difficult to maintain. Winning the first job for a new client, to start a new relationship, is generally difficult but can be even harder in the nuclear industry. SMEs need to be able to demonstrate the value they can bring to a business relationship. The value may be bringing techniques which are novel, or new to the nuclear industry. The ability to provide a team of highly focused specialists is likely to be another important part of the offering. Building trust in a mutually open relationship breaks down the
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Building trust in a mutually open relationship breaks down the fears around financial stability and depth of technical support. fears around financial stability and depth of technical support. Talking to owners and directors of other SMEs at supply chain events, networking events and working groups, it is clear that there is a wealth of talent and enthusiasm within those companies to work with the nuclear industry. They feel they have something special to offer and they see the opportunity to become involved in challenging projects which provide interest for their employees and a means to expand their individual capabilities. But many of these companies are frustrated because they cannot get a start in the nuclear industry and many just give up, having made no progress.
We are working on a significant challenging project, within a licensed site in the East Midlands, and we want to put what we have learned there to good use, but we still cannot see the route to further work in the nuclear industry. Despite all the good efforts made by the industry in promoting supply chain events it seems that the opportunities to engage with the nuclear industry are still limited. Can this situation be improved? It certainly can be, but it will require better understanding of the risks and the benefits, from both sides, and a different emphasis at supply chain events.
www.rodgersleask.co.uk
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26/06/2013 10:07
FEATURE: ENERGY ISLAND
DIARY FROM ANGLESEY SUMMER 2013
Words: John Idris Jones
I
n early April I, along with colleagues from Anglesey County Council and the Energy Island Programme, was invited to a reception hosted by the Secretary of State for Wales, David Jones, to meet representatives of Hitachi on board HMS St Albans. The event was organised following a recent trade and investment mission to Asia where the SoS met with Hitachi President, Hiroaki Nakanishi, and Deputy Chairman of
Hitachi Europe, Masaharu Hanyu, to hear how plans to build new nuclear plants in the UK are progressing. Mr Hanyu led the Hitachi delegation back to Wales for the reception, which was attended by the First Minister Welsh Government, the Office for Nuclear Development, as well as local stakeholders looking to capitalise on the supply chain opportunities the new nuclear development on Anglesey will bring.
There is huge interest in the Wylfa project and I am pleased that both Horizon and Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy are engaging with the business community on a local, regional and national level. There is, of course, huge interest in the progress of the Wylfa project and I am pleased that both Horizon and Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy are engaging with the business community on a local, regional and national level. Businesses from across Anglesey and North Wales have been given an insight into the new build programme and how they could benefit from the proposed new nuclear build. On Tuesday 21st May, Horizon and its main contractor Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy (HGNE) hosted a supply chain event where more than 200 delegates attended.
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The event, attended also by the Welsh Government’s Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, Edwina Hart AM, provided businesses with an overview of the procurement process and support available from Welsh Government to businesses; as well as an opportunity to network with representatives from Horizon, Hitachi, potential key support providers and industry peers. Mrs Hart said, “My Department is committed to the Energy Island Programme as a strategic priority for Anglesey and Wales. The vision is to create a world-renowned centre of excellence for the production, demonstration and servicing of low carbon energy. The Enterprise Zone Board has identified the supply chain as one of its overriding priorities and significant opportunities exist for joint working with the other Energy Enterprise Zones at Snowdonia and the Haven, for example on skills.” The next generation of reactor operators for Horizon are probably in ‘Ysgol Feithrin’ (nursery school) at Ysgol Gymuned Llanfechell on Anglesey. With key partners Llwyddo’n Lleol (meaning ‘achieving locally’) nearly 150 pupils aged 13–14 years from Ysgol Llangefni recently saw for themselves how energy developments could offer them a future career path and participated in a day full of practical activities. Llwyddo’n Lleol is a project worth £3.8m jointly funded by the ESF Convergence Programme through the Welsh Government, the Môn a Menai programme, the Isle of Anglesey County Council and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The aim of the project is to help young people
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FEATURE: ENERGY ISLAND
required to connect the wind farm to the National Grid. These will include landfall points, a substation site and underground cable system. This year’s EU Sustainable Energy Day held on Wednesday 26th June 2013 was hosted with one of our key partners Bangor University and focused on Green Deal. Key note speeches were on the background to the Arbed Scheme and recent evaluation findings. Arbed (meaning ‘Save’) is a £30m fund sourced primarily from the Welsh Government and the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change. Phase 1 of Arbed focused specifically on energy efficiency improvements to homes in economically deprived communities within Wales. aged 11–19 years in Anglesey to develop their entrepreneurial skills and regain confidence in the future prospects of the island.
The next generation of reactor operators for Horizon are probably in ‘Ysgol Feithrin’ (nursery school) at Ysgol Gymuned Llanfechell on Anglesey. The main aim of the event was to encourage pupils to seriously consider STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), so they can develop the knowledge and skills required within the renewable energy industry, and to invigorate and generate interest in the energy sector by
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highlighting to these youngsters that this sector can provide a future for young people, here on Anglesey. With major new developments at Wylfa and the potential for renewable energy production, employment and selfemployment in this industry is an exciting choice. Energy Island Programme along with other partners National Grid, Techniquest Glyndwr and Horizon Nuclear Power explored different forms of energy power with the youngsters as part of the day.
Other low carbon energy news The team behind the proposed Rhiannon wind farm has submitted a Scoping Report relating to the onshore elements of the scheme to the Isle of Anglesey County Council. The report outlines Celtic Array’s proposed approach to the environmental assessment that will be undertaken to support an application for planning permission for land-based works
Images: Courtesy of Energy Island
With major new developments at Wylfa and the potential for renewable energy production, employment and self-employment in this industry is an exciting choice. The day also offered taster sessions for Green Deal Assessor Training and drop-in opportunities for businesses and householders to understand what help is available through Green Deal. To find out more about the Energy Island Programme and the Anglesey Enterprise Zone, please visit www.angleseyenergyisland.co.uk / www.enterprisezones.wales.gov.uk – click on Anglesey
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Q&A: CLIVE WHITE
CLIVE WHITE PRESIDENT OF AMEC’S CLEAN ENERGY EUROPE BUSINESS Clive holds a physics degree and has 25 years’ experience in the defence and nuclear industries. He has held a variety of management posts in AMEC and has a successful track record of growing, positioning and managing both consultancy and project delivery businesses. AMEC itself is a focused supplier of consultancy, engineering and project management services to its customers in the world’s oil and gas, mining, clean energy, environment and infrastructure markets. With annual revenues of some £4.2bn, AMEC designs, delivers and maintains strategic and complex assets and employs over 29,000 people in around 40 countries worldwide. AMEC’s Clean Energy Europe business employs about 2,400 people focused on clean energy generation, including both new and existing nuclear, renewable and conventional power. The business has a strong presence throughout the UK, including large offices in Knutsford and Birchwood in Cheshire and Darlington in the North East, and a growing presence throughout Europe including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, South Africa, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and France.
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What brought you into the industry/your position? I initially had a keen interest in technical and nuclear issues, but quickly developed a passion for leading and growing teams and businesses. I have been fortunate enough to have been able to focus on that element for the majority of my career.
What projects/initiatives is AMEC working on currently? Looking at my own part of the business, we are proud to be a strong supporter of and, in many cases, a key partner to all the major nuclear customers in the UK. For example, we are a partner with EDF for their existing reactor fleet and provide strong architect engineering support on their new reactor programme. AMEC is also a major player in the clean-up market through our role in Nuclear Management Partners at Sellafield and also as a Tier 2/3 player on many decommissioning sites.
Our acquisition of Serco’s nuclear consulting business last year added great strength to our role in the defence nuclear market, bringing in MoD as a key customer alongside others, such as AWE, Rolls-Royce and BAeS. And of course we are also the leading UK consulting and engineering company in the European nuclear market. Elsewhere in AMEC our oil & gas business is growing, with North Sea activities particularly strong.
What developments do you expect to see in the next five years at AMEC? AMEC has performed and grown well over the last few years and that trajectory needs to, and will, continue. Nuclear is a strong part of AMEC’s long-term strategy and we are very committed to the industry. I would expect us to continue to grow significantly in the next five years and to increase our profile across Europe.
WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK
26/06/2013 10:07
Q&A: CLIVE WHITE
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be and why? We have an incredible foundation of skills and expertise in the UK, gained over many years, and we should use those talents to increase the pace of change and our ambition to operate in the international market.
What is the best advice you’ve been given? Be sure you understand your true values and live them every day. For me they are a passion for safety, delivery excellence and integrity.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry? Well, apart from joining AMEC, I’d recommend that you get a good breadth of experience quickly, work out what you do well and enjoy and focus on the areas in which you excel.
Driving continuous growth in our business gives me a great feeling of satisfaction. What inspires you? What is your greatest career achievement to date? Driving continuous growth in our business gives me a great feeling of satisfaction. One specific element of that was the acquisition of Serco’s business last year – I think that will deliver great value for our customers, our business and everyone within AMEC’s Clean Energy Europe business.
What do you enjoy most about your job? There are many enjoyable aspects. I’m fortunate to work with a great team of talented people at AMEC. The depth and breadth of skills and solutions that we can offer our customers is something that makes me proud. Ensuring that we deliver excellently for our customers every time and, through that, drive strong growth across the business is what gives me the greatest satisfaction.
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I am inspired by great leadership. Seeing people lead and grow their business – in whatever sector – gives me great satisfaction.
Image: Courtesy of AMEC
What law/legislation would you like to see introduced/changed? Nothing infuriates me more than seeing people using mobile phones while they are driving. I would advocate a complete ban on using mobile phones when driving and significantly increased penalties for any offenders. Phoning and texting whilst using a vehicle is a major hazard that could be stamped out with much stiffer penalties.
Where do you see the UK nuclear industry in 10 years? We have it within our grasp to develop a thriving new build industry in the UK, bringing with it a strong service-based element. There are also major international nuclear markets across the globe that the UK should target. These are exciting times for the nuclear industry.
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CROFT SAFSTORE Ingeniously simple solutions The innovative Safstore range breaks new ground with the introduction of robust self-shielded containers made from ductile cast iron (DCI) intended for storage, transport and disposal of Intermediate Level Waste (ILW).
The Safstore range offers:
• Accelerated Hazard Reduction • Accelerated decommissioning • Safe solutions and cost efficient large capacities • Long term storage, transportable and disposable options • Testable, replaceable, safe to change sealing systems • Eliminates the need for heavily-shielded stores • Minimise waste conditioning
Find us online
www.croftltd.com
Croft Associates Limited, F4 Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB Tel: +44 (0)1865 407740 Fax: +44 (0)1865 407449 Email: info@croftltd.com
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Advertorial
Croft Launches its Safstore Range for the Storage, Transport and Disposal of Radioactive Waste Croft Associates, the UK’s only independent designer of containers for the safe transportation and storage of radioactive waste, has launched its unique Safstore range of robust shielded packages.
This follows months of development and the production of its first Safstore units in the Spring. The Safstore range has been designed to meet the wastecentric approach that the nuclear industry is now embracing with regard to storage, transport and disposal for Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste (ILW) in order to accelerate hazard reduction and decommissioning and lower costs. The range includes containers for low specific activity materials and surface contaminated items including the 4m, 2m and 2m halfheight Safstores and containers for Type B contents (200 litre and 500 litre Safstores, and 3m³ Safstores). The technically robust packages are made from ductile
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cast iron (DCI) and contain a number of unique Croft design features to optimise management of ILW. They represent a new generation in design that provides significant advantages over earlier generation containers which relied predominantly on concrete for containment and high performance. Croft worked with specialist foundries familiar with DCI to ensure the highest quality for the Safstores which, together with the Croft design features, provides the performance required by customers. The new range is designed to be stored for up to 150 years, and still be proven safe for handling, transport and disposal after this period. Elastomeric-based sealing systems and DCI seal faces will degrade over time, but the seal systems Croft has designed are verifiable and, if required, can be replaced and retested without presenting operators with a significant radiation hazard, even after the extended storage period. Bob Vaughan, Founding Director at Croft, said: “We are now able to supply customers with the means to transport ILW requiring IP-2 transport through to Type B waste, and we can help the nuclear industry to accelerate hazard reduction, decommissioning and site clean-up. Safstore is an elegant solution to simplifying waste packaging operations and provides an alternative to methods which employ high capital expenditure and often involve significant time delays to implement.”
Because ILW can be stored in any container which meets safety requirements, the Safstore range is available in a variety of sizes. The greater the capacity a container can provide, the more cost effective it is. Clive Beattie, recently appointed CEO at Croft, continued: “With over 30 years experience as a Design Authority in packaging for radioactive materials our expertise has produced packages designed to meet the specific requirements of storing, transporting or disposing of ILW. The Safstore range provides customers options which allow them to implement a cost effective waste management strategy on a timely basis.”
“The development and launch of Safstore and the opening of our Cumbria office demonstrate Croft’s commitment to collaborating within the industry to devise innovative, effective solutions for the management of radioactive waste.” For further details on the new Safstore range, please contact Croft on 01865 407740
www.croftltd.com
07/06/2013 10:07 09:48 26/06/2013
FEATURE: WASTE MANAGEMENT
Words: Penny Lees
LEGACY WASTE SOLUTIONS
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trategies developed to deal with all types of nuclear waste across the UK will benefit from up-to-date guidance from the NDA. New Integrated Waste Strategy (IWS) Specifications seek to make improvements in treatment and disposal routes and encourage more effective ways of working. Decommissioning sites generate waste containing varying levels of radioactivity but all must be appropriately sorted, processed, treated, packaged, stored and eventually sent for disposal. The document promotes the ‘waste hierarchy’, which aims to increase levels of recycling and re-use, with disposal the last option. For all nuclear sites, the development of an IWS is a fundamental part of meeting the requirements of regulators. Speaking at the April NEI Decommissioning conference, Health and Safety Executive’s Frans Boydon discussed the need for step-by-step hazard reduction; achieving fit-for-purpose interim storage; and lower legacy waste safety concerns for future generations, by for example conditioning wastes into a more passive form. Frans concluded that the longer we wait to act in remediation, the more difficult the problems become, and we cannot afford to ignore the opportunities to learn and benefit from others’ experiences. A call for supply chain expertise support? The 6th Annual LLWR Customer Forum held in Cumbria in early May provided a platform for sharing information about new developments in the LLW management sector and learning from more than 300 LLWR staff, customers and suppliers. It focused on the theme of consolidation, highlighting how services and relationships have matured and how LLWR has developed arrangements for services and delivery of the National Waste Programme.
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A major highlight: UK Nuclear Waste Management (UKNWM) has won a further five-year contract from the NDA to run LLW Repository Ltd (LLWR), managing work at the facility and leading implementation of the UK LLW strategy. During its first term, the international consortium of URS, Amec and Studsvik realised savings of £30m, extended the life of the LLW facility, reduced waste volumes by a factor of three, and vitally established Vault 9.
During 2012/13 a decrease in waste volumes disposed at the LLWR site and an increase managed via alternative treatment and disposal routes illustrates applications of the Waste Hierarchy and implementation of the National LLW Strategy by waste consignors. Work will continue to embed these new behaviours for 2013–14. * Almost 10,000te metal diverted from disposal Characterisation, transport and VLLW services introduced in April 2012 were successfully implemented and used during 2012–13. * Integrated Transport Service completed >230 multimodal services * Incineration routes successfully opened and set for expansion Reflecting the maturity of relationships between LLWR, its customers, service providers and other key stakeholders, there was an increase in collaborative working and delivery of more complex waste management projects. * The Berkeley Boilers recycling project
The longer we wait to act in remediation, the more difficult the problems become, and we cannot afford to ignore the opportunities to learn and benefit from others’ experiences.
WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK
26/06/2013 10:07
FEATURE: WASTE MANAGEMENT
2014. The ongoing Site Optimisation Programme will include the preparation of the site for the first part of the final cap and include elements of design, civil and groundworks. For Intermediate Level Waste, the NDA is currently consulting on future storage strategies with projects ongoing to continue waste hazard management and reduction. Hazardous sodium stored at the Winfrith site for 30+ years has recently been removed. A legacy of past research projects, 25 tonnes of metal was size-reduced on site, before packing into 10kg units for specialist incineration. RSRL worked with specialist contractor NDSL alongside the NDA, Babcock and Regulators to successfully remove a substantial reduce hazard. Specific discussion covered waste diversion and disposal, packaging, transport and logistics, and waste characterisation. Service providers, including Amec, Nuvia, Studsvik UK, Babcock International, Tradebe, Sita UK and EnergySolutions, gave updates on successes and lessons learned in delivering LLWR project support.
LLWR supply chain opportunities for 2013 include framework contracts for supercompaction, metallic and combustible services. One key to efficient and effective waste characterisation and disposal is having the right equipment for each application. Large waste volumes benefit from robust sorting systems, so that potentially active materials are easily separated from bulk out-ofscope materials going to disposal, and then further scrutinised. Nuvia Ltd has developed two complementary specialist systems for this purpose, which were demonstrated at the LLWR Forum and LLW Conference: for large waste volumes of generally low activity waste, the Gamma Excavation Monitor System
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(GEM); and for more detailed waste interrogation the High Resolution Assay Monitor (HiRAM). The HiRAM, a trailer-mounted system provides a flexible, mobile system for assaying mainly 1m3 bags (or drums) holding waste materials. Based upon a portable high-resolution gamma spectrometer, it establishes a detailed radionuclide contents and inventory for each loading. Using typical counting times of 15 minutes for 1m3 bags (often rubble/soil), it can achieve detection down to below 0.01Bq/g for Cs137 and 0.003Bq/g for Co60, two of the most commonly experienced isotopes in nuclear wastes. In operation, waste placed on the turntable by machine is rotated at 1 revolution/minute, with centrally adjusted detectors and integrated computer software recording comprehensive individual entries. The system can be deployed as a stand-alone onsite unit to sentence waste into Out-of-Scope, VLLW and LLW waste streams in a highly efficient manner. LLWR supply chain opportunities for 2013 include framework contracts for supercompaction, metallic and combustible services. This will involve the development of new frameworks for alternative services (assisting waste consignors with management of non-standard wastes) and project support. LLWR say these new framework contracts will become available for use by customers during
For Intermediate Level Waste, the NDA is currently consulting on future storage strategies with projects ongoing to continue waste hazard management and reduction. Dounreay’s waste clean-up programme continues with approximately 90 packages containing fast reactor ‘breeder’ material due for delivery to Sellafield for secure storage and possible re-use. The railhead at Georgemas was adapted to take the NDA-owned material via transport subsidiary DRS. The NDA also plans to transfer Dounreay’s remaining nuclear materials, known as ‘exotics’, to Sellafield starting in 2014. The 26 tonnes include both unirradiated and irradiated fuel or materials. Government remains firmly committed to geological disposal as the right policy for the long-term, safe and secure, management of higher activity waste, with the NDA responsible for its implementation. The Government issued a ‘Call for Evidence’ to gather views on the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely site selection process and what lessons can be learned from the experiences of the MRWS programme in West Cumbria and elsewhere. Responses will inform a consultation planned for Autumn 2013.
Images: Top and middle: courtesy of Nuvia Bottom: courtesy of LLWR
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LiftPac速
Winner of the 2012 BECBC Business Innovation Award
IAEA compliant IP1 and IP2 exible containers that are an innovative and sustainable solution to the challenges of transporting and disposal of low level waste.
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26/06/2013 10:07
FEATURE: WASTE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
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rd
SUPPLY CHAIN ACTION TO PROVIDE WASTE SOLUTIONS Innovative and sustainable solutions for the management of VLLW and LLW Words: Mike Nichols PacTec
Mike has over 30 years’ experience in the nuclear industry predominately working on the Sellafield nuclear complex in Cumbria, with extensive commissioning experience of new facilities and project management of hazard reduction and asset care programmes on high-hazard legacy facilities. A project manager and control and instrumentation engineer, Mike has also previously worked in diverse industries such as the European Space Agency and Off-Shore gas production, and most recently as project manager delivering multidiscipline design solutions in support of hazard reduction, asset care and site infrastructure projects across the Sellafield site. Mike is currently the Managing Director of PacTec EPS Ltd, providing certified compliant flexible packaging solutions to the nuclear and oil & gas sectors for the transport and disposal of LLW and and NORM waste. He is also an active member of the Institute of Measurement & Control and Member of the Association for Project Management (MAPM).
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n exponential increase in supply chain engagement and collaboration with the NDA estate community is a key requirement to meeting the future demands for the safe and environmentally tolerable management of the UK’s radioactive waste. The NDA’s Low Level Waste Repository in Cumbria is facing a capacity challenge to meet with the future demands for the disposal of LLW generated from operational and decommissioning activities across the NDA estate and other waste generators. In order to maximise and make efficient use of the current available vault space in the repository, new strategies have been developed and introduced to improve the management of VLLW and lower category LLW. At today’s estimates, to build the next generation of LLW repository vaults would cost approximately £3bn and therefore improvements to the management of VLLW and LLW are instrumental to deferring this burden on the UK tax payer. A significant initiative implemented was to provide a solution to expedite an increase in the volumes of VLLW and lower category LLW disposed to
purpose-engineered and licensed ‘near surface disposal sites’, otherwise referred to as landfill sites. RSRL Harwell and Magnox Chaplelcross have been instrumental in initiating the engagement of key supply chain groups, who have together collaborated to provide complete solutions to facilitate the packaging and transport of the waste.
Collaboration within the supply chain has played a significant role in expediting the movement and disposal of VLLW and LLW from the NDA estate sites. A key element to facilitate this initiative was the introduction of PacTec’s flexible IP1 and IP2 packaging systems. This has provided several advantages from utilising steel containers, such as packaging efficiency, volume to cost benefits, improved handling, and reduced environment impact.
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FEATURE: WASTE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
Images: Controlled disposal at the Augean near surface disposal, courtesy of PacTec
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The supply chain collaboration has also included Nuvia, who have developed a portable trailer-mounted High Resolution Assay Monitoring (HiRAM) system that provides onsite monitoring capability designed to accommodate the flexible packaging system, and Augean, who run and manage the East Northants Resource Management Facility landfill disposal site, which is permitted to accept both hazardous waste and radioactive waste with a high acceptance threshold of up to 200 Becquerels per gram (Bq/g). Other landfill sites are available in the UK to accept VLLW and lower category LLW managed by SITA at Clifton Marsh and FCC Environment Ltd at Lillyhall. This initiative and supply chain collaboration also included the development and production of the required quality assurance documentation, for example by ONET Technologies for the packaging and transport of the LLW ensuring compliance with the IAEA regulations for the transport of radioactive material, all of which was endorsed by the LLWR Ltd team. Collaboration within the supply chain has played a significant role in expediting the movement and disposal of VLLW and LLW from the NDA estate sites to landfill disposal and alleviating some of the demand for space in the LLW repository. Although many of the NDA sites have yet to engage with this
process for the management of their VLLW and lower category LLW to landfill disposal, it is clear that the visibility of this waste management activity will provide cascading benefits throughout the NDA estate.
There is a high level of competence and capability within the supply chain organisations to provide complete and holistic solutions for the management of LLW. Other supply chain waste management routes have also been engaged; for example, to aid in the re-use and recycle routes, Doosan Babcock have an Active Waste Management Facility at Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, that is permitted to accept radioactive contaminated equipment and material for decontamination, size reduction and segregation. Recently Doosan Babcock accepted several 8 tonne contaminated redundant shield doors from Magnox’s Berkeley Site for decontamination and disposal. Containment for transport was provided by PacTec’s IP1 flexible containment packaging engineered
specifically for the shield doors to facilitate transport via curtain-sided vehicles, together with quality assurance documentation by Centurion Radiation Safety Ltd. Another area of development under the waste hierarchy regime is to provide incineration capability. There are a number of licensed incinerators in the UK that can accept radioactive waste in various forms and types. This method of disposal can also play a significant role in alleviating the burden on the LLW Repository. Trials have recently been successful at two incinerators, where PacTec provided a purpose-designed IP1 flexible container suitable for acceptance at both incinerators. All these initiatives and developments, driven and implemented under the auspices of the NDA’s New Integrated Waste Strategy (IWS), have demonstrated that there is a high level of competence and capability within the supply chain organisations to provide complete and holistic solutions for the management of LLW, without the need to exhaust and divert key resources from within the NDA estate community.
www.pactec.eps.co.uk
WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK
26/06/2013 10:07
FEATURE: DECOMMISSIONING TECHNOLOGIES
HEAVY-DUTY STEEL CUTTING METHODS Nuclear looks to oil and gas for decommissioning solutions
Words: Daniel Fisher All Speeds
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he Nuclear Decommissioning Authority states that decommissioning is set to expand in the years ahead due to the world’s first generation of nuclear power stations reaching the end of their lives. Additionally, the global market will grow considerably over the next 15–20 years and is expected to reach its peak in demand between 2020 and 2030, reinforcing the industry opportunities and potential to thrive.
The corrosion-resistant materials used for subsea tooling means that they can operate in the hazardous conditions such as contaminated storage ponds.
Image: Courtesy of All Speeds
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With the rise in decommissioning operations, new technologies have become available to operating companies through diversification from other industries, namely oil and gas. Over the last 30 years millions upon
millions have been spent on new technologies for offshore operating and decommissioning. A real problem for decommissioning contractors is heavy-duty cutting tools for steel pipes and sections. In the oil and gas industry, steel wire ropes are cut daily, whether it be in a shipyard or three thousand metres underwater. The similarity in the materials used for both wire ropes and pipes/sections means that there are ready-made tooling options with the capabilities to cut what is required. The most popular techniques used for cutting wire ropes are guillotine cutting and sheering. These tooling options have been tried and exploited in recent years; for example a Webtool 215mm guillotine cutter, equipment usually used in the subsea industry by ROV operators to cut steel wire ropes. The cutter was used by Sellafield to cut a 200mm x 75mm steel channel in their PFSP (pile fuel storage pond) during a decommissioning project earlier this year. The corrosion-resistant materials used for subsea tooling can also operate in hazardous environments such as contaminated storage ponds. Hand-held cutting tools primarily used by divers underwater have also been incorporated from the offshore industry.
These tools are perfect for the restricted working spaces within nuclear decommissioning as the sheering technique can be incorporated into smaller tools, and the operator needs only space for the blades to slot onto the tools ready to cut.
The sheering technique can be incorporated into smaller tools, and the operator needs only space for the blades to slot onto the tools ready to cut. With decommissioning operations within nuclear still growing, more projects will need technological innovation or diversification from other industry specialists. The oil and gas industry has always been at the forefront of technologies and there is no doubt that further diversification of technologies from the oil and gas industry will be needed.
www.allspeeds.co.uk
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FEATURE: CAMBRIDGE CLEANTECH
CAMBRIDGE CLEANTECH
Tapping into the region’s ‘know how’ and innovation for the nuclear supply chain
Words: Martin Garratt Cambridge Cleantech
Martin became Chief Executive of Cambridge Cleantech in 2011. He was previously the Regional Environmental Manager for IBM in the greater South East, including Cambridge. Martin has also undertaken governmental liaison roles whilst working for Boots the Chemists and was one of the UK’s first City Centre Managers in Nottingham. Martin graduated from the University of Manchester with an Honours degree in Town and Country Planning and a Bachelor of Planning focused on environmental issues. He is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
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he new nuclear build programme will bring capital infrastructure development investment on a scale which is bigger than the 2012 Olympics in the east end of London, and that is for each new nuclear site. Add to this that approximately 80 per cent of nuclear capital investment is not directly nuclear-related and this means that the business opportunities are immense. At the same time Cambridge, or the ‘Silicon Fen’ area as it is sometimes referred to, is the R&D capital of the UK with:
A natural step for us was to see how our members could contribute to the development of the new nuclear build programme, not least as Sizewell is on our own doorstep.
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1,500 hi-tech companies employing 50,00 people; the highest innovation rate of any city in the UK; the awarding of two European ‘Labels of Excellence’ for innovation and support for hi-tech start-ups; the University of Cambridge regularly ranked in the top three in the world, and with 88 affiliate members of the University having become Nobel Laureates for their contribution to science and technology – more than any other university in the world. Cambridge Cleantech is the membership organisation supporting the growth of environmental goods and services or ‘cleantech’ companies in Greater Cambridge and across the region. It encourages supply chain opportunities for companies in the sector, enabling shared experience of innovative growth businesses, and provides collective services such as access to finance, government regulatory updates and links to international partners. Our ambitious plans are to further develop Cambridge as a leading cleantech centre in Europe and in so doing help promote the next wave of the Cambridge hi-tech cluster. A natural step for us was to see how our members could contribute to the development of the new nuclear build programme, not least as Sizewell is on our own doorstep. ‘New Nuclear Build: The Civil Supply Chain Opportunities’ was a recent event organised by Cambridge Cleantech that attracted a packed audience of cleantech specialist companies from a range of sub-sectors
from building technologies to low carbon transport and ICT in cleantech. The delegates heard from Tony Roulstone, University of Cambridge and ex-MD, Rolls Royce (Nuclear), Darren Duddy, Business Development Manager, AVEVA and Chris Squires, Supply Chain Manager, EDF Energy. AVEVA provides engineering and design software solutions for process plant, power generation, shipbuilding and offshore industries. Darren Duddy commented, “With our wealth of experience in the oil and gas energy sectors, combined with our philosophy in engineering of continual progression, we a have a great deal of experience which can potentially be applied to the nuclear sector from planning and procurement to supplier collaboration and systems integration.” On behalf of our members, Cambridge Cleantech will continue to work with the key players in the nuclear sector, including EDF Energy, to better understand their needs and to highlight to them the innovative, creative and leading-edge solutions that companies in the Cambridge Cleantech cluster can provide. Our next steps are to continue our dialogue with EDF Energy, work with other partner organisations in the region and to hold events to showcase the cleantech solutions that will help meet the exacting new environmental standards for the nuclear new build programme.
www.cambridgecleantech.org.uk
WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK
26/06/2013 10:07
Radiation Protection Services
The UK’s primary radiation protection experts Through our Radiation Protection Advisers and strategically located facilities we provide internationally recognised radiation protection advice and services including: • Radiation Protection Adviser Services • Training for Radiological Protection Professionals • Radiation Safety Workplace Training • Personal Dosimetry Services • Instrument Testing Services • Radiochemistry Services • Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser Services • IMBA® Professional Plus Internal Dosimetry Software • PC-CREAM 08® - Radiological Impact Assessment software • Environmental surveillance and assessments • Radioactive Waste Advisor services • Emergency planning and response • Post-accident recovery • Solid waste management • Decommissioning and remediation advice including site clearance • Exposure studies • Measurement and desk-based evaluations For more information please click to: www.phe-protectionservices.org.uk To discuss how we can help you please contact: Darren.Clahane@phe.gov.uk Intro_p1-P68_Ed14.indd 51
26/06/2013 10:07
FEATURE: NUCLEAR QUALITY KNOWLEDGE
ADDRESSING THE NUCLEAR DELTA The new Nuclear Quality Knowledge (NQK) guidance
Words: Mike Underwood Chair, CQI Nuclear Special Interest Group
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n 1st May at a joint event with the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, entitled ‘Working together to get it right’, the CQI’s Nuclear Special Interest Group (NucSIG) launched a revised version of the Nuclear Quality Knowledge (NQK). This valuable resource for quality professionals and managers is primarily aimed at quality practitioners new to the industry or supply chain. It is designed to highlight the differences or nuances that a professional will experience on joining or supplying the nuclear sector, most of which are a consequence of the special hazards and regulatory requirements that apply. This is sometimes called the ‘Nuclear Delta’. The NQK is endorsed by the Nuclear Institute, Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA). The latest version of the NQK follows extensive research undertaken in June 2012 by the CQI which examined current and future quality management skill shortages in the nuclear industry. The research was
based on a questionnaire shared with quality professionals in the nuclear sector, which revealed that 50 per cent planned to retire within the next 10 years. This unfortunately coincides with the expected upsurge in requirement for these and other professional skills in the nuclear sector and its supply chain to support nuclear new build. The key messages from the London event were: The importance of quality and raising the profile of the quality profession. The need for leaders at all levels to understand quality, particularly in relation to nuclear safety and leaders ‘walking the talk’. The key role of the nuclear supply chain and the need for close and open relationships – a partnership approach is required.
NQK contents The NQK gives newcomers to the nuclear industry a perspective on
important topics from professionals who have worked in the industry, many of them all of their lives. The NQK project leader and a principal contributor is Iain McNair, a civil engineer and former Principal Inspector with NII/ONR. Iain has experience in nuclear construction projects from his early days with the National Nuclear Corporation at Torness and Faslane, before he joined the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, where he worked on coordinating the UK contribution to the IAEA’s first stab at a management system standard – 50CQA. Later Iain specialised in the regulation of nuclear construction projects and latterly nuclear security. Iain is the editor of the NQK’s scenesetting chapters including ‘Background’, which sets out the international context in which nuclear operates and the UK legislative framework, and ‘Leadership and Management’, which highlights the critical importance of leadership to engender a healthy nuclear safety culture and the importance of management system standards,
WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK
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FEATURE: NUCLEAR QUALITY KNOWLEDGE
including IAEA’s more recent standard, GSR3. Iain also wrote the ‘History of UK Nuclear’, which gives an overview of the ‘six eras’ of UK nuclear covering civil and military developments. Sellafield Ltd – through the involvement of their Head of Supply Chain Development, Stuart Allen and Andrew Mullinder, Head of Quality, Major Projects – made a significant contribution by editing chapters on ‘Supply Chain’ and ‘Project Management’. Stuart highlights the importance of the specification to both parties and discusses nuclear quality grading, sourcing and oversight issues and the challenges posed by globalisation of the market place. Andrew majors on the importance of using a properly structured, gated project delivery process and a keen nuclear safety focus throughout a project, and details typical project quality requirements. Bob Dixon’s chapter on ‘Product Quality’ draws on a career in quality management, starting in the 70s at Hinkley Point B and Hartlepool when they were construction sites. After
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Images: © olgachirkova Fotolia.com
quality management roles with CEGB, Balfour Beatty, Siemens and London Underground, Bob is now part of EDF New Build’s Project Delivery Team. Bob’s chapter discusses quality planning, inspection and test plans, certification, traceability, qualification and particular issues around EDF’s UK EPR new build requirements. Mike Underwood, now a freelance consultant, gained his nuclear quality and supply management experience in roles at Springfields, BNFL Corporate and latterly Magnox. He edited the chapter on ‘Operational Management’, which focuses on issues that are crucial during the often long operational phase of a plant, when stability and conservative behaviour are key to nuclear safety preservation. This includes topics such as people management, asset management, radiological control, emergency preparedness and security. Research Sites Restoration Limited (RSRL)’s Richard Hibbert, based at Harwell, edited ‘Knowledge and Information Management’. Richard, after several UKAEA roles including Corporate Quality Manager, is now RSRL’s Head of Quality and Management System. This chapter explores the importance of an effective Knowledge Management programme that accommodates the three different types of knowledge and recognises that despite extensive documentation most knowledge is tacit. The regulatory requirements, standards and guidance associated with nuclear records management are also presented. The chapter ‘International Approaches’ focuses on arrangements in France and USA and was edited by Susan JM Shaw, RSRL’s Quality Engineer, based at Winfrith. The chapter considers the needs of UK-based nuclear professionals either working in an international environment or receiving goods from overseas. Because nuclear is a global industry with a limited number of design organisations and a large supply chain, virtually no country operates independently; yet each country has its own legal and regulatory system including codes and standards. In the interests of safety and economy, buyers need to consider how the approaches of any supplier, or sub-tier supplier, fit into the national
requirements they have to satisfy; and vice-versa. ONR’s Dave Morgan gained over 20 years’ quality experience at Aldermaston and then Magnox’s operational and decommissioning sites before becoming an ONR Inspector – Quality Management Specialist. In Dave’s chapter ‘Assessment and Improvement’, the NQK captures the various ways that assessment of management systems can be undertaken; the importance of independent challenge; the use of Operating Experience Feedback (OEF); non-conformity and event investigation; benchmarking and continual improvement.
It aims to highlight the differences or nuances that a professional will experience on joining or supplying the nuclear sector, and which are a consequence of the special hazards and regulatory requirements that apply. In the production of the NQK, the CQI NucSIG Steering Group is very grateful to the contributions made by members and associates working for Sellafield, BAM Nuttall, BAe Systems, EDF, RSRL, DSRL, DNV, L2 Business Consulting, ONR and UKAS.
NucSIG Events The CQI NucSIG holds regular events for its members and encourages Quality Professionals in the nuclear supply chain to come along and meet others with similar roles and get to know their Tier 1 colleagues and the nuclear regulators.
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HEALTH & SAFETY: SAFE ACCESS SOLUTIONS
NEW HEIGHTS IN SAFE ACCESS SOLUTIONS Words: Geoff Garner Nationwide Platforms
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or decades the construction industry has led the way in defining best practice in safety, using its sheer clout, manpower and major project expertise to set the benchmarks for many others to follow. But after a recession which saw construction output fall dramatically, can the construction world continue to lead the way in health and safety? Just how long is it before the utility and nuclear power sector begins to take on the new industry leadership role? Richard Miller, an Executive Director for Nationwide Platforms, the UK’s leading safe access solutions provider, explains how a new trend could see nuclear power expertise set the standards for years to come... “The oil and gas, power generation and utilities sectors have always been at the forefront of health and safety, there’s no doubt about that. In my mind, the knowledge and commitment in the industry, aided by an increased responsibility from suppliers to enhance safety, will see it take even greater strides. The question is just how far it will go.” After more than 20 years in the powered access industry, Richard Miller is reflecting upon a change that’s breaking waves for support service providers like his and many others. For decades the approaches taken by access businesses, who have predominantly worked with construction-based customers, are finding opportunities to develop ‘best practice’ like never before with nuclear, oil and gas, and utilities contractors.
Many of the same principles which apply on a construction site are exactly the same at a power station, so we’ve been eager to help transfer that support. Tackling key issues With injuries and fatalities associated with working at height forming a huge proportion of all workplace incidents, there has been a strong emphasis on improving safety at every level. Whilst in the past this has been directed primarily by the construction industry, there are clear signs of some changes. “Issues associated with key safety flashpoints, such as material handling at height and operator training, have been developed hand in hand with
major contractors, either in response to serious incidents, or to enhance major projects. There’s a great many fantastic people in the world of construction who have devoted a huge amount of time to improving their industry. “For safe access solution businesses generally, and at Nationwide Platforms specifically, we’ve worked hard to then re-apply these solutions for sectors such as oil and gas, power generation and nuclear projects. Many of the same principles which apply on a construction site are exactly the same at a power station, so we’ve been eager to help transfer that support. “Now what’s becoming very obvious is that there’s a real hunger and determination in the nuclear sector to not only match the solutions savoured by other industries, but also encourage supply chains to develop bespoke nuclear and utility specific products and services. Logically that should only lead to one thing – a much safer sector.” Whilst the value of construction’s input to safety is clearly priceless, the continued demand for best practice
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HEALTH & SAFETY: SAFE ACCESS SOLUTIONS
solutions in the nuclear and power sectors is proving to be a strong driver of new innovations, systems and awareness. Recent examples include the creation of a new International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) Powered Access Licence Plus, an advanced operator training course, which is fast gaining popularity on power generation sites.
There’s a real hunger and determination in the nuclear sector to not only match the solutions savoured by other industries, but also encourage supply chains to develop bespoke nuclear and utility specific products and services.
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Investing in success “Taking forward steps for safety requires time, commitment and often significant investment. Like never before, our work with the nuclear and power generation industry is prompting us to make new, sometimes even groundbreaking investments,” says Richard In 2011, Nationwide Platforms’ parent company invested millions of pounds in BlueSky Solutions, a company which develops working at height safety innovations which are used on nuclear sites across the UK. More recently, earlier in 2013 the business invested in a number of Europe’s first ‘hybrid platforms’. Significantly, these were procured following trials in the utilities sector, and have subsequently been provided to a number of power generation sites. Designed for major project work on power generation sites, the MEC Titan Boom falls in to the rare ‘gamechanging’ category of access platform – even for a business which offers a range of 11,200 units. With the flexibility of a boom lift, the large stable
platform of a scissor lift, and the weight-lifting capability of a telehandler, the Titan Boom has proved popular with industrial services providers completing the kind of maintenance projects synonymous with power stations. Five years ago, such a platform did not exist on the market. In a similar vein, the Pecolift, a new ‘operator-powered’, battery and fuel-free access platform, has been a popular introduction which suits the ‘spark-free’ zone requirements and ongoing maintenance projects of nuclear sites. Nationwide Platforms has invested in around 1,000 of these unique platforms in 2013.
Images: Courtesy of Nationwide Platforms
Sharing best practice Whist it may become clear that the utilities sector is demonstrating increasing impact in safety leadership through its supply chain, Richard offers his own take on the overall situation. “The most important thing isn’t having one sector leading the rest. Whilst we can all take pride in success and accomplishing new achievements, what’s absolutely essential is collaboration and shared knowledge across all sectors, throughout all supply chains. “Whatever the job, whatever the sector, safety should always be the number one priority. We all have a part to play in that.”
www.nationwideplatforms.co.uk
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LAW: MRWS
MANAGING RADIOACTIVE WASTE SAFELY On 13th May, the Government issued a call for evidence on the siting process for a deep geological disposal facility. This follows the decision of Cumbria County Council’s vote to withdraw from the process to find a site earlier in January this year, after formally expressing an interest in the process in partnership with Allerdale and Copeland Borough Councils. In this edition, Cheryl Parkhouse and Gareth Davies provide a brief overview of the background to the MRWS process undertaken by the UK Government and next steps.
Background
Words: Gareth Davies and Cheryl Parkhouse Burges Salmon
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Since previous work in the UK to develop a long-term solution for the UK’s radioactive waste ended in 1997 with the refusal of planning for an underground rock characterisation facility, a new approach was developed. In 2001, the Government introduced the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) programme to address the issue of the long-term management of radioactive waste. In 2003 an independent expert body, the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), was created to provide scrutiny and advice to Government. Following extensive public and stakeholder engagement of the possible options, CoRWM recommended to the Government that geological disposal, coupled with safe and secure interim storage, was the preferred option for the long-term management of higher activity waste in the UK. A number of other countries have also opted for geological disposal including Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, USA and Sweden. Finland and Sweden are well advanced in investigating their preferred sites for a facility for spent fuel and already have shallow geological facilities for the disposal of ILW and LLW. In 2008, the MRWS White Paper (which does not apply to Scotland or
the Scottish devolved administration) outlined the proposed framework and process for implementing geological disposal. Based on the central principles of voluntarism (dependent upon a community voluntarily expressing an interest to take part in the process) and partnership, the Government invited communities to express an interest to begin ‘without commitment’ discussions to host such a facility.
The MRWS process The MRWS White Paper (June 2008) set out a six-staged process (see Figure 1). The voluntarism principle is developed through the following key decision points for a volunteer community: a. ‘Expression of Interest’, where communities can register their ‘without commitment interest’ to enter into discussions with Government about potential involvement in the process; and b. ‘Decision to Participate’, where a local authority makes a formal commitment to participate in the siting process, but still without commitment to host the facility. A Right of Withdrawal also remains up until the start of underground
operations and construction at Stage 6, the final stage. Other significant processes and considerations in the siting process will include: planning arrangements and applications; and the assessment of environmental effects and sustainability through a Strategic Environmental Assessment integrated into a wider Sustainability Appraisal (including social and economic factors) and an Environmental Impact Assessment. These processes will also require public consultation.
Roles and responsibilities Whilst the UK Government (the Department of Energy and Climate Change – DECC) holds overall responsibility for the MRWS programme, there are also a number of other central roles and responsibilities: Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA): the strategic organisation, responsible for planning and implementing Government policy on the long-term management of nuclear waste. In addition to its statutory responsibility under the Energy Act 2004 for decommissioning its designated sites (principally ex-BNFL and UKAEA civil nuclear sites), the NDA will also undertake research and development to support delivery of the repository.
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LAW: MRWS Figure 1 MRWS six-stage process
Stage 1: Invitation issued and
Advise
Expressions of interest
community
from communities
not stable Unsuitable
Stage 2: Consistently applied ‘sub-surface unsuitability’ test
Stage 3: Potentially suitable
Community consideration leading to Decision to Participate
Stage 4: Desk-based studies in participating areas
Stage 5: Surface investigations on remaining candidates
Stage 6: Underground operations
Image: Below: courtesy of MRWS
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Radioactive Waste Management Directive (RWMD): currently a directorate of the NDA, responsible for the delivery of the programme. Alongside its current work to provide radioactive waste management solutions through its Letter of Compliance (LoC) process, its objectives for the programme include: engagement with stakeholders and communities to identify a site; development of the specification, design, safety case and environmental and sustainability assessments; optimisation of the management of Higher Activity Waste (developing the existing LoC process); delivery of a focused R&D programme to support geological disposal and optimised packaging solutions; and development of sustainable, innovative and
cost-effective solutions with public support. RWMD is also referred to as a “prospective site licence company (SLC)”, to be developed as an entity capable of holding the initial environmental permits required for intrusive site investigations and, eventually, a nuclear site licence. Independent regulators: to ensure that safety, security and environment legislation and standards are met which are also central to the process with staged authorisation of licences and approvals. These will include: the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), currently an agency of the HSE, but shortly due to become an independent statutory authority once the draft Energy Bill 2012 is passed by Parliament; the Environment Agency; and Department of Transport (and the devolved administration equivalents of these). CoRWM: (with modified terms of reference) continues to have an important role in providing independent scrutiny of the proposals and delivery of the facility, including storage and disposal. Volunteer communities and the decision-making body: this includes the Local Government decision-making authority for the host community to be part of the partnership approach and local decision-making during the process.
Recent events and next steps Following the issue of an invitation to express an interest in the MRWS process in 2008, Copeland and Allerdale Borough Councils and Cumbria County Council submitted a formal Expression of Interest. (An informal interest was also shown by Shepway District Council in Kent, but no formal application was made). In January, both Allerdale and Copeland Borough Councils voted in favour to proceed to Stage 4, but Cumbria County Council voted to withdraw. As a previous undertaking was given that the existing site selection process would only continue if there was agreement at both Borough and County level, this has left the MRWS process with no volunteer community at present. However, DECC’s (Edward Davey MP) press notice released following this decision stated that the Government remains firmly committed to geological disposal as the right policy for long-term safe and secure management of higher activity
radioactive waste, and continues to support the voluntarism and partnership approach. It stated that the Government “will now embark on a renewed drive to ensure that the case for hosting a geological disposal facility is drawn to the attention of the communities and to encourage further local authorities to come forward … to join the process and reflect on experiences to date”. In order to commence this ‘lessons learned’ process, on Monday 13th May 2013, the Government released an open consultation, ‘Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: call for evidence on the siting process for a Geological Disposal Facility’. This was an open consultation inviting views on the site selection aspects of the ongoing MRWS programme from those engaged in (or interested observers of) the siting process to date. Comments and evidence were requested by 10th June 2013. Therefore, whilst the current process has been temporarily stalled by the recent turn of events in Cumbria, the management of the UK’s radioactive waste still remains high on the agenda for the nuclear industry and Government. Attention is still firmly focused on the developments which have been achieved to date to realise a long-term solution for radioactive waste management and those which have yet to come once the views requested have been collated and reflected upon. It certainly is a case of “watch this space”! If this article raises any issues you would like to discuss or you would like to suggest subjects for future articles, please contact: Cheryl Parkhouse: email cheryl.parkhouse@burges-salmon.com; tel: 0117 902 6640 Gareth Davies: email gareth.davies@burges-salmon.com; tel: 0117 307 6920. The latest version of the Burges Salmon nuclear glossary of key terms and acronyms is now available to be downloaded at www.niauk. org/a-to-z-glossary
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TRAINING: UK NUCLEAR SKILLS AWARDS
MEET THE UK NUCLEAR APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR: ANDREW HUDSON Andrew Hudson of Graham Engineering Limited (GEL) was the winner of two awards at the fifth annual UK Nuclear Skills Awards held in March – Supply Chain Apprentice and the hotly contested UK Apprentice of the Year.
Words: Bryony Stuart NuclearCONNECT
Images: Bottom right: Talking through container pressure testing with Doug Cooper, Deputy MD of Sellafield. All images courtesy of Graham Engineering Ltd
Andrew started working at Lancashire company GEL in 2009 and completed his Advanced Engineering Apprenticeship in Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies via Training 2000 in July 2012. During his apprenticeship Andrew developed an interest in robotics and became lead programmer, working on a major project for Sellafield. Now in his first year of a BEng in Mechanical Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University, he is the first apprentice in 30 years at GEL to go on to higher education. NuclearCONNECT caught up with Andrew to hear about the beginning of his career and what his plans are for the future.
What made you choose engineering, and how did this opportunity come about with GEL? It’s always been part of my life has engineering. I’m really into my cars and I used to race motorbikes and pedal bikes, so I was always fixing bikes and trying to learn how they work. It was a natural progression to go into engineering because I’m a hands-on person. About five years ago, Training 2000 had an open evening where GEL had a display stand. After 42 weeks off-the-job training at Training 2000, I started at GEL, with one day release at College.
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What activities were you involved in as an apprentice at GEL? I started on a production line, welding; so I was seeing how containers were made and fixing problems. I’d shown myself to be keen and it wasn’t too long before the foreman asked me to work on a robot, alongside a skilled worker. I loved the idea of getting involved in the start-up of something new. When my mentor moved back into production and it was me on my own, I had to learn quickly. Another skilled worker was brought on the project, so he could help me on the engineering side of things; but robots were new to both of us, so it was a case of having to use a bit of initiative.
You’re already considered to be a ‘Subject Matter Expert’, commissioning new robotic projects and rolling them out to the company, including training others. How have your attitude and skills have developed? I was probably a bit shy when I started but I’m a lot more open now. I couldn’t be shy, because if something had broken it was up to me to find out what was wrong and get a job running again. Rather than be unsure and ask five or so people, I had to take on the responsibility, use my initiative, be confident in my own ability and just do it. Because I was doing a lot by myself, my skills grew massively.
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TRAINING: UK NUCLEAR SKILLS AWARDS
As soon as you bring a manual process to an automated machine, it’s not the robot that’s the hard bit, it’s the job – getting things to fit, getting them to work in fixtures, getting the process right so you can put something in and press go. When Graham won the contract to develop a prototype fuel flask for Sellafield, the first thing for me and a colleague was to get the robot to a stage where it could be used for the job – so we adapted the robot from TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding to plasma welding; drilled the floor out so we could sink a manipulator into the floor; and made the brackets and fixtures. Once we were doing the welding trials and coming up with a set of parameters to make the flask, we needed to be able to look at a weld, know what was wrong with it and change it for the next one. Being able to weld by hand is important; it’s such high-spec stainless steel welding here that your welding has to be up to scratch. There was also a lot of problemsolving with Sellafield’s project engineers – coming up with ideas, adapting designs and testing new equipment.
What elements of your apprenticeship did you enjoy most? I like finding out about something new and how it works. I’m still learning now and I always will be, but at that time everything was brand new. It’s the satisfaction of learning, making it, then seeing the end result. We’re now using the robots in handling, with grabs, demonstrating to Sellafield how we will get the fuel out of the skips and into the containers. It’s an innovation that could be used on other projects, and it has brought in other work from Sellafield too.
Did you find any particular challenges? It wasn’t easy at all. I had my logbook to do, College work, work on the Sellafield project and my social life. There were a lot of late hours and not taking holidays to finish a job and get it out. It is a big balance, because at the end of the day you only have so long to finish your apprenticeship, and you want to do a good job at work and you still want to have a life at home.
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TRAINING: UK NUCLEAR SKILLS AWARDS
How did the apprenticeship prepare you for your current role? I had to take on a lot of responsibility, especially as we got more robots. I was liaising with multiple suppliers to get to the bottom of problems, then using this understanding to GEL’s benefit. I was basically doing half of the job I’m doing now at the same time as doing the apprenticeship. Being able to juggle everything helps when you move into a management role – dealing with customers at the same time as giving instructions and so on.
How did the National Skills Academy Nuclear nominations come about? I had already won an Aerospace award and wanted to be put forward for other awards. It’s all good experience; it’s not every day you get to do something like that, including a video interview, which was a bit nerve-racking. I’ve also just applied for the City & Guilds Champion Apprentice of the Year award, so hopefully I’ll be successful with that too.
What do you think made you stand out from the other nominees? I think I got my enthusiasm across well, the fact that I always get involved, always try to learn, take on responsibility, and seize all the opportunities. And there was recognition from Sellafield and others that I’ve gone above and beyond and done a good job.
What have you experienced since completing your apprenticeship and winning the accolades? Hopefully I’ve become a role model. My story is almost used as a case study by Training 2000, the university, IMechE and clients like Sellafield. It was great to get recognition from the CEO of the NDA, John Clarke. And within Sellafield, John Eldridge, one of the main Principle Engineers, circulated the news there – so it has got around the customer about GEL and how well we can do. I try to help the apprentices here; I want to share information so that the company gets better. I went on to higher education because I enjoy learning about the technical side. That’s not for everyone, but I’m always pushing the new apprentices forward. And I can learn from them too.
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What would you like to be doing in five years’ time? I’ll be completing my degree three years in July. I may do a Masters and am hoping to qualify as a chartered engineer. The company is only going to grow in using robots. I’d like to go more into the management side. I touch on it now, but I’d like to be able to get the other lads up to scratch, confident enough to work by themselves and do the jobs I do, which could then free me up to work on more projects and go as far as I can.
Finally, what would you say to young people thinking about an apprenticeship in nuclear engineering? If engineering is what you want to go into, the apprenticeship route is a brilliant way. You get all the hands-on skills you need, which doesn’t just help you in your job but also in life in general. You’re also getting paid to learn. You’ve got a trade that you can go anywhere with and there a lot of companies who will help you do that. Also, if you do carry on to degree level, you’re one step ahead because you’ve got the hands-on experience and also the technical side of it – you’re the ‘all-round package’. So it sets you up for everything, whether you stay on the shopfloor or go into management, whether you become the MD of the company or set up your own company – it’s wherever you want to take it.
Graham Engineering Limited (GEL) was founded in 1970 by Corry T Graham, a qualified engineer who had the vision, drive and capability to develop and build a successful engineering company, focused on solving complex welding and manufacturing issues. GEL specialises in producing ‘nuclear product’ and ‘hazardous waste’ containers for the nuclear industry. One of GEL’s main achievements to date lays with the Sellafield Ltd High Integrity Stainless Steel Contract (HISSC), a 4+ year framework agreement, requiring the manufacture of over 26 different types of products for containment.
Images: With Andrew Stephenson, local MP for Pendle, courtesy of Graham Engineering Ltd
GEL currently has nine apprentices spread out across a four-year cycle. The majority of GEL apprenticeships are in welding and fabrication, and machining, however GEL currently has a final year apprentice studying design. For 2013–14 GEL is hoping to take on an additional four apprentices to build on its future skill base and capability.
www.graham-eng.co.uk The UK Nuclear Skills Awards are organised by Cogent Sector Skills Council and the National Skills Academy for Nuclear:
www.nuclear.nsacademy.co.uk www.cogent-ssc.com
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TRAINING: APPRENTICESHIPS
APPRENTICE TO MD AT SPRINGFIELDS Words: Bryony Stuart NuclearCONNECT
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ick Gornall recently became Managing Director of Springfields, the Westinghouseoperated fuel manufacturing company based near Preston. A product of the site’s widely acclaimed apprentice training scheme, Mick’s career has spanned three decades and seen major changes both at the site and in the nuclear industry as a whole. We trace his journey from apprentice, through the energetic history of the site, to his new role at the top as Springfields positions itself to compete in the increasingly competitive global nuclear fuel market. The concept of ‘learning and earning’ was very appealing for Mick in 1980, with the prospect of A levels looming, so he applied for a number of apprenticeship schemes with the larger companies across the area. “In those days apprenticeships were hugely popular. You’d have mass assessment programmes and there were hundreds of us being taken on across the area,” says Mick. “I was fortunate to be offered positions with several employers, and I picked BNFL [who then operated the site] because it was nearby and it had a very good reputation.”
The apprenticeship prepared me really well … It wasn’t just the technical skills, it was the discipline and structure of the programme which I found beneficial. Mick joined BNFL as an apprentice instrument mechanic at a time when reactor new build was ongoing across the UK, and there was significant growth in business at Springfields. The site was on a recruitment drive and had recently invested £2.4m in a new Apprentice Training Centre. He learned basic engineering skills initially, followed by more advanced electrical and instrumentation systems – spending four days at the training centre and one day studying instrumentation at Bolton Technical College. A series of 2–3-month plant-based placements alongside experienced craftsmen also helped develop his skills and knowledge. “The apprenticeship prepared me really well,” says Mick. “It wasn’t just the technical skills, it was the discipline and structure of the programme which I found beneficial.” On completing his apprenticeship he was placed in the site’s UKAEA laboratories as a Craft Instrument Mechanic, quickly
progressing to Chargehand and leading a small team of instrument mechanics. Mick then moved into the control and instrumentation (C&I) design office at the labs. However, as R&D work on Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) began to wind down and the labs closed, Mick moved to AEA Technologies’ Risley offices in 1986 to join a specialist group designing and supporting instrumentation projects across the industry. Risley enabled Mick to pursue his specialism in electronics and micro-processor systems, sponsoring him to study part-time for an electronics degree at Manchester Metropolitan University. While at Risley, he worked on a variety projects such as commissioning Heysham power station’s control systems, developing novel instrumentation at Sellafield’s THORP and Encapsulation plants, and improving sodium instrumentation for the European fast reactor programmes.
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TRAINING: APPRENTICESHIPS Meanwhile in the early 90s at Springfields, the increasingly commercial focus was seeing significant investment in facilities in the form of a new Line 4 hex (UF6) plant and the Oxide Fuels Complex. Mick returned there in 1992 to work on the sophisticated C&I systems required for the new plants. As the two projects came to fruition, he moved from construction to commissioning and then into operational support; and progressed from engineering to engineering management, eventually becoming head of the C&I group for the site.
I’ve ultimately focused on manufacturing, however my engineering background has been invaluable in managing the processes at a plant as highly sophisticated and complex as Springfields.
Images: Below: Apprentice Training Centre Top right: A welder in PWR Bottom right: Line 4 Hex Plant
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In the late 90s the Springfields site was starting to understand the benefits of lean manufacturing – a concept novel to the nuclear industry at the time. Mick was selected to undertake ‘lean’ training and development at Cardiff University. He was then tasked with applying his new knowledge in the business, being appointed as production manager in 2000 and overseeing the pelleting line at the Oxide Fuels Complex. A spell at Westinghouse (which was part of BNFL) in the USA working on Six
Sigma – another manufacturing improvement tool – consolidated this specialist knowledge, and within another few years he had become head of the site’s oxide fuel business. “I’ve ultimately focused on manufacturing, however my engineering background has been invaluable in managing the processes at a plant as highly sophisticated and complex as Springfields,” says Mick. It was an interesting time for Mick heading up the fuel business in the 2000s. BNFL had acquired Westinghouse and ABB Atom and created a larger fuel group, of which Springfields became part. Springfields was branded as Westinghouse from 2000 even though BNFL was the parent company. In 2006, the UK government sold Westinghouse to Toshiba, however Springfields was not part of that sale and remained under government ownership, becoming part of the NDA. “Although Westinghouse managed and operated the site on a contracted basis, trying to manage it as a liability in a decommissioning end-game wasn’t always in the best interests of the site, particularly with the prospects of nuclear new build emerging, and that fortunately was understood by UK government,” says Mick.
Gearing up for future work Now firmly back in the Westinghouse fold following the NDA’s 150-year lease of the site to Toshiba in 2010, Springfields’ focus today is about safe, reliable and commercially effective operations so that it can compete and win business for the future. In terms of Westinghouse’s strategy, the site plans to continue supplying UF6, carrying out uranium recovery, manufacturing intermediates, and supplying AGR and LWR fuel for EDF Energy. The business is positioned to supply fuel to reactors across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, in particular for Westinghouse’s new AP1000 passive reactor design. “Our Oxide Fuels Complex is a state-of-theart facility ready to do that following the recent restart of its LWR fabrication line,” says Mick. “For the next generation of reactors, there will be some investment and some new technology, but the capability is there – and we have spare capacity for growth.” With new build progressing slowly in the UK, the life extension of existing
AGR reactors means ongoing business for the Westinghouse facility. “We are working closely with EDF to see how we can help with AGR lifetime extension,” says Mick. “There’s a lot of work looking at rationalising the site infrastructure, making sure its footprint is appropriate and the business is in good shape for its future challenges,” he continues. “Underpinning all of that is the need to train our people and make sure they have the skills and readiness to meet those challenges.”
Ensuring a workforce fit for business A key task for Springfields will be addressing the demographics of their 1,200 employees. “We have an ultimately ageing workforce, and our challenge is how we manage that issue and keep our skills and the business capable,” says Mick. “So we plan to continue to recruit and bring new blood into the organisation.” Springfields’ Apprentice Training Scheme started in 1950. Although not training 60 apprentices a year as it was in the early 80s, it is bringing through 15–20 trainees a year, some of these for other manufacturing and chemical industries. It is interesting to note that the basic formula of experiential, academic and classroombased training has never changed. What Mick does plan to change, however, is the mix of trainees coming through. “Our craft team demographics are quite different to the other teams as we’ve had apprentices coming in for quite a while; we’re looking to shift the programme now towards process apprentices, because increasingly that’s another area where we need to both retain and increase our skills base,” he explains. They also offer graduate recruitment and development programmes accredited with the major professional institutions, with five 12-month interns entering this year; apprentice trainees with high potential can also progress to the company’s graduate programme. The footprint of the training centre has recently been consolidated to make it fit for purpose, and Westinghouse has made significant investments in equipment and more up-to-date training rigs to maintain its position as a Centre of Excellence. “We intend to keep that capability moving forward. A healthy training programme is really important for a business like ourselves.”
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TRAINING: APPRENTICESHIPS
If you look at my board of directors, over a third are ex-apprentices from the nuclear industry or other industries who’ve come through that route. For Mick, his apprenticeship – supplemented by his university education, professional development in lean manufacturing and significant amount of operational and engineering experience – provided a vital launchpad for his career. There are many other employees on the site who began as apprentices; over 25 per cent of employees are ex-apprentices – a number of them, like Mick, in senior positions. “If you look at my board of directors, over a third are exapprentices from the nuclear industry or other industries who’ve come through that route and completed degrees and so on.” Hard proof if ever there was of the value of apprenticeships in nuclear and of Springfields’ solid commitment to training and development. Springfields Fuels Ltd, owned by Westinghouse Electric UK Ltd and based near Preston, Lancashire, has provided nuclear fuel fabrication services for over 65 years. Springfields was the first plant in the world to make nuclear fuel for commercial power stations and has supplied products and services to over 140 reactors in 15 countries. Around 15 per cent of all the electricity generated in the UK coming from power stations using nuclear fuel manufactured at Springfields. Westinghouse Electric Company, a group company of Toshiba Corporation (TKY:6502), is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world. Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel is a single-source fuel provider for Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs), Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) and AGRs worldwide. Westinghouse technology is the basis for approximately one-half of the world’s operating nuclear plants.
www.springfieldsfuels.com www.westinghousenuclear.com
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RECRUITMENT: NUVIA
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INVESTING IN SKILLS AND PEOPLE
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The key to success for a global nuclear organisation
Words: Jennie Osborne Nuvia
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uvia is an international nuclear engineering, project management and services contractor. In both the UK and internationally Nuvia has led the way in its field and has developed a reputation for safe, high-quality delivery. As well as the company’s longevity, Nuvia also benefits from being a wholly owned subsidiary of VINCI, the world’s largest integrated concessions and construction group. The company’s ability to provide a responsive service to a global market is possible through Nuvia’s access to a worldwide network of engineering and nuclear consultancy resources, including Europe’s largest health physics team.
“It’s important for our people to see that we are growing and evolving, and that we innovate and embrace new ideas.”
Images: © d3images Fotolia.com
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Nuvia has over 50 years of heritage in the nuclear industry and is home to some of the most well respected, internationally recognised, experts. As Ken Robertson, Nuvia’s Operations Director, notes, “We’re very fortunate to have so many people in our business that compete on the world stage. Our reputation for being a leader in the nuclear industry, here and abroad, is created by the quality of every person who works for us. A key challenge we, and the rest of the nuclear industry face, is securing enough of the right talent to meet the future demands in decommissioning and new build projects.”
In 2010 the business launched Nuvia India, quickly followed by Nuvia Nordic and then, last year, Nuvia became an incorporated organisation in Canada. 2013 will see the launch of Nuvia Middle East. This international group delivers a wealth of opportunity for travel and development.
Resource for the future Last year Nuvia launched its People Manifesto. The ‘People Plan’ is aligned to the organisation’s goals and focuses on three core elements: training and development; ‘The Nuvia Academy’, a commitment to attracting and retaining the most talented individuals from the nuclear industry and beyond; and finally employee engagement, ensuring that Nuvia leads from the front as employer of choice. Ken adds, “We must be creative in our resourcing strategy and continue to engage with our existing people, clients, partners and competitors. There’s a great opportunity to let more people know what Nuvia is about and to promote ourselves to our target candidate base more regularly.” To assist them on this journey, Nuvia has partnered with a leading UK recruitment process outsourcing provider, BPS Ltd. BPS Managing Director, Simon Conington, who is also Chairman for the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s Engineering and Technical Sector Group, commented, “Nuvia is a great company to work with and offers diverse opportunities. It requires a breadth of recruitment services and strategies to be successful.” Ken is passionate about building future capability. “I believe we have to invest in the next generation. Our graduate and apprentice programme
W W intake is increasing and will continue to do so. The industry as a whole has not attracted sufficient numbers in at the grass roots. That’s created an ‘air bubble’ which we must address.” Nuvia welcomes people from other industries who are seeking a new challenge and has also formalised its own robust training and cross-skilling programme to bridge the gap. Last year Nuvia appointed Rob Machray from the aerospace industry as its Head of Engineering. Ken added, “It’s important for our people to see that we are growing and evolving, and that we innovate and embrace new ideas. Rob’s appointment has been a great example of that in action.” Ken himself joined Nuvia from outside of the nuclear industry. The UK nuclear market is buoyant with an abundance of project opportunities and where there’s nuclear, there’s Nuvia. Their existing project portfolio is extensive with major successes in decommissioning and a clear strategy for their part in the UK’s nuclear new build programme.
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Retention and recruitment processes Supported by BPS, Nuvia is continuously evolving its hiring process to be evermore streamlined while still maintaining exceptionally high standards for selection. It’s working well. Labour turnover has reduced in the past year and headcount is growing at 5 per cent per annum. Profitability and turnover are both up on last year too. In 2012, the company enjoyed one of its most successful years ever.
www.nuvia-careers.co.uk
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Promoting Sustainable Careers Nuvia is a dynamic organisation involved in some of the most complex nuclear challenges across the world. Our diverse project portfolio requires the brightest talent and we are committed to finding the right individuals and offering them a rewarding career path. Our rewards and benefits package reflects our commitment to recruiting and retaining the best candidates, we offer market competitive salaries and a selection of flexible benefits to suit you. We are currently offering both contract and permanent opportunities at our UK offices in Risley, Harwell, Derby, Westlakes and Dounreay across multiple disciplines. Here are some of our current opportunities: Senior Mechanical Engineers Experienced and professional Senior Mechanical Engineers to lead multi-discipline projects. This central role requires dedicated professionals to own and deliver design solutions whilst also developing team members. Nuclear experience is preferred but is not always essential as we are eager to bring in talented individuals from other highly regulated industries. Senior Process Engineers Nuvia’s major projects delivery team require demonstrable experience in designing for radiological environments. Nuvia is offering a number of exciting opportunities to work on some of the largest and most complex projects in the industry. Lead CE&I Engineers Nuvia’s Lead Engineers are involved in hands-on technical delivery of design packages and production of relevant design documentation. Nuvia has a variety of roles across the UK on both a contract and permanent basis. Experience in mechanical handling systems control and IEC 61508 would be a distinct advantage. We are happy to consider transferrable highly regulated experience for many of these locations and projects.
Section Leader (Piping & Vessel) This is a rare opportunity for an experienced engineer to lead the development and growth of our piping and vessel design capability in the UK. You will be intrinsically involved in both decommissioning and nuclear new build projects. The role is primarily based at Risley with opportunities to travel. The role requires technical delivery and team leadership. Experience from non-nuclear highly regulated industries will also be considered. In addition to Engineering, our Commercial Management, Project Planning and Project Management teams are also growing. If you are a professional in project delivery and want a challenge we’re confident that we can provide it. You can contact BPS, our recruitment partners for further details:
Please call Kelly Laine, 01628 857343 or email: kelly.laine@bps-world.com
Your Nuclear Partner New Build | Plant Life Extension | Operations | Radiation Protection | Decommissioning | Waste Management
Further text if required... For further information about our vacancies. www.nuvia-careers.co.uk www.nuvia.co.uk nuvia@bps-world.com
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Nuvia is an Equal Opportunities employer. All successful applicants will be required to successfully complete at least basic level security clearance.
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FORTHCOMING FEATURES
EDITION 15 DEADLINES
Sellafield projects and supply chain focus
EDITORIAL DEADLINE
We investigate the what, when and how of decommissioning progress at our most complex site.
20TH AUGUST 2013
Safety focus Our industry demands working safely as its number one priority. We investigate how the safety ethos breeds success across UK sites and the wider supply chain.
ADVERTISING DEADLINE
Dounreay decom opportunities
30TH AUGUST 2013
News of DSRL supply chain opportunities and project success.
Please get in touch for more information
T: +44 (0)1937 580422 Features subject to change
E: bryony.stuart@theconnectseries.co.uk
Your Partner in Contract Testing Methods Analytical protocols can be developed for a wide range of particle characterisation techniques, such as particle size distribution and rheology, and the methods transferred to customer sites and analytical departments with full staff training provided.
Simulant Raw Materials and Formulation Escubed can source simulant raw materials and precursors (eg hydromag) and fully characterise their physical and chemical properties. Characterised materials can be supplied with a Certificate of Analysis. We also have the expertise, equipment and capability to formulate simulant mixtures (eg hydromag and versamag) to specified yield strengths and other rheological properties at laboratory scale quantities.
Test Rig Facilities Working with our Customers, we design, build, commission and operate bespoke test rigs. Each rig is unique and we have experience of running rigs to understand the: • behavior of magnesium hydroxide sludges under water • fracturing of consolidated simulant under pulsing • settling behavior of solids • accelerated solids separation
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Objective Engineering, Optimised Results Nuclear projects are often complex activities presenting a variety of challenges. Through our dedication and track record, Nuvia provides an optimised approach to engineering offering our clients excellence in safety, accelerated programme delivery and cost reduction.
By working closely with our clients and contractors and understanding the intricacies of the industry we can examine complex issues and challenge designs to identify improvements and efficiencies. Essentially we know what works and, importantly what does not; by bringing us on board you can be assured that we will add value to even the most demanding project.
Your Nuclear Partner New Build | Plant Life Extension | Operations | Radiation Protection | Decommissioning | Waste Management
Further text if required... For more information: www.nuvia.co.uk www.nuvia.co.uk info@nuvia.co.uk
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