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Nuclear Cleaning up Sellafield’s legacy waste ponds Cybersecurity New threats to ICS/SCADA systems
Nuclear
Nuclear
Standards
The importance of TCO when designing new reactors
Sellafield risk and hazard reduction 2015/16
The effects of Brexit on hazardous area industries
April 2017
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contents april 2017
14 17
The Sellafield site in north-west England - the largest repository for high-level nuclear waste in Europe - is riddled with potentially lethal safety flaws, according to a BBC investigation last September. The investigation was prompted by a whistle blower, once a senior manager on the site, who revealed a number of safety concerns including degraded infrastructure, improper storage of highly radioactive materials and chronic understaffing across the site.
under-investments of the past in order to support the hazard and waste reduction mission that the site has,” he said.
One report on the site’s infrastructure from 2013 featured on the programme said “years of neglect” had lead to “intolerable conditions” in Sellafield.
The Hazardex 2017 Conference and Exhibition took place on 2 and 3 March, and early feedback from delegates has been very positive. We will be running a full review of the event in the May edition of the magazine.
In this edition we look at the site’s most recent safety report and highlight some recent advances, most notably the work being carried out to map the contents of one of the four high-level waste ponds, the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond. Emptying and decommissioning these ponds is a top priority in reducing safety risks on the site, and mapping is a vital step in taking this process forward.
Dr Rex Strong, head of nuclear safety at Sellafield, denied materials were not kept securely but admitted past problems: “The organisation is now focusing on putting right some
To facilitate trade with the EU, the UK will probably negotiate to abide by most of the directives, such as ATEX
24
…Alan Franck, Editor, Hazardex Mapping congested areas is a vital step in the cleanup of highly radioactive waste in legacy storage ponds at Sellafield
in this issue News Extra
5
• Worsening political situation in Ukraine could be factor in fatal coal mine explosion • US laboratory invents reusable sponge that could revolutionise oil spill cleanup • Fatal opencast coal mine cave-in highlights India’s poor mining safety record • Number of grain dust explosions in US falls to 10-year low • French nuclear waste deep storage project faces new hurdles • HSE to introduce independent costs adjudication after UK High Court challenge
29
15
Standards: IECEx at the Hazardex 2017 Conference
17
The effect of Brexit on standards and compliance for hazardous area industries
20
Risk and hazard reduction at Sellafield 2015/16
24
How sonar and gaming technology is helping the decommissioning of Sellafield’s legacy nuclear waste storage ponds
29
How TCO can pave the way to safer, more cost-efficient nuclear reactors
32
New cyber threats to ICS/SCADA systems and practical protection
39
Events
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is a necessary metric when evaluating purchase decisions for new nuclear projects
32
• Offshore Technology Conference 2017 - 1-4 May 2017 - Houston, TX, USA • Hazards 27 - 10-12 May 2017 - Birmingham, UK • International Conference on Chemical and Process Engineering - 28-31 May 2017 - Milan, Italy
The methodology of persistent security is to assume the worst and help the defensive evolution of your control system
the journal for hazardous area environments
hazardexonthenet.net
Nuclear Cleaning up Sellafield’s legacy waste ponds Cybersecurity New threats to ICS/SCADA systems
Nuclear
Nuclear
Standards
The importance of TCO when designing new reactors
Sellafield risk and hazard reduction 2015/16
The effects of Brexit on hazardous area industries
April 2017
Datafiles & Buyers Guide
40
Hazardex is a controlled circulation journal published monthly. Completed print or online registration forms will be considered for free supply of printed issues, web site access and online services. Annual subscription for non-qualifying readers is UK £84.00, EU €113.00, Airmail £178.00 and single copy price is £17.00 plus P&P.
Hazardex content is the property of the publishers or relevant content providers. The publishers and sponsors of this magazine are not responsible for the results of any actions or omissions taken on the basis of information in this publication. In particular, no liability can be accepted in respect of any claim based on or in relation to material provided for inclusion.
Editor Alan Franck alan.franck@imlgroup.co.uk
Group Publisher Russell Goater russell.goater@imlgroup.co.uk
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News Extra
5
Worsening political situation in Ukraine could be contributing factor to fatal coal mine explosion
O
n March 1, a methane explosion
“Since we lost coal from eastern Ukraine,
abandon hopes of integrating the self-
killed at least eight coal miners and injured six others in western Ukraine’s Lviv region. Ukrainian emergency officials
we have been preparing to boost production of Lvovugol. Whether the explosion is connected with the preparations for
proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk back into Ukraine, as called for under the Minsk II agreements, and officially
said about 34 miners were working in the vicinity of the blast in Stepnaya mine in Lviv’s Sokal district. Authorities rescued 20 trapped miners several hours later.
increasing the output or anything else is up for an investigative commission to establish,” an official told 122 Ukraine TV channel.
declare them “occupied territories” of Russia. Meanwhile, leaders of the two rebel regions
Coal had previously been supplied from rebel-held areas in the east, but over a month ago, Ukrainian nationalist paramilitary
have said that if the blockade is not lifted, they will take control of the coal mines and steel mills on their territory, and sell their production to Russia instead.
President Petro Poroshenko declared a day
fighters imposed a blockade on railways bringing coal from occupied areas into the country. The groups behind the blockade,
of mourning across the country, and said all coal mines would undergo safety inspections. A judicial investigation has also been launched
which have halted more than 74,000 train cars laden with anthracite coal from the rebel regions bound for Ukrainian power
the situation says that by graphically drawing attention to the significant volumes of trade that passing along the rails in both directions
into the incident.
stations, say that trading with the rebels is tantamount to treason at a time when a civil war is raging that has killed over 10,000.
– even as armies were slaughtering each other – they are forcing the most painful issue at the heart of the civil war: Can Ukraine reintegrate itself economically and
The Ukrainian Government has called for the blockade to be lifted as a matter of urgency. At the end of February, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman declared a state of emergency in the energy sector, and warned that 300,000 jobs were at risk and that the already weakened Ukrainian currency could nosedive if the blockade
politically, perhaps on new terms, or is it doomed to break up?
for a coal shortage in the country. Ukraine is currently in a state of emergency due to a lack of coal needed for electricity and central heating after Russian-backed rebels seized the Donbass coalfields in the East of the
continues much longer. Backed by a coalition of oligarchs, nationalist militias, and opposition politicians, the aim of the blockade is apparently to compel
puppets” in the East makes it impossible for the country to integrate with Europe. Continued reliance on Donbass coal for energy, he says, means Russia or the rebels could at any time switch off all the country’s
country.
a beleaguered President Poroshenko to
lights.
There were 172 miners working in the mine at the time of the explosion, Lviv region head Oleg Sinyutka told NewsOne TV.
The blast happened at a depth of 550 meters and triggered a cave-in over one of the conveyor belts, the local emergency service said. The mine is part of Lvovugol, and has been in operation since 1978. It is rated as highly dangerous due to the high amounts of methane gas in the coal mined there. According to Sinyutka, the mine was preparing to increase output to compensate
A report in the Christian Science Monitor on
The Monitor quotes a supporter of the blockade saying that Ukraine needs a complete break in any relations between Government and rebels, as continuing dependence on “Russian troops and their
www.hazardexonthenet.net
6
News Extra
“The material is extremely sturdy. We’ve run dozens to hundreds of tests, wringing it out each time, and we have yet to see it break down at all,” Darling said. Oleo Sponge could potentially also be used routinely to clean harbours and ports, where diesel and oil tend to accumulate from ship traffic, said John Harvey, a business development executive with Argonne’s Technology Development and Commercialization division. Elam, Darling and the rest of the team are continuing to develop the technology.
US laboratory invents reusable sponge that could revolutionise oil spill cleanup
W
“The technique offers enormous flexibility, and can be adapted to other types of cleanup besides oil in seawater. You could attach a different molecule to grab any specific substance you need,” Elam said.
hen the Deepwater Horizon drilling
foam has lots of nooks and crannies, like an
pipe blew out seven years ago, beginning the worst oil spill in US history, those in charge of the recovery faced
English muffin, which could provide ample surface area to grab oil; but they needed to give the foam a new surface chemistry in
The team is actively looking to commercialise the material, Harvey said; those interested in licensing the technology or collaborating with
a problem: the millions of gallons of oil bubbling from the sea floor were not all collecting on the surface where it could be skimmed or burned. Some of it was
order to firmly attach the oil-loving molecules.
the laboratory on further development may contact partners@anl.gov.
Previously, Darling and fellow Argonne chemist Jeff Elam had developed a technique
Argonne scientists Anil Mane, Joseph Libera
forming a plume and drifting through the ocean under the surface.
called sequential infiltration synthesis, or SIS, which can be used to infuse hard metal oxide atoms within complicated nanostructures.
and postdoctoral researcher Edward Barry also contributed to the development of the Oleo Sponge. Preliminary results were
Now, scientists at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have invented a new foam, called Oleo
After some trial and error, they found a way to adapt the technique to grow an extremely thin
published in a study in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, titled “Advanced oil sorbents using sequential infiltration synthesis.”
Sponge, that addresses this problem. The material not only easily adsorbs oil from water, but is also reusable and can pull dispersed
layer of metal oxide “primer” near the foam’s interior surfaces. This serves as the perfect glue for attaching the oil-loving molecules,
The research was funded by the US Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and
oil from the entire water column—not just the surface.
which are deposited in a second step; they hold onto the metal oxide layer with one end and reach out to grab oil molecules with the other.
Environmental Enforcement. The team used resources of the Center for Nanoscale Materials, a DOE Office of Science User Facility, in the development of the material.
“The Oleo Sponge offers a set of possibilities that, as far as we know, are unprecedented,” said co-inventor Seth Darling, a scientist with Argonne’s Center for Nanoscale Materials and a fellow of the University of Chicago’s Institute for Molecular Engineering. A number of molecules have been discovered that can grab oil, but the problem is how to get them into a useful structure and bind them there permanently. The scientists started out with common polyurethane foam, used in everything from furniture cushions to home insulation. This
www.hazardexonthenet.net
The result is Oleo Sponge, a block of foam that easily adsorbs oil from the water. The material, which looks a bit like an outdoor seat cushion, can be wrung out to be reused—and the oil itself recovered. At tests in the giant Ohmsett seawater tank in New Jersey at the National Oil Spill Response Research & Renewable Energy Test Facility, the Oleo Sponge successfully collected diesel and crude oil from both below and on the water surface.
Oil can be recovered from the Oleo Sponge – Image: ANL
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News Extra
9
Commission (NHRC) in its 2014 report titled ‘Views on Mine Safety in India’ claimed the frequency of incidents has increased in recent years. India’s statistics indicate coal mining has become safer over the past few decades. Between 1990 and 2015, the average number of serious injuries per million tonnes of coal mined has fallen from 2.7 to 0.27. The average number of fatalities has also fallen from 0.69 to 0.07. But The Hindu says much of this is because of the greater mechanisation of mining which massively increases output per
Fatal opencast coal mine cave-in highlights India’s poor mining safety record S
ome 23 miners and dozens of vehicles
miner. If calculated in terms of 300,000 manshifts, the fatality rate has only halved from 0.3 to 0.15 during that same time. Indian Express estimated that in 2015 seven lives were still lost on average for every 100 million tonnes of coal mined in India. The mining sector fatality count for the first six months of 2016 was 65, with a further 122 suffering a serious injury.
were warning signals in terms of a cascade
were buried when about 250 metres of stripped overburden collapsed on December 29, 2016, at the Lalmatia opencast mine in Jharkhand, north-
fall of boulders at least three hours before the collapse.
Alongside ship-breaking, mining is the most dangerous profession in India.
According to The Hindu, safety concerns
The country has 569 coal mines, 67 oil and
eastern India. In an investigation, Indian Express noted that this disaster ended an exceptionally dangerous year for mining
raised by activists at the mine were dismissed, including one complaint that was sent to the Prime Minister’s Office and forwarded to
gas mines and 1,770 non-coal mines which provide direct employment to about 1 million on a daily average basis and an overall sector
in India, with a fatality every three days during the first six months
the state’s Director General of Mines Safety (DGMS).
contribution of about 5% to the country’s gross domestic product.
Only 18 bodies were recovered under the tonnes of rubble and rescue efforts were hampered by poor weather including dense
The activist who filed the complaint evidently had photos showing how safety concerns were overlooked “by not maintaining a proper
The Indian Express points out that a major reasons given for enacting the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act in 1973, which mandated
fog, along with unstable debris piles. The mine is owned by Eastern Coalfields Limited – a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, the world’s largest coal miner – and operated by Mahalakshi
bench while digging deep into the open cast mine. The overburden was dumped in a decoaled area in huge quantities which led to the collapse,” he told The Hindu.
the takeover of private sector mines, was their poor safety records. Yet, work in public sector mines remains highly dangerous.
Infracontract Pvt Ltd. The Ministry of Mines termed the Lalmatia accident an “unprecedented” event. “Prima facie, it is observed that the incidence is unprecedented, since an area of 300 m length by 110 m wide solid floor of the Over Burden dump area has slid down by about 35 m involving around 9.5 million cubic metres of earth material. This could be due to failure of the bench edge along the hidden fault line/ slip,” the ministry said in a statement. Witnesses on the ground confirmed that there
Accusing the mining company of negligence, Jharkhand’s first chief minister Babulal Marandi said outsourcing of mining operations to private parties risked the miners’ lives in the area. The Hindustan Times said that illegal mining was being carried out in the area in connivance with local leaders, contractors and officials. The ECL outsourced mining work to private companies that did not take safety measures.
Lack of investment in coal mines is cited as one of the main reasons for the high casualties, and India’s coal industry has some obvious weak points. It has among the highest rates of fatalities and injuries from the collapse of roofs and walls in the world, and inundation fatalities have also seen an increase in the past few decades. India also has unusually high incidents of accidents caused by the surface movement of heavy machinery.
Coal India Ltd’s official statistics showed that the fatality and serious accident trends were
Major accidents in 2016 included one on May 28 at the Turamdih Uranium Mine near
improving, but the National Human Rights
Jamshedpur, run by the State-owned Uranium
www.hazardexonthenet.net
10 News Extra the roof of a structure inside the coal mine collapsed on them. Between 2009 and 2013, there were 752 documented fatalities in mining operations in India, according to the Office of Directorate General of Mines Safety, Ministry of Labour and Employment. These included accidents at mines run by CIL, Neyveli Lignite Corporation and Singareni Collieries. But there are questions over the accuracy of official Indian casualty statistics given the large number of illegal wildcat mines where accidents and fatalities never make it into official reports.
Coal India Ltd accident statistics 1975-2015 – Image: CIL
Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL), killing three
from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.
miners after they were accidentally buried under the wet radioactive slurry they were reportedly clearing at a depth of over 250
Earlier, on April 14, three workers of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL)
metres. The Turamdih mine is located 6 km
were crushed to death when a portion of
In its July 2014 report, the NHRC mentioned the need for the mining sector to gain exposure to best practices from across the world, including using scientific ‘training need assessment’ for officers and workers, developing effective training delivery mechanisms and working on comprehensive specialised training for accident investigations.
News Extra 11
Number of grain dust explosions in US falls to 10-year low A
ccording to a report released by Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, the number of grain dust explosions in the United States fell to a 10-year low in 2016 despite a number of fatalities last year. Two of the three fatalities from grain dust explosions in 2016 were in Indiana, and the third was in Georgia. Eight people were injured nationwide. These were the first such fatalities recorded in the US since 2013. There were five grain dust explosions in 2016, compared to eight in 2015 and a 10-year average of 9.2 per year. Reported causes of ignition last year included sparks, possibly generated by static electricity or friction between machine parts, and overheated bearings, such as those on conveyor belts and elevators. One of the explosions occurred in a feed mill, two in grain mills and two in grain elevators. Grain dust was confirmed as the main source of fuel in three of the incidents, but could not be confirmed in two of the others. An example of the incidents included in the report was the fatal grain dust event which took place at JCG Farms in Rockmart, Georgia, in February 2016. The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed $112K in fines against the company and contractors after an explosion killed one and injured five at the chicken feed mill. An investigation by OSHA determined that excessive accumulation of grain dust in the hammer mill area ignited, causing the blast. The agency found JCG: • Exposed employees to fire and explosion hazards due to the build-up of combustible dust. • Failed to post warning signs to inform workers of fire and explosion hazards. • Exposed workers to being caught in machinery. • Failed to develop or implement an emergency action plan. • Failed to train employees to recognise hazards such as fire, explosion associated with combustible dust. • Did not implement a written housekeeping program to reduce the accumulation of grain dust. • Exposed workers to electric shock hazards. Altogether, OSHA cited JCG for 15 serious and five other-thanserious safety and health violations.
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UPTIME
12 News Extra
Bure underground research facility - Image: ANDRA
O
French nuclear waste deep storage project faces new hurdles
n February 28, a local court annulled the transfer of a forest from a local municipality to the French National Agency
Oxfordian clay formations for a deep repository of radioactive waste. In January 2016 one of the tunnels under construction collapsed, killing
for the Management of Radioactive Waste (ANDRA), which is building a geological
one person and injuring another.
storage facility for high level nuclear wastes under the forest. The project to build the storage facility - called CIGEO – at Bure in the Meuse department of
France is the world’s largest exporter of electricity and the world’s most committed nuclear nation, with 58 reactors producing 75% of the country’s power. As a result, it produces
Eastern France will be suspended until this legal hurdle can be overcome.
13 metric tonnes of nuclear waste a year. Since France’s first nuclear power plant opened
This follows the earlier announcement between the Socialist and Green Parties as part of their joint presidential platform that they would end
in 1956, the country has housed its high-level toxic waste in four short-term national surface facilities at La Hague in Normandy, Marcoule
the CIGEO deep burial project, a key part of the long term plans for nuclear waste disposal of all French administrations since well before the
and Cadarache in the south and Valduc, north of Dijon.
2006 official go-ahead for the project.
This was seen as a stop-gap solution prior to deep disposal, the only solution likely to keep the wastes inaccessible for the 100,000 years and more that it will remain dangerous.
Le Monde called the court’s decision to cancel the transfer of ownership of the 220-hectare Lejuc forest a “serious setback” for the project, which envisages a massive facility 500 metres
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underground to take 85 metric tonnes of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes produced by the French nuclear industry. These legal difficulties add to the challenge
The only operational deep waste site in the world is the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in south-east New Mexico, a deep repository for the disposal of US weapons-related radioactive waste, which opened in 1999. This is temporarily closed following an
ANDRA faces on the ground, where protesters have been campaigning to have the the €25bn project scrapped. These cumulative problems could jeopardise the timetable for the site’s activation, with final authorisation planned for 2018 and commissioning in 2025.
accident in 2014, and is scheduled to reopen later this year.
ANDRA already has an underground research laboratory on the site at Bure, designed to study the geological suitability of the Callovo-
Canada and Britain are looking at possible sites. The eventual location of a US site for civilian nuclear waste is still under discussion.
www.leinelinde.com/otc www.hazardexonthenet.net
A site in Finland has already been approved by regulators and in Sweden, Japan and Germany geological sites have been identified, although not confirmed. Nuclear waste authorities in
News Extra 13
HSE to introduce independent costs adjudication after UK High Court challenge T
he UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has settled a judicial review of its FFI cost recovery scheme out of court before a planned High Court
received from HSE in August 2014 over staff risking Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome when using strimmers at Heathrow Airport. OCS was subsequently fined £2,306, but
The HSE had looked set to defend the disputes procedure, but in a press statement it said it now plans to “review the current process … [and] consult with
hearing on 8 March 2017. Facilities management company OCS Group brought the case to review the
disputed the HSE case against it.
relevant stakeholders with a view to making the process fully independent”.
arbitration process for the HSE’s Fee for Intervention (FFI) scheme, under which charges are levied on companies for inspections and investigations.
should be determined independently and impartially, and not by a dispute panel with two of its three members appointed by HSE, which is how the system currently
A spokesperson added: “The HSE has always kept the dispute process under review and following a recent application for a judicial review we believe the time is
operates.
right to move to a dispute process which is completely independent of the HSE.”
Central to OCS’s claim was that the dispute
FFI, introduced by HSE in October 2012, was designed to move the cost of
Quoted in SHP Online, Ian Goodliffe,
regulating workplace health and safety from the public purse to companies themselves. In 2015, the average cost of an invoice
director of health, safety, quality and environmental at OCS Group, said the decision to ask for a judicial review was
HSE has agreed to introduce a revised process for determining disputes on or before 1 September 2017.
issued under the FFI scheme was above £700, generating revenue of £14.7m, an increase of 40% on initial charge levels.
not about opposing the idea of FFI, but to address concerns the company had about the independence, fairness and
As part of the agreement with OCS Group, the agency has also withdrawn the notice
The review was brought by OCS Group and relates to a notice of contravention it
transparency of the dispute process in which HSE effectively acted as prosecution, judge and jury.
of contravention in which it alleged failures in the management of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome against the company.
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Standards 15
IECEx at the Hazardex
2017 Conference high hazard industries, and the importance of planning and board involvement in hazardous area operations. This echoes the positive development of the IECEx CoPC scheme, including our recognised training provider program. Through this the IECEx system can support all the efforts of the international process industry to establish sufficiently high levels of knowledge and skills.
certificates. The first part of my answer is always a bit disappointing for the audience, with only four countries - Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Israel - currently directly recognising IECEx certificates of conformity. Compared with our vision to provide one certificate valid for the whole world, this is not really an impressive message. However, digging a bit deeper, the situation
Another important topic during the conference and exhibition was mobile
looks much better. A number of countries which do not have their own national regulations accept IECEx certificates
worker solutions and distributed intelligence in the field, covering communications, people and asset tracking, and much else. This is also an interesting issue for our work
without an official statement. And another aspect which is often overlooked is the existence of the so-called ‘fast track procedure’.
in the IECEx equipment scheme. We see more and more mobile computers,
This obligates Ex CBs in any member country to accept an existing IECEx Test
IECEx Chairman Prof. Dr. Thorsten Arnhold
notebooks, tablets and smartphones that are certified for the use in hazardous areas. Due to the fact that these products are
Report as the basis for issuing a National Certificate. Minor national deviations which require additional tests are accepted, as
n the first week of March I had the opportunity to give a speech
based on new and highly sophisticated technical solutions, it is sometimes difficult to decide whether these products meet
long as these deviations are listed in the IECEx Bulletin.
at the annual Hazardex conference in Runcorn, northern England. My impressions of this conference were very positive and I got the feeling
existing standards or not. To enable clearer and unambiguous decisions by the Ex CBs, it is very important to establish close cooperation between the conformity
This document is available via the IEC web shop and describes the national deviations from the actual editions of the IEC standards for every country. The fast
that there was great interest in the IECEx system and its structures and procedures. During the coffee breaks and evening events, I had many interesting discussions with other participants at the conference and received several valuable inputs for the improvement of our system.
assessment and the standard generation and maintenance functions.
track procedure gives a huge benefit to manufacturers by reducing the efforts required for type tests to a reasonable and affordable level.
I
Very important for future work of the IECEx system was the general impression I took from the presentations over the two days. One area that was well covered was personal competence and human factors in
Here, I think the joint approach of IECEx and TC 31 is the right solution. The best practical example of how this partnership works is the foundation of a TC 31 Working Group dealing with the definition of specs
If manufacturers have problems with an IECEx CB over a fast track procedure, this should be challenged. If this happens, the
for mobile devices, which was initiated by the IECEx office.
IECEx central office should be contacted and asked for support.
As in all my presentations about the IECEx system, in Runcorn I was asked about
A full review of the Hazardex 2017 Conference will be included in the May
the international acceptance of IECEx
edition of Hazardex magazine.
www.hazardexonthenet.net
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Standards & Brexit 17
What effect will Brexit have on standards and compliance for hazardous area industries? T
im Marks represents the AEMT as a member of BSI, IEC, and IECEx standards committees for Explosive
European directives, may have technical input, but emanate from the European Parliament. They must be embodied into
ATEX 137, workplace directive 99/92/EC covering Health and Safety on site.
Atmospheres and Rotating Electrical Equipment. Here, he looks at some of the issues facing the Hazardous Area
the laws of each EU member and are mandatory. The two however are often interlinked and standards can be used to
There is then the legislation that embodies the ATEX directives into the UK legal system.
industry now that the UK Parliament has agreed to Brexit.
support and help meet European directive requirements.
There are currently a lot of blank faces, particularly in Whitehall when it comes to the subject of standards, directives, and compliance in the wake of Brexit, but
The European Directives are designed to create a level playing field for trade within the EU. They may also form a technical barrier to goods emanating from outside
what does it mean for the Hazardous Area industries and will it cause problems for companies doing business in the UK?
the EU. They cover all angles of trade, from machinery and transport to eco-design, health, safety etc.
The main message here is a sense check; first one needs to understand the difference between standards and Directives:
Hazardous Areas are covered by the ATEX Directives for potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX emanates from the French: ATmosphères EXplosibles). There
Technical standards embody the best practice put together by technical experts to create a uniform engineering or technical criteria. They are becoming more and more international, are not mandatory, and will
are two ATEX directives:
not be affected by Brexit.
ATEX 95, originally ATEX 94/9/EC, but superseded by ATEX 2014/34/EU on April 20, 2016.
DSEAR (The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations). To a large degree these directives create an invisible barrier to trade with Europe, and are items that will still need to be conformed to after Brexit. Every item manufactured in Europe or manufactured outside the EU for use in an EU zoned hazardous area has to have a valid certificate of compliance to the ATEX directives. The certificate gives information on the results of testing for compliance with the ATEX directive and named standards, as well as safety issues, labelling details, etc. The certificate is only issued after three samples of each item have been extensively tested in an accredited
www.hazardexonthenet.net
18 Standards & Brexit laboratory by a Notified Body in the EU. This can be a very expensive hurdle for a
Standards are becoming more and more international and most of the developed
in the UK. Generally we are very well represented on standards committees, and
company wishing to sell its product range into Europe, however, ATEX is no different to the barriers that EU companies meet if they wish to export to the US where they have to meet UL or FM standards, or the Canadian CSA standards, and similar in
countries are signed into adopting the ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) or IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards. Both are now based in Switzerland and produce international standards
any problems we foresee in a standard are normally solved at the committee stage. Standards are not a legal requirement, but they normally help manufacturers and users meet their legal obligations. They also create a high standard of best practice
Japan, China, Russia etc.
for adoption by member countries. The majority of these are harmonised into the European CEN or CENELEC standards systems, and most EU members are also members of ISO and IEC. Occasionally CEN or CENELEC will produce a standard
for products and create a level playing field for products entering a market and a standardisation of products produced for that market.
Will Brexit affect UK manufacturers and importers - who already ensure that their products have the required ATEX certificates? If the UK continues to ensure that products manufactured, or imported, into the UK,
as a result of a new directive, and this can go the other way and stimulate the production of a corresponding ISO or IEC document. All standards are readily available for anyone or any manufacturer to purchase and comply with.
Explosive Atmospheres retain EU notified body status after Brexit? This is an important issue. The EU has 67 Notified Bodies in this segment. Eight of them are in the UK, compared to 12 in Germany, 10 in Italy, 6 in Poland, and 3 in
abide by the ATEX Directives, discussions over ease of access to the EU countries by
Will the UK be able to have input into
Turkey. Other EU members such as France have fewer notified bodies.
the Customs Union Committee should be more straightforward. The existing ATEX certificates will ensure ease of access into the European market.
the ATEX Directives? Fortunately ATEX directives are quite mature now and after 20 years have just had some minor updates. The UK took
Will Brexit affect the users - from international oil and chemical
part in the consultation process and provided technical and procedural input during the review to produce the updated
negotiations. Turkey is not even a member of EFTA, but this decision was issued by the Customs Union Joint Committee in document 2006/654/EC for “the elimination
companies to local flourmills? There would be no advantage in the UK deciding not to comply with the ATEX
ATEX 2014/34/EU. We may not officially be able to attend future consultations, or have any MEPs to comment on
of technical barriers to trade in a particular product” and facilitate the progress of Turkey’s application to join the EU”.
Directives and many advantages in keeping the status quo. Users of Hazardous area equipment will still specify, buy and
new directives, however the results of the process and every consultation is available online. Technical alterations to
This does ring alarm bells if we have declared that we were leaving the Customs
conform to the ATEX directives as long as DSEAR in the UK continues to embody the ATEX Directives.
Directives often encompass alterations to the International Standards, which the UK is well represented on. I am sure that the UK voice would also be heard through international federations and UK international companies with representation
So what are the top seven problems that may affect the UK Hazardous Area Industry after Brexit?
Will the government alter DSEAR if it no longer needs to comply with Europe? DSEAR ensures that everything manufactured or imported to the UK still complies with the European Directive. ATEX works well and is well respected
in the EU.
internationally. Its requirement in the UK protects our markets from a flood of non ATEX compliant equipment, and should continue to facilitate the free movement of Hazardous Area Equipment from the UK to Europe, and vice versa.
Generally as these standards are updated, they are harmonised into the European standards CEN or Cenelec for IEC electrical standards. These standards are then adopted by EU member states (in the UK they are adopted as a British Standard). Occasionally there will be notes
Will UK companies still be able to manufacture to European standards and Directives?
at the beginning of a standard for local requirements, these can be numerous in some countries, but are becoming unusual
www.hazardexonthenet.net
Will the UK still be able to have input into the European and International standards?
Will our Notified Bodies for Potentially
Turkey is perhaps the exception that proves the rule, which may help Brexit
Union. The current UK notified bodies will require a similar decision from the Customs Union Joint Committee to the one above. The notified bodies in the UK are well respected internationally and have a wealth of technical experience. They do a large amount of business with European and international companies requiring Certificates of Conformity for ATEX to sell their products in the EU. This includes products from America, China, and internationally, as well as those manufactured anywhere within the EU. Manufacturers not only require new prototypes testing, but continually modify and update their products. If this is to continue in the UK after Brexit, the sooner a Joint Customs Union Committee agreement is reached to clarify the situation, the better.
Standards & Brexit 19
ATEX conformity testing of Hazardous Area equipment – Image: SGS Baseefa The UK notified bodies need to be at the front of the negotiation agenda once Brexit is formalised. There are 188 bodies
trade in the oil, chemical and other industries. It is imperative that the UK Government ensures that Brexit and a
listed by the EU, who can test and issue Certificates of Conformity with directives covering everything from Shipping and Rail
split from the Customs Union does not jeopardise the incredibly valuable work that these companies carry out internationally,
to manufactured products, medicines etc. These range from the UK accreditation company UKAS to specialist companies like SGS Baseefa, an AEMT member. These bodies use their specific expertise to test for conformity with every mandatory Directive including ATEX, Machinery Directive, Marine Equipment Directive, Pressure Equipment Directive, Lifts Directive, Low Voltage
and ensures that this industry maintains its leading place on the world class stage.
Directive, etc. The list is long and covers every area. To facilitate trade agreements with the EU, the UK Government will probably negotiate to abide by most of the directives, such as ATEX.
now is the time to address these issues.
The 188 bodies involved in testing and accreditation are world class companies employing staff with very specialist technical abilities. Many of them stand on International Standards Committees and facilitate a huge amount of international
About the author
There are many active groups looking after the interests of the industry which will continue to communicate with the marketplace about developments and changes, as well as providing sensible advice to government committees. However,
The mechanisms are in place to continue to ensure compliance does not become any more complex or onerous, and that our ability to do business successfully remains largely unaffected by this particular aspect of Brexit. For further information go to the EU Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/ single-market/european-standards/
Tim Marks has been Secretary of the Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) since 2001. Until 2004 he also ran a small rewind company and a company specialising in vehicle diesel and electrics. Before he became secretary, he served on the AEMT council from 1982, and became President of the AEMT in 1990 and 1996. He is convenor of the IEC standards committee TC2, MT13 Maintenance Team for Refurbishment of Rotating Machinery.
www.hazardexonthenet.net
20 Nuclear Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (completing the main mechanical build – 300 tonnes of the 360 tonne machine). • The first delivery in March 2016 of equipment needed to install the huge, steel silo containment doors which will be attached to the Pile Fuel Cladding Silo. This marks progress towards retrievals starting in the last of the four legacy buildings, to get radioactive waste out and into a safer place. • A new ventilation stack has been built at Sellafield – so an old one can be knocked down. Completion of the Separation Area
Risk and hazard reduction at Sellafield 2015/16 T
he Sellafield Annual Review of Safety 2015/16 highlights progress
in cleaning up the site, the largest repository of nuclear waste in Europe. Major steps, outlined below, include significant advances in dealing with the contents of the site’s storage ponds, containing some of the most highly
from the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond. • Completion of the assembly of the first 11 modules of the Silo Emptying Plant, which will be used to grab radioactive
Ventilation project has paved the way for the demolition of a stack on top of one of the site’s reprocessing plants. The new ventilation building will provide a modern state of the art aerial discharge route for existing facilities at Sellafield, and enable the removal of older facilities to be completed. • The highly active liquor (HAL) stocks have been reduced achieving a regulator mandated milestone. Earlier work undertaken to secure long-term evaporative capacity is key to this success. The report also includes information on safety trends at Sellafield’s facilities, including the following:
waste from the compartments at the
radioactive waste on the site. These steps include: • Removal of the entire bulk stocks of historic nuclear fuel from the Pile Fuel Storage Pond, reducing radioactivity levels at the 68-year-old pond by 70%. • Beginning of bulk sludge transfers from the legacy First Generation Magnox Storage Pond to the Sludge Packaging Plant (see article on page 26). This was followed by the start of bulk fuel exports from the pond at the beginning of this financial year. This achievement was the culmination of over a decade of planning, preparation and investment. Thousands of people, both at Sellafield and in the nuclear supply chain, have been involved in starting the process of removing the highest hazard contents
www.hazardexonthenet.net
Note: This metric represents the number of radiological incident reports categorised as significant under our sentencing scheme. There were two recorded this year. The first related to a radioactive source that was found not to be stored in its rightful container. The source was immediately returned to its safe storage; at no point was there any significant exposure to anyone. The second occurred when we carried out a new process whereby a radioactive source is temporarily introduced in to a sealed cell in order to test the functionality of gamma monitors inside the cell. During the transfer of the source in to the cell one of our employees was briefly exposed to an elevated level of radioactivity. The employee is still well within our annual dose limits, which are lower than the permitted annual dose rate. All doses to the workforce remain less than 10 millisieverts (mSv)/yr with the average being less than 1 mSv/yr. The average annual UK dose is 2,700 microsieverts of which 2,230 microsieverts is derived from natural source.
Nuclear 21
Note: This metric represents the number of nuclear incident reports categorised as significant under our sentencing scheme. The two recorded this year were: One of our four standby diesel generators failed while another was undergoing maintenance, meaning that we temporarily dropped below the required level of standby electrical generation capacity. Contingencies were put in place to address the issue. The second was in relation to the ventilation system within the Magnox Swarf Storage Silos.
Note: All radioactive discharges remained well within authorised limits. Marine discharges remain at historic low levels. The beach monitoring programme for the 2015/16 financial year was successfully completed to schedule with a total of 166.75 ha monitored, against a target of 160 ha. Public Health England’s risk assessment concludes that “the overall health risks for beach users are very low and significantly lower than other risks that people accept when using the beaches.”
All Images – Sellafield Ltd
www.hazardexonthenet.net
22 Nuclear
Older and redundant facilities are being removed
Sellafield Annual Review of Safety Doses to the most exposed members of the public from operations at Sellafield remain very low at approximately 100 microsieverts
We have a combined Sellafield Ltd and supply chain workforce of approximately 14,000 people. These people are delivering
Euan Hutton, EHS&Q Director, Sellafield Ltd
(µSv)/yr. This compares to the average annual UK dose of around 2,700 µSv, of which 2,230 (µSv)/yr is derived from natural sources.
a wide range of work in a mix of office, radiological and industrial environments. During the year we had 45 recordable
n a companion piece to Sellafield’s 2015/16 review of safety, EHS&Q
Our radiological protection performance remains strong in a year of increased high
injuries. The majority of these injuries were strains and sprains, bone fractures and cuts, caused predominantly by slips, trips
I
Director Euan Hutton points to the organisation’s achievements over the year, and to areas of future focus. When you look at the cold statistics you have to say that our performance was mixed, with good performance in nuclear, environmental and radiological safety, but we missed targets in our industrial performance. When I look at what we delivered across the site in the same period though, I have to say that, overall our safety performance was good. We have built upon our previous strong environmental performance with no significant environmental events; overall discharges and disposals of waste are well within permit limits.
www.hazardexonthenet.net
hazard risk reduction work. All doses to the workforce remain less than 10 millisieverts (mSv)/yr with the average being less than 1 mSv. We also recently collected nine awards – eight gold and one silver – at the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2016. Many of our contractor colleagues also won awards for their safety performance at Sellafield. That said, while our industrial safety accident rates remain good when compared with comparable industry averages, it is disappointing that we missed the challenging targets that we set ourselves.
and manual handling. Our focus remains on preventing all injuries and near misses. There were three events which were rated as Level 1 on the International Nuclear Events Scale which means that they are classed as anomalies with no release of radioactivity or increased dose to individuals. We have investigated these events and are sharing learning across our business. Our industrial safety performance is an area that we’re focused on improving. We have a plan in place to enhance our industrial safety performance focusing on improving standards, preventing accidents and reducing human errors.
Nuclear 23
Our internal regulators provide an important role in helping us assess how we’re doing and where we need to centre our attention. They’re continually providing oversight on our performance and independent assessment of compliance with legal requirements under Site Licence and UK legislation. A key part of a strong safety culture is having a healthy reporting culture to identify and resolve potential problems, at their lowest level of consequence, before they impact nuclear safety. We have a corrective action programme where employees can raise a condition report when they find something unexpected, including any gaps in our systems, processes and procedures. This supports safe and reliable operations at Sellafield. Sellafield and supply chain workers have worked for one thousand days on one of the site’s most complex projects, the Silo Maintenance Facility, without an injury
We have also been developing over a number of years our emergency
We have increased visibility of industrial safety with dashboards across our plants
Therefore, to get work done with the urgency needed, we face the challenge of doing
preparedness to consider the worst case, taking into account the specific action that might be needed to manage our retrievals
highlighting performance in this area; progress against gaps is also discussed at the management daily meeting.
different work in a different way. This will involve balancing the transient increase in risk against reducing the overall risk and hazard whilst maintaining control.
work as well as learning from wider events such as Fukushima and the flooding we have been unfortunate to have had in Cumbria over the last decade.
We’re also looking to make improvements to the effectiveness of the environmental case process and increase visibility of Best
Time at risk is a critical factor in how we plan and execute the things that we have to
As a member of the site emergency duty team I’ve seen a significant difference in
Available Techniques (BAT) governance arrangements within project and programme areas.
do. We have to develop the boundaries that define nuclear safety in this context, deliver work closer to these boundaries than we
the amount of time and resources we’re investing in making us ‘match ready’. The start of each of our emergency duty weeks
We’re developing our management system to make it easier to use and to reduce
have in the past whilst providing governance that we are making the right decisions and not going too far.
is now a half-day session of briefing, training and exercising (as opposed to the half hour we used to diary). There are also new tools
We operate within a stringent and highly monitored environmental regulatory regime and are subject to exacting regulation and
to help us understand the situation more quickly – these range from electronic boards that are interlinked between our command facilities to the use of GIS (the Geographic
the volume of documents, simplifying the process and aligning it to our changing business needs. The biggest improvement that we as a company can make to the continued safety of the site is to ensure that we continue to focus on looking after our site assets, accelerating the clean-up of our highest hazard facilities.
oversight from independent regulators including the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency.
In order to retrieve waste from legacy ponds
We work with our regulators and key stakeholders to safely drive risk and hazard reduction to keep ourselves, our facilities and the environment safe. We measure our
and silos we have to do things that have never been done before, and we have to find a balance between risk and safety. With some of our ageing assets we can’t employ a traditional, zero-based risk approach – we
performance against industry best practice at a national and international level through our membership of the World Association of Nuclear Operators, helping us strengthen and improve our arrangements.
Information System). The on-plant response teams have also seen significant changes in the amount and quality of preparation that is being undertaken and the associated time we are investing. I am proud that our employees and contractors remained focused on safety throughout and that every single day I see people looking out for each other, challenging when things are unsafe, focused on continually improving safety.
can’t switch off legacy plants.
www.hazardexonthenet.net
24 Nuclear
The First Generation Magnox Storage Pond at Sellafield
How sonar and gaming technology is helping the decommissioning of Sellafield’s
legacy nuclear waste storage ponds A
particularly difficult job at the
underwater in the storage pond for longer
magazines which were suspended above the
Sellafield site has just been completed - mapping the magazine transfer bay, one of the most congested
periods than normal. This resulted in the Magnox fuel corroding in the pond, which in turn gave rise to increased radiation levels
floor. The tangle of material meant the area became inaccessible by remotely operated vehicles, so that originally the only way of
legacy areas of the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond.
and poor underwater viewing. This slowed the rate of decanning, leading to increased residence times and further fuel corrosion.
seeing what was inside was by peering in from above with torches.
This article, originally published in Sellafield Magazine, looks at the some of the challenges facing the team trying to identify the contents of the pond and the technology used to complete the task and prepare it for emptying and decommissioning. The First Generation Magnox Storage Pond (FGMSP) at Sellafield is one of the site’s four Legacy Pond and Silo facilities. The Magnox Storage and Decanning Facility was constructed during the 1950s and 1960s as part of the UK’s expanding nuclear programme. Its role was to receive and store
The plant continued to operate until its replacement, the Fuel Handling Plant at Sellafield, was commissioned in 1986. The final fuel was received into the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond in 1992. The FGMSP was constructed as an open-air pond. Over the years, it has accumulated significant quantities of waste materials, sludges from corrosion of fuel cladding, fuel fragments and other debris which has blown into the pond. Its nuclear fuel, sludge, intermediate level
irradiated fuel from the UK’s first generation Magnox reactors, and to remove the fuel cladding prior to the fuel being processed.
wastes and water each need to be safely removed and processed through separate routes.
In 1974, a long reprocessing shutdown
A particular problem in the pond was the
at Sellafield caused fuel to be stored
clutter caused by blocked or faulty fuel
www.hazardexonthenet.net
Specialist sonar has fundamentally changed this situation, but identifying the different types of structures and sludges in the pond is still not easy. Steve Lainson, Managing Director of sonar equipment designer and operator Fortis Remote Technology, takes up the story. “It is literally like chasing shadows,” says Lainson. “Each time the sonar picks up something solid it means there’s a blind spot or ‘shadow’ behind that point which we have to map from a different angle. There was so much material in there that it took more than three times the normal number of sonar scans to survey the area. Add in the challenge of working in an area where access is restricted by radiation levels and it was the hardest job we’ve ever done.” Considering other jobs by Fortis could be
Nuclear 25
looking for faults in an oil rig’s structure deep in the North Sea, that gives an idea of the
the environment so they can tell the difference between, for example, sludge or concrete
now put on top of the console or television to play certain games. They cost around
achievement at Sellafield.
or steel. For nuclear applications the sonar data will be overlaid with the gamma radiation value of the target area too.” More precise information and modelling on the nature of the challenge should also help
£25,000. Now you can get far more powerful and sophisticated versions for your home for around £80. The mass market is having massive benefits for us. Many families have teenagers using joypads to interact with 3D games. This development has helped us
Decommissioning Authority to use variable frequency sonar equipment to help characterise sludge in nuclear facilities. That grant allowed the company to build on the capability and intelligence offered by the more basic sonar equipment it had been using
remove much of the uncertainty about a job, meaning Sellafield will have more accurate and realistic estimates of what the work is likely to cost.
‘humanise’ information and processes which could be really dry and boring if presented in just words or diagrams. It helps us get more value out of our data.
The information captured in the sonar
Mort says affordable, off-the-shelf gaming
before. This has not only brought benefits to the UK nuclear industry, it is also helping abroad. Fortis is now working alongside Cockermouth-based Createc on mapping reactors 1 and 2 at Fukushima. It is currently carrying out feasibility studies and modelling
mapping of the magazine transfer bay in the FGMSP is being used in new ways, thanks to technology pioneered in the gaming world. To fully explore the 3D map created by the sonar probes, those responsible for cleaning up the legacy pond will be wearing virtual
technology could also help the nuclear industry open its doors to more small to medium sized enterprises. “If we can use this technology to illustrate an area which needs to be cleaned up, then it could remove the need to walk around the facility to scope
work before conducting the actual surveys at the Japanese facility later in 2017.
reality headsets to build an accurate idea of the pond’s contents. The basic virtual reality
out a job. That means new people with new ideas could start to help us. More precise
“Working with our technology partners Createc and Marine Electronics we’re taking sonar technology to new places for nuclear
equipment is now available off the shelf for about £1,000 and Sellafield robotics and autonomous systems expert Dr Paul Mort says the nuclear industry is now enjoying the
information and modelling on the nature of the challenge could also help remove a lot of the uncertainty, meaning we’d have more accurate and realistic estimations of what the
applications,” says Lainson. “We are currently developing sonar mapping so that it will not only tell us that there’s something there, it
benefits of products created for the gaming sector.
work is likely to cost. This technology could potentially narrow down our cost predictions to the tune of billions of pounds and help
will also tell us what it’s made of. Our next generation sonar probes will be able to ‘feel’
“Twenty years ago we looked at buying laser capture systems similar to the ones you
drive out risk.”
The company has built up an international business from its rural base in Broughton, Cumbria. In 2007 Fortis successfully applied for an R&D grant from the Nuclear
All images – Sellafield Ltd
www.hazardexonthenet.net
26 Nuclear Sonar technology has advanced hugely in recent years. Now sonic probes fire millions
million of these ‘points’.
carried out to bring the adjoining Magazine Maintenance Facility back into service in
of pulses which shape incredibly detailed 3D images in a ‘point cloud’. The mapping of the magazine transfer bay in the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond comprised around 24
Now that there is a better understanding of exactly what is in the pond, the team can plan far more effectively on how to empty and decommission the bay, building on the work
February 2016. The facility can now receive the blocked magazines from the bay so the team can work on dislodging the fuel bars and getting the waste out.
New sonar technology is building a more complete picture of the position and contents of the different types of waste in key areas of the storage pond
www.hazardexonthenet.net
Nuclear 27
First radioactive sludge moved
from pond to modern storage at Sellafield I
n February 2017, Sellafield celebrated the encapsulation of the first load
of radioactive sludge from one of its nuclear storage ponds. The sludge was transferred from the pond to a new encapsulation plant, where it is grouted and processed into a storage state ready for long-term disposal. Sludge is an unplanned by-product of the nuclear industry formed from decaying nuclear fuel, natural growing algae and other debris. The mud-like substance had developed in the depths of the Pile Fuel Storage Pond during its 65 year lifespan, and is now being removed so the facility can be decommissioned. The 100-metre long pond was originally used to store nuclear fuel used to make atomic weapons, and it will take several years to
in, cement is added and is then mixed up using a stirrer. Once the mixture is cured, a
Sellafield says this project is being delivered 10 years ahead of schedule and for half
The sludge arrives directly from the pond
cement cap and lid are put in place and the drum is transferred remotely to a modern storage plant where it will remain, pending
of the predicted cost of ÂŁ200 million. A 10-year project to dewater the pond will start in 2019, while sludge is still being
in the 500 litre drum that it is to be stored
final disposal to a long term facility.
removed.
remove all of the sludge in the pond.
Magnox Encapsulation Plant
www.hazardexonthenet.net
New Hazardous Area Equipment Market report – 3 Jan 2017 IHS Markit is pleased to announce it has commenced a new edition of its world-wide Hazardous Area Equipment Market report. As with previous editions, the new edition will be conducted in co-operation with HazardEx and is scheduled for publication Spring 2017. The report covers a wide range of products in terms of revenues, unit shipments and average selling prices. The company collects data and opinions from many sources including interviews with leading suppliers, enabling the general health of the market and trends to be assessed. A five year forecast and estimated market share of leading suppliers is also provided. IHS Markit works in association with Hazardex on this report which has become an important source of information for all companies that manufacture or are associated with the supply products approved for use in explosive atmospheres. John Morse – Snr Market Analyst IHS Markit 3-5 Huxley Close Wellingborough NN8 2UL UK t: +44 1933 408077 e: John.morse@ihsmarkit.com w: http://technology.ihs.com
Nuclear 29
Sizewell B nuclear power plant
How Total Cost of Ownership can pave the way to
safer, more cost-efficient nuclear reactors I
officials look to tighten their belts on new projects and potentially take stakes in these
extensions later. Today – including Hinkley Point C - some thirteen new nuclear reactors
crisis” in the UK. Unlike many other fears commonly associated with that expression, this was a crisis of age
new developments. In February, future plant developers were given the expectation that a 15 to 20% discount would be required on
are planned in the UK across six sites from the mid-2020s onwards, with a combined capacity of 18GW.
and the possible extinction for the country’s aging nuclear fleet. At the time, all but one of Britain’s reactors
the price of electricity compared to the £18 billion Hinkley plant in Somerset, as reported by the Financial Times.
As the UK must progressively replace large parts of its existing electricity generating
was predicted to close in 15 years due to concerns over their economic viability or safety and there were fears
More than ever, those involved in the engineering, development, financing and
capacity over the next two decades and - as it seeks to decarbonise the sector in line with its legally binding climate goals - now
of an energy shortage as the nuclear sector fulfills nearly 20% of the country’s power demands. All reactors except the Sizewell B power station were
regulation of nuclear reactors are finding themselves at an important juncture where, combined, safety and savings will determine the future of nuclear energy. While achieving
is the time to implement the right long-term cost and safety solutions. It is imperative that energy companies have the foresight to prevent the same mistakes from affecting
operating beyond their original lifetime specifications.
both can be a challenge, materials and components that last longer and require less maintenance help to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) of reactors over their lifespans and can even keep them running longer without compromising safety.
the next generation of nuclear power plants and the possible repercussions over the next 60 years.
n 2014, The Independent newspaper reported on an impending “nuclear
This article considers some of the cost implications that need to be taken into account when considering replacements for the UK’s ageing nuclear fleet.
The UK’s Challenge
The conversation around the future of the UK’s nuclear reactors has continued, shifting focus to the approval of plans for a station at Hinkley Point and other potential new builds. However, this discussion recently
EDF currently has a fleet of fifteen reactors in the UK, all of which began sending electricity to the grid in the 1970s and 1980s and due to their age, inspection and maintenance are key issues for EDF, not just for nuclear
took a turn toward cost as government
safety today but for the likelihood of plant life
Applying Total Cost of Ownership to Nuclear Reactor Investments While TCO – or total cost of ownership – is a common metric for evaluating purchase decisions in many industries, it is a less familiar term for a straightforward concept that should be common sense to specifiers in nuclear reactor projects. TCO is an estimate to help purchasers weigh
www.hazardexonthenet.net
30 Nuclear
Components such as electrical penetrations are critical to keeping radioactive particles within reactors’ containment structures
both the direct and indirect costs of an investment, painting a bigger picture of overall value. When long-term maintenance
also generates less waste – every part that is removed from containment is decontaminated and therefore, less cost
Safety Still Comes First
is a consideration, cheaper components that are less durable and require more frequent replacement can ultimately prove to be the
will be associated with disposal. When assessing TCO for a nuclear reactor
incidents should components prove to be lower in quality, performance or durability over time. The massive costs associated with
more expensive option, driving up the TCO of a nuclear reactor. For example, electrical penetrations are
– whether it is a new build or an existing plant that requires updates to avoid a decommission - designer and engineers should work closely with potential suppliers
nuclear reactor malfunction aside, the safety of nearby communities has to be paramount when designing a new reactor or upgrading existing plants.
critical to keeping radioactive particles within the reactors’ containment structures, these components often feature polymer seals that degrade as they age, requiring frequent replacements (and decontamination) every 20 to 30 years. By comparison, a nonageing glass-to-metal seal qualified for 60 years of use without need for replacement or
to propose a checklist of requirements that include a thorough assortment of long-term cost-generators, such as labour and time required for component replacements, associated cleaning and decontamination solutions, waste management, training operators if replacements must be completed by plant personnel and downtime
In fact, the nuclear industry has been adapting and improving safety standards since the Fukushima meltdown in 2011. An important takeaway from that incident is the role that aged components played in the lead-up to the explosion. According to Fukushima operator TEPCO, the
maintenance requires fewer replacements, saving in both labour and material costs for roughly 30 to 40 penetrations, which can add up to more than £12 million in savings over the lifespan of a single reactor.
during the replacement processes, etc. The more thorough the assessment, the more complete the cost analysis, giving a more transparent picture of costs over the lifespan for the reactor.
high temperature and pressure levels in the accident overstrained the reactor containment’s organic polymer seals and led to the hydrogen leakage and finally explosion. The Japanese Ministry of
Additionally, fewer part replacements
www.hazardexonthenet.net
Of course, no TCO assessment is complete without assessing the risk of hazardous
Economy confirmed these findings. With
Nuclear 31
the recent rise in radiation levels stemming from the Fukashima incident as well as the detection of radiation on the western shores of the United States, the whole world is reminded of the real and lasting costs that can be incurred when investments are not made in high-quality, extremely durable components. Not only can component failures incur a huge price tag for recovery efforts, but they can also have devastating reverberations throughout the industry as a whole, jeopardising much needed investments in upgraded and beneficial technologies that could bring about a more cost-effective age for nuclear energy.
Is the Future Modular? With more resilient components on the market, the nuclear energy sector could see the rise of small modular reactors (SMRs) as the preferred new build option. SMRs are different from a regular small reactor in the way they are constructed. SMRs use both large and small components that can be manufactured or replicated in a factory and moved to site by truck, train or barge. If enough reactors can be made in a single factory it is more cost-efficient in the longrun, as the cost per unit of energy output can be considerably reduced below those of larger plants.
NuScale SMR prototype – Image: NuScale Power
and will shortly set out policy on the matter, with initial estimates stating the a SMR could be operational in the UK by 2030.
Striking a Balance Nuclear power is on the rise. With similar
It has been well-documented that new
lifecycle emissions compared to all the major forms of renewable energy, nuclear power will play an important role in shaping the
generation larger reactors have had problems with being over-budget and delayed with production setbacks - meaning
world’s future supply. Governments across the world are looking to the industry to solve some of the most pressing problems of
that projects are not only late but are often billions of pounds over budget. This is often attributed to the difficulty of making them safe. For example, Cambridge University
climate change and how to meet growing energy demand and increase energy security, while reducing CO2 emissions.
academic Tony Roulstone, in an article published by the Guardian, likened the schematic planning of Hinckley to “building a cathedral within a cathedral”, and going so far as to label it “unconstructable.” It is clear that there is an argument within the nuclear industry that the future relies on the
The two biggest hurdles in the industry are both cost and safety. After the distressing events at Chernobyl over thirty years ago, the Fukushima disaster was a timely reminder of the dangers involved in harnessing nuclear power. That is why it is imperative that companies look to the technological advances made in nuclear
emergence of smaller reactors – especially in the Western world. American company NuScale Power, recently stated it hopes to build a small modular reactor by the mid2020s, and the UK government is inviting
fission and the wider industry to do what is absolutely necessary to strengthen safety standards and guarantee that future facilities are as safe as they can be – both large and small – for generations to come.
companies to design small-scale reactors
About the author
Thomas Fink - General Manager, Nuclear Safety Division of SCHOTT - is a recognised authority for glass-to-metal sealing technology, especially with respect to its use in nuclear applications. He has authored and co-authored a number of papers and articles about “Post-Fukushima technology enhancements to improve safety margins” presented at the expert conferences internationally, including ones hosted by the American Nuclear Society or the China Nuclear Energy Association. He is also an Advisory Board Member of Ohio State University Nuclear Engineering Program in the US.
www.hazardexonthenet.net
32 Cybersecurity
New threats to ICS/SCADA systems and practical protection A
lthough many business decisionmakers may be familiar with Stuxnet, the German steel mill attack,
who later served as the first White House cybersecurity czar, pointed to numerous major disasters that were clearly predicted
all one needs to persuade business executives to allocate more budget to mitigate against modern ICS hacking
BlackEnergy malware and how a Michigan Utility got hacked with ransomware, many are still reluctant to invest more on tighter security controls
by experts but ignored by decisionmakers. These include the sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2008, the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, the Madoff investment
scenarios.
to reduce the risk of cyber attacks on their Industrial Control Systems (ICS).
scandal, and several mining disasters. In each case, nobody acted on the experts’ predictions. Clarke then explained why ICS cybersecurity is similar to these disasters because the cost of dealing with the disaster is disproportionately higher than the cost of mitigating it beforehand.
The cyber world has changed dramatically over the past 12 months. Cyber attacks on ICS/SCADA networks and breakthrough research discoveries have made investment in top level cybersecurity an absolute priority for companies, argues Phil Neray of CyberX. At a recent conference, Richard Clarke,
The outcome of a successful cyber attack on critical infrastructure is not something anybody wants to test. A quick look at incidents that have made it to the headlines – be it actual cyber attacks or
a former top counter-terrorism advisor
new vulnerabilities and campaigns – is
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Ukrainian grid attacks Before December 2014, nobody had ever used a targeted cyber attack to turn off electric power in the middle of a cold winter. In December 2016, it happened yet again, according to Ukrenergo, the electric utility for the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
Attack on SWIFT Global Banking System In 2015 and 2016, the SWIFT banking system was hacked three times (by North Korea), making it the first known incident of a state actor using cyber-attacks to steal funds.
Cybersecurity 33 NSA’s Top-Secret Cyber Weapons Posted on the Internet In August 2016, the National Security Agency’s (NSA) top cyber tools and techniques were posted on the Internet, giving any ‘script kiddie’ unfettered access to the world’s most sophisticated cyber weapons. Released by the Shadow Brokers was a huge cache of specialised malware, including dozens of backdoor programs and 10 zero-day exploits, two of these targeting vulnerabilities in widelyused Cisco routers.
Zombie botnet army brings down the Internet On October 21, 2016, America’s Internet was brought down by 450,000 IoT devices, which had been assembled into a massive botnet army. The unprecedented DDoS attack prevented users from accessing Twitter, Spotify, Netflix, Amazon, Tumblr, Reddit,
Operation BugDrop: Largescale cyber reconnaissance operation targeting Ukranian businesses
in the Ukraine. Because it eavesdrops on sensitive conversations by remotely controlling PC microphones – in order to surreptitiously “bug” its targets – and uses
PayPal and other sites. The attack targeted DYN’s managed DNS service, a major element of the US critical infrastructure.
On 15 February 2017, CyberX discovered a new, large-scale cyber reconnaissance operation targeting a broad range of targets
Dropbox to store exfiltrated data, CyberX has named it “Operation BugDrop.”
www.hazardexonthenet.net
34 Valves CyberX has confirmed at least 70 victims successfully targeted by the operation in a range of sectors including critical infrastructure, media and scientific research. The operation seeks to capture a range of sensitive information from its targets including audio recordings of conversations, screenshots, documents
malware, previously used in the cyber attacks against the Ukrainian power grid, has now evolved into ransomware. By reverse-engineering the new malware variant, the team at CyberX found that it displays a pop-up message requesting 222 Bitcoins or approximately 206,000 US
and passwords. Unlike video recordings, which are often blocked by users, simply placing tape over the camera lens, it is virtually impossible to block your computer’s microphone without physically accessing and disabling the PC hardware.
dollars in return for the decryption key.
Most of the targets are located in the Ukraine, but there are also targets in Russia and a smaller number of targets in Saudi Arabia and Austria. Many targets are located in the self-declared separatist states of Donetsk and Luhansk, which have
key and AES shared key algorithms, where each encrypted file has its own AES key.
been classified as terrorist organisations by the Ukrainian government.
New KillDisk malware: bringing ransomware into the industrial domain In December 2016, CyberX uncovered new evidence that the KillDisk disk-wiping
The new malware encrypts both local hard drives and any network-mapped folders that are shared across the organisation, using a combination of RSA 1028 public
credentials that can easily be addressed. Since the campaign discovery, CyberX has identified 25,000 Internet-accessible devices compromised by RADIATION — and found that cyber criminals are now providing DDOS-for-Hire services using this massive botnet army.
About the authors
RADIATION Campaign: unusual IIoT botnet attack Months before Mirai malware was found to be infecting IoT devices, CyberX discovered the RADIATION Campaign. Targeting surveillance cameras commonly used in industrial environments, the RADIATION malware is much more sophisticated than Mirai because it exploits a zero-day vulnerability in IIoT devices rather than open ports and default
Phil Neray is VP of Industrial Cybersecurity & Marketing at CyberX, the only industrial cybersecurity vendor selected for the SINET16 Innovator Award sponsored by the US Department of Defence. He was previously with Lexumo, Veracode, Intigua and IBM, where he was Head of Security Intelligence Marketing.
Tim Ricketts is Chairman of M.A.C. Solutions (UK) Ltd, the UK partner for CyberX. He has over 35 years of experience in the automation and process industries, and has a wide understanding of technologies within industrial networking, process alarm management, change control management and industrial cyber security.
www.hazardexonthenet.net
Valves 35
ICS cyber protection T
im Ricketts, Director of M.A.C. Solutions, provides some useful tips for businesses looking to improve the security of their Industrial Control Systems and better protect their business from
The stakes have changed
cyber attacks. The Ukraine Power Station cyber attack in 2016, which left 230,000 people in the dark and without power for six hours, had as the attack vector the
This physical network separation is now the status quo across industry, and rightly so. As the defence has changed now, so has the attack vector. Malware that is created to destroy a SCADA system, for example,
facility’s supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. This has
will lay dormant until it finds its target, moving from phone to USB stick to
provided several important lessons to those companies wishing to improve their cyber security systems, including the following:
laptop, using its host as a means of transport, until it finally meets its end destination – your process and control equipment. The damage is now done.
• Use the data that is available to you – well before the attack occurred. Spikes
The dormant malware that evaded your corporate firewalls and personal device protection is now on an air
The stakes have changed, but the defences have not – therein lies the problem. The typical industrial control network may appear to have the greatest of all protection – air gapping.
system in which you have full visibility of your weaknesses, so that you can be ahead of the attacker. To do this, you must firstly contain your network, ensuring that access to critical systems is planned, logged and audited. The access that is granted must also be controlled. End device protection technology such as Sheep Dip USB Device protection must be implemented so that end devices are protected from internal tampering or accidental exposure to malware – those devices that may have already been exposed to malware can also be detected using the latest definitions, without having to ever expose them to the Internet. Once you can be confident that
in network traffic would have been seen from the updates made to device firmware. This would have been an
gapped system – a system that will likely have an out of date firewall due to the very reason it was deemed to be
your devices are secure, monitoring of your network is fundamental to understanding your weaknesses and
early warning indicator that something was wrong. The success of the attack pivoted around this mistake.
secure.
offers the potential to expose existing breaches that may have occurred months previous. Quickly patching
• Consider the access that your engineers have to the system. For example, are all of the entry points needed? If so, have they been secured with the correct level of protection? • Use up-to-date anti-virus definitions to catch known malware. • Learn about your usual alarm events and monitor for abnormal events within the process and control system. • The attacker will be persistent, conducting a large amount of reconnaissance over a period of months. Taking an evolutionary approach to your network security ensures that you will be ahead of the attacker.
If your question as a business is still “what extra training do I need for my staff to combat this threat?” then your security is already compromised, but not for the reason you might think. The key trend across all attack vectors in all industries is that people are the problem: password capture, insecure connections, phishing emails and the USB stick in the car park. These attacks play on one human instinct, curiosity. For this reason alone you
these insecure access points and understanding your vulnerabilities may deter the opportunistic attacker. To do this effectively, cybersecurity products should be able to gather usual network traffic, logs, control events and then use this as a basis for detecting anomalous activity.
Persistent security
Discoveries made within weeks of using the ‘Persistent Security’ technique should include: Clear text/weak passwords; Illegal remote connections to OT; Unexpected/unknown devices in the network; Misconfigured PLCs;
The methodology of persistent security is to assume the worst and therefore be at the forefront of the defensive evolution for your process and control system. It requires building an eco-
Operational malfunctions; Generic and targeted malware; Manufacturer vulnerabilities; Multiple wireless access points; Direct Internet connections; and Exploitable attack vectors.
cannot solely rely on the fact that your staff have been trained.
www.hazardexonthenet.net
36 Event preview
Offshore Technology Conference 2017 Dates: 1-4 May 2017 Location: Houston, TX, USA
exhibitors, and attendees representing 120 countries.
The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical
Founded in 1969, OTC’s flagship conference is held annually in Houston. OTC has expanded and globally with the Arctic Technology Conference, OTC Brasil, OTC Asia, and d5.
knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. OTC is the largest event in the world for the oil and gas industry featuring more than 2,400
OTC is sponsored by 13 nonprofit organizations in the energy industry, who work cooperatively to
develop the technical program. Revenue from OTC directly benefits the membership of these societies http://2017.otcnet.org
Hazards 27 Dates: 10-12 May 2017 Location: Birmingham, UK
Aimed at anyone who is active in process safety and risk management, Hazards provides essential
Hazards 27: Risk will never be eliminated, but it can
technical insight into how to improve process safety performance, and excellent networking opportunities.
be better managed and reduced. The Hazards conference series brings the process safety community together to share best practice, latest developments and lessons learned. First staged in 1960, Hazards is now widely recognised as Europe’s leading process safety event. The Hazards brand is growing internationally too, with sister conferences now held regularly in Australasia and Asia.
Hazards is held annually in the UK and next takes place on 10–12 May 2017 at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham.
• poster presentations • trade exhibition of process safety related products and services • optional pre-conference workshops • excellent networking with the international process safety community
Key features • invited keynote speakers providing their own
www.icheme.org/hazards27
strategic views on the process safety challenge • approximately 70 oral presentations from industry, academia, and regulators running in parallel sessions across two days
International Conference on Chemical and Process Engineering Date: 28 to 31 May 2017 Location: Milan, Italy The International Conference on Chemical and Process Engineering - ICheaP-13 - is the thirteenth event in a series of biannual events started in 1993, organised by The Italian Association of Chemical Engineering (AIDIC). It invites international specialists to exchange up-to-the minute information on industrial needs, new technology developments and research opportunities. It is held from the 28th to 31st of May, 2017 in Milano, Italy.
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Organised in parallel sessions over three days, the major topics of the conference will be: • • • • • • •
biomass environment, safety, energy, quality particle technology reaction engineering process system engineering separation technology and transfer fluid mechanics and transport phenomena
• production and properties of materials • thermodynamics and interfacial phenomena
• • • • •
product design and engineering sustainable management of natural resources education electrochemical engineering process intensification
www.aidic.it/icheap13
Product Datafiles Dr Geof Mood, Technical director of CCG receives the Best User Award for the QuickStopEx Barrier gland “There has been some recent debate and confusion surrounding the selection and use of barrier glands in relation to the latest IEC 60079-14 standard and the HSE released a safety notice to this effect. This confusion has resulted in the increased usage of barrier glands. However traditional barrier glands have always required special skills from the reluctant installers to premix the epoxy putty or resin and thus they draw particular attention from inspectors because of the resultant failures. CCG’s patented QuickStop-ExTM Barrier Gland, with an instant mixing and injecting resin, has all but eliminated the problems surrounding the preparing, mixing and applying of compounds/resins in Barrier Glands. The Injection Resin system is instantly and 100% accurately mixed, whilst being simultaneously injected into the barrier gland in one single action. This reduces the installation time substantially and gives the installer an
increased confidence in the installation compared to other barrier glands. The Injection resin flows into all the cable voids and interstices, completely filling the cable end. This forms a 100% barrier to any migration of explosive gases or fluids down the inside of unfilled hygroscopic cables significantly improving on the safety performance of barrier glands installed in hazardous areas. The QuickStop™ Barrier gland has rapidly become the preferred method of barrier glanding and has experienced tremendous global success, culminating in winning the “Best User Application” award at the Hazardex conference.
Process engineering experts pick up award for dust explosion risk project A design methodology that has the potential to help secure dramatic reduction in the risk of dust explosions in manufacturing centres and laboratories has BPE pick up HazardEx’s ‘Contribution to Safety’ award. The new methodology came about after BPE identified that while there is a clear legal requirement to reduce the risk from explosive dusts and carry out a hazardous area classification, no rigorous yet simple step-by-step approach existed. Determined to make a change, BPE decided to create a toolkit to help process engineers explore the risks and provide practical solutions to help to secure targeted reduction in the risk of dust explosions. The toolkit takes a step-wise approach and, innovatively, focuses on sources of dispersion rather than sources of release. This is because in the case of dust explosions most hazardous zones are inside equipment rather than outside and therefore arise from dispersion mechanisms, not release mechanisms.
BPE has been helping manufacturers make their processes safer and more efficient since 1997. It offers a full range of process engineering services, including process modelling, process safety, project management and process development/scale-up support. Specialising in the life sciences and fine / speciality chemicals sectors, BPE counts some of the UK’s biggest blue-chip manufacturers among its clients. To find out more about BPE and watch a video about its approach to dust explosion risk visit www.bpe-ds.com
NEBOSH HSE Process Safety Certificate being piloted by RRC International Health, safety and environmental training specialist RRC International has been chosen by NEBOSH to help it pilot the NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Process Safety Management. This new qualification is designed specifically for those with safety responsibilities in the process industries and aims to provide candidates with the knowledge and understanding they need to contribute effectively to managing process safety risks. The qualification has been developed through a collaboration between NEBOSH and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This course is suitable for those who work in process industries all over the world, such as oil and gas, chemicals, plastics and pharmaceuticals. Given the hazardous nature of these industries, this qualification has been designed to give managers, supervisors and safety professionals working in them the specialist knowledge and understanding they need to keep their staff, sites and surroundings safe.
An Engineer’s 3 Step Guide to selecting a static grounding solution Hazop assessments, and the reports that follow on from them, are a great way of capturing and identifying processes and practices that could lead to the ignition of flammable atmospheres through discharges of static electricity. What Hazop reports are not so great at doing is identifying what the grounding solution to eliminate the risk should look like. This 3 Step Guide is about helping you get started on the right path and can be best described as a door opener to the subject of hazardous area static control. For more information please contact Newson Gale. www.newson-gale.co.uk
RRC is running pilot courses in both their London and Dubai training centres and has already received a lot of interest in the new qualification. To find out more contact :Tony Bond tony@tb2bmedia.co.uk
07767 626786
Ex-rated enclosures ejb for hazardous areas Fully ATEX and IECEx certified for use in Zones 1 and 2 (gas) and Zones 21 and 22 (dust), EJB.. series enclosures offer Ex d IIB or IIB+H2 mode of protection. They are suitable for hazardous areas of industrial plants for indoor and outdoor applications. They can be equipped with following TECHNOR components: for example, Push buttons and mechanical operators PL.. Series, rotating switches PSRC Series, signaling lamps PL.. Series, potentiometers or rotating handles SRC-1 or SRC-10. They can be used in different applications such as push button stations, instrument housing, lighting distribution panels, power distribution panels, heat tracing panels, motor protection, etc. For more information please contact Steve Williams T: 03330 124048 sales.uk@marechal.com
www.hazardexonthenet.net
38 Buyers Guide
For a complete range of hazardous area solutions Intrinsic Safety Isolators • Zener Barriers • Zone 1&2 Remote I/O • Fieldbus Exe Enclosures • Exd Control Panels • Ex Lighting • Purge Solutions • Zone 1 & 2 HMI’s PC’s
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