Industry Link – Autumn 2021

MAGAZINE OF THE UK NUCLEAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION AUTUMN / 2021

NIAUK.ORG

WiN UK launch 5 year strategy 8 NUCLEAR FINANCING: WHAT DO WE NEED NOW?

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SMRs and regulatory imperitive

22

12 NET ZERO AND THE UK’S NUCLEAR HYDROGEN ECONOMY

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Welcome, to this Autumn 2021 edition of Industry Link. Have I mentioned that we need a new financing model for nuclear projects? You will hear that theme throughout this issue, as we press for a solution to the industry’s biggest barrier. I’ll take you through the latest on financing, including our battle to have nuclear included in both the UK taxonomy under development and in the Government’s Green Financing Framework.

Georgina Hines will brief you on COP26, and our efforts across the country and across continents to build a nuclear voice in Glasgow.

Elsewhere, Sophie Lowley has the latest on WiN UK’s strategy, while NIA new joiner Alex Buckley has a piece on our Business Group Summit in Bristol. For data fans we take you through the Jobs Map 2021, the 2020 DUKES, and how much of COP may be nuclear-powered. We hear reflections large and small: one from EDF on the five-year anniversary of FID at Hinkley Point C, the largest clean energy project in Europe, and another from NNL on the future production of hydrogen, the smallest molecule in the universe. One of the great strengths of nuclear as we build a net zero economy, is the diverse array of solutions we can provide. Developing this theme, we will hear from Assystem and from Frazer Nash on the latest work they are doing, while Nuvia’s Chris Medlock will share insights on their projects at Sellafield.

Lastly, in PowerPolitics I look forward to our return to Westminster, where on 7 September, MPs debated the future of UK nuclear fuel manufacturing, and where on 13 September, Nuclear Week in Parliament kicks off. To finish where we started, our priority will be to press for nuclear financing legislation, so we can get on with building new stations, and realise the promise we all know this industry holds.

Lincoln Hill, Director of Policy and External Affairs

IN THIS ISSUE...

PAGE 16 NUCLEAR’S CRUCIAL ROLE IN UK’S LOW CARBON FUTURE

IN VIEW

PAGE 14

PAGE 18

U-BATTERY TO UNVEIL FULL-SCALE MOCK-UPS PAGE 13

IN CONVERSATION: KASON BALA Editor - Iolo James Art Editor - Dan Powney

Follow us: @NIAUK

Contributors - Lincoln Hill, Georgina Hines, Tom Brook, Alex Buckley, Sophie Lowley – WiN UK, Tom Purnell – FrazerNash Consultancy Ltd, Fiona Rayment – NNL, Rebecca Astles – Urenco, Gordon Bell – EDF, Kason Bala – Assystem, Chris Medlock – Nuvia, Simon Stuttaford – Castletown Law, with additional thanks to World Nuclear News

Nuclear Industry Association is a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 2804518 Registered Office 5th Floor Tower House 10 Southampton Street London WC2E 7HA TEL +44(0)20 7766 6640 EMAIL info@niauk.org

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Cover image: Courtesy of EDF - www.edfenergy.com/energy This magazine is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable based inks.

2021 | AUTUMN — 1

BY. LINCOLN HILL / DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

It comes down to money in the end. As our NIA chairman Tim Stone has said before, nuclear financing should not be harder than nuclear physics. If we can split an atom and harness its energy, as even Einstein thought we could not do, we can find a way to pay for some new power stations.

There are two questions that we need to answer to resolve the financing conundrum:

What do we need now?

Nuclear financing:

→ Is there a way to reduce investor risk so the private sector

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will finance nuclear projects at reasonable rates?

→ In an era of net zero and ESG, is nuclear a green, clean and

sustainable investment?

The answer to both questions is yes, but perhaps more importantly, the time to implement those answers is now. On the first, we know that the Regulated Asset Base model is a known quantity for investors of all types. The RAB both gives investors the security of a revenue stream during construction, and the security of sharing risk between themselves and the UK Government. The reassurance that the government is committed to nuclear is a valuable commodity to investors, taking away the debilitating unknown of political risk.

Thus, if the UK government sets out these parameters for a RAB model in law, we should be able to cut the cost of capital for new projects substantially. Cutting capital costs should cut overall costs at least 30%, at which point nuclear becomes a very competitive proposition in a net zero world. All that

remains on this question is to get the legislation to put the RAB into effect.

There is, however, a complicating factor. In a marketplace that is moving to a 100% ESG position, investors also need reassurance that nuclear investment is green investment. The Government’s Green Financing Framework, unintentionally, sent the opposite signal by excluding nuclear. The Government has reassured us that “the Framework does not stipulate what the government considers to be green and what is not – this is the role of the UK Taxonomy.” That taxonomy is in the hands of the Green Technical Advisory Group (GTAG) who are charged with evaluating, amongst other things, the science-based case for nuclear as a green investment activity.

On the science alone, our case is ironclad, and rests on three pillars. The first is that according to the UN Inter-Government Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), nuclear has, alongside wind, the lowest lifecycle carbon intensity of any electricity source.

As we seek to avert climate catastrophe, that is the single most important factor to consider. The second is that nuclear has the smallest land footprint of any clean energy source: the whole UK nuclear fleet generates 16% of electricity from less than 1 square mile.

This efficiency minimises our collateral environmental impact, another key consideration. The third is our exemplary record of waste management: the UK civil nuclear sector has managed its own legacy, and taken on that of the weapons

programme, with unequalled professionalism and dedication.

The public has never been at risk from waste, and we will keep it that way. In pursuing geological disposal, we are following global best practice, and in building new reactors, we are only creating a tiny amount of waste for a tremendous amount of clean energy. Indeed, the EU’s JRC has thoroughly examined all these issues and concluded that there is no science-based case for treating nuclear different than renewable technologies.

What we need then is for the GTAG to give its preliminary advice to the Government that nuclear investment is green investment. In combination with Government legislation for the RAB model, this would show investors that nuclear is a critical part of our net zero future to which they can commit with confidence.

Time is the key issue now. Time is usually a great validator of nuclear power, with many projects lasting well beyond the lifetimes of those who conceived and designed them, but it is not on our side here. The first AGR station, Dungeness B, has already retired. Within 10 months, two more generating stations, Hunterston B and Hinkley Point B, will go.

Without new investment mobilised by new financing solutions, our world-class nuclear skills base is at risk. Without that skills base to deliver new projects, our vision of a net zero economy will slip beyond reach. The solution, however, is two simple steps: a bill and a statement, and for the sake our planet, and for coming generations, we can afford both.

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Climate Change 2021 The Physical Science Basis

A ‘code red for humanity’ was the phrase that hit headlines over the summer in reaction to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) sobering Sixth Assessment Report.

With only four years to go until carbon emissions should peak if the world is to keep to its 1.5°C target, the report came as a stark reminder that without consistent and disruptive policies, we will lose the war against climate change.

On publication of the report UN Secretary General António Guterres made a challenge to Governments across the world, saying: “If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe. But, as [this] report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses. I count on government leaders and all stakeholders to ensure COP26 is a success.”

The message is clear. We need stronger commitments, and we need them now. If those commitments are to be made, COP26 is the place to make them.

First, a short history lesson to those who aren’t familiar with COP26. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) is an agreement made by 154 countries in 1992 to reduce carbon emissions in order to combat climate change.

Under this agreement is the commitment for the Conference of the Parties (COP) to meet annually in order to review the progress made by the signatories.

Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, countries have been required to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) every five years. This means that they are due for the first time at COP26, since the event was postponed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

NDCs are an opportunity for countries to detail their longterm plans for reducing carbon emissions and other climate adaptation and resilience goals. For example, the UK has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

One of the themes of this year’s conference—of which the UK is the host for the first time—is ending coal power by 2030 (developed countries) or 2040 (developing countries), and to no new coal plants anywhere. We have yet to see a consensus globally to phase out the use of coal, despite the commitment to limit global heating to 1.5°C.

WGI

WGI

Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

he Sixth Assessment Report, Climate T Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis is now out. The report addresses the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change— www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6

A code red for humanity BY. GEORGINA HINES / POLICY ANALYST

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Working Group I c Sixth Assessmen Intergovernmental Pan

MEDIA WATCH NEWS

BY. IOLO JAMES / MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

In June we bid farewell to a carbon cutting stalwart with the announcement that the Dungeness B power station in Kent would be moving into the defuelling phase. In a TV interview for BBC South East Today, Tom Greatrex, NIA Chief Executive, reacted to the news by making the case for the need to replace existing capacity, telling viewers that a failure to do so meant becoming “more reliant on burning fossil fuels for electricity and that isn’t compatible with reaching net zero.”

He also appeared on Mariella Frostrup’s Times Radio show, telling listeners that urgent action is required from Government for a new financing model for nuclear. Tom was also quoted in the Telegraph, Reuters and City AM.

The Glasgow-held conference in November this year is the centrepiece of the UK Government’s 2021 climate agenda, with COP26 President and former Business Secretary, Alok Sharma saying that “we can’t afford to wait two years, five years, 10 years—this is the moment.”

Split into a Green and a Blue Zone (policymakers and approved NGOs). The former—organised by UK Government’s Cabinet Office—will not feature nuclear energy, although the industry is working on a series of events in order to promote nuclears role in Net Zero.

Nuclear energy has never featured heavily at previous COPs for various reasons, but in 2021, the younger generation are leading the way in making sure that Governments from across the world and the UK public hear our voice.

The Young Generation Network (YGN)—a group of approximately 1,250 young nuclear professionals focused on promoting communication, collaboration and professional development in the UK—launched its ‘Net Zero Needs Nuclear’ campaign earlier this year to galvanise industry and public support for nuclear at COP26.

In the last few months alone, the campaign has launched a successful social media campaign that humanises the nuclear community, collected nearly 4,500 signatures (at the time of writing) on a petition urging policymakers to take a scientific and technology neutral approach to energy policy, started a letter writing campaign encouraging the public to write to their MP on nuclear roles in Net Zero, and published a position paper with global counterparts. That’s without mentioning the multiple podcasts, webinars, and articles that feature its team and the work they have been doing.

More is to come in the following weeks in the run-up to the main event in November and I urge you all to support the YGN’s COP26 activities going forward, whether at the organisational level or as an individual.

Now, more than ever, the younger generation are passionate about the environment and are at the forefront of pushing for Net Zero. Young people in nuclear share a common belief that Net Zero needs nuclear, and COP26 is the perfect opportunity to showcase the voices of the leaders of the future.

contribution to the nt Report of the nel on Climate Change

With the other AGRs edging closer to retirement, the NIA has been busy explaining the consequences of such a great loss of clean power. Tom Greatrex was interviewed by The Times and Financial Times, arguing in the former that although Britain was building more wind farms, with nuclear plants shutting “you’re not actually making any progress, you’re standing still at best.”

The paper also made use of NIA graphics to show the UK’s nuclear capacity up until 2035.

After some analysis of Gridwatch data, the NIA issued a media release detailing how Britain imported more electricity in July than ever before, threatening the UK’s energy security by relying on power from abroad.

The story was picked up by The Sun with Tom Greatrex quoted as saying “to produce reliable, clean power to sustain tens of thousands of jobs, we must invest in new British nuclear projects.” Imports made up 15% of the mix in July, with a 20% increase in the year-to-date average compared to 2020.

In another media release, this time to highlight the UK’s continued reliance on fossil fuels, the NIA marked an unwelcome 34-day coal burning streak at the end of July.

Coal was burned on the same number of days in June and July this year as it had done over a six-month period last year, suggesting progress toward one of the UK’s key climate goals is stalling. “Britain is caught in a fossil fuel trap,” wrote Tom Greatrex and quoted in Energy Live News, “and the only way to escape is to build new nuclear power stations alongside renewable capacity.”

Nuclear will be vital for green future read a Western Mail headline in August, with the national paper of Wales detailing a report from the UNECE on nuclear power. “Climate objectives will not be met” the report said, “if nuclear technologies are excluded.” The NIA issued a statement explaining this “timely reminder that nuclear is absolutely vital if we are to hit net zero as a planet,” which the paper quoted in full. The story also explained how the Welsh Government has refused to rule out nuclear as part of a non-fossil-fuel energy future for Wales.

2021 | AUTUMN — 5

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Second Barakah unit starts up Thirteen months after Barakah unit 1 reached first criticality. Unit 2’s start-up sees Barakah become the first multi-unit nuclear power plant in the region.

In the coming months, unit 2 will be connected to the national electricity grid and its operators will continue with a process of gradually raising the power levels. The process will be continuously monitored and tested until maximum electricity production is reached, while adhering to all regulatory requirements and the highest international standards of safety, quality and security.

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Australia steps into new nuclear technologies Australia and the UK have signed a letter of intent (LoI) to establish a partnership on low emissions solutions including clean hydrogen and SMRs. Under the LoI cooperation between the two countries will focus on research and development across six key areas: clean hydrogen; carbon capture and use; carbon capture and storage; SMRs including advanced nuclear designs; low emissions materials including green steel; and soil carbon measurement.

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The partnership is aligned with Australia’s technology-led approach to reducing emissions and will help deliver on the goals of its Technology Investment Roadmap.

Australia has a moratorium on nuclear generation, but the Roadmap identifies SMRs as a “watching brief technology”- a prospective technology with transformative potential.

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Laser fusion approaches the milestone of ignition The USA’s National Ignition Facility has achieved a record fusion yield that it says puts it “at the threshold of fusion ignition”. The record laser shot produced 25 times more than the facility’s next best experiment.

The NIF facility covers an area equivalent to more than three football fields and generates 192 intense laser beams which are focused on a pellet of deuterium-tritium fusion fuel only a few millimetres in diameter.

The lasers instantly heat the pellet to temperatures of more than 3 million degrees Celsius causing its surface to blow off with a corresponding effect that compresses the deuterium and tritium to densities at which their atoms fuse.

These fusion reactions release copious amounts of energy.

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LLNL said preliminary analysis of the experiment on 8 August showed a yield of 1.3 megajoules, which would be some 25 times more than its previous best of 55 kilojoules which it achieved in January 2018.

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Argentina reveals its nuclear new build plans Argentina is looking to double the size of its nuclear sector with new power reactors in deals with China and the “national” construction of a new Candu unit with Canadian support, José Luis Antúnez, the head of national utility Nucleoeléctrica Argentina SA (NA-SA), has said.

Plans for a new reactor at Atucha would be the result of the rebooting of a partnership with China that was discussed between 2014 and 2017 but for which the relevant offers have expired. Intergovernmental negotiations would lead to a new “financial package”, Antúnez said in the interview, after which “the authorities of both countries will sign and construction will begin, something we hope will happen in the middle of next year.”

In the meantime NA-SA is “going to advance preparations on the ground” at Atucha, levelling ground and installing access roads for “more than 5000 workers” that will be involved.

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

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BY. TOM BROOK

Here at the NIA we often talk about the socioeconomic benefits that nuclear energy can bring. Nuclear provides good jobs, skills development, and is a driver of the economy. But how do we back-up these claims?

One important tool in our arsenal is the Jobs Map. Compiled every year, it shows who is employed in the UK nuclear industry and where. From Caithness to Plymouth, Ynys Môn to Folkestone, the nuclear industry truly covers the length and breadth of the country.

From 2019 to 2020, in the face of pandemic lockdowns and economic turmoil, the nuclear industry proved to be remarkably resilient, keeping steady on roughly 59,500 jobs across the country. This year, the industry has proved itself again, adding nearly 2,000 more jobs: 61,371 in total, 11,364 of whom are women.

Many are rightly concerned about a looming skills gap in the industry as many reach retirement age. The jobs map shows that the industry is taking that seriously, with 1,716 apprentices and 1,132 graduates employed—a 13% increase on last year.

Looking region-by-region, the North West of England remains the centre of the UK nuclear industry, with over 24,000 people employed there in places such as Copeland, Morecambe & Lunesdale, Fylde and Warrington. In second place, with nearly 13,000 employees, is the South West of England, driven by Hinkley Point and centres of excellence in Bristol and Gloucester.

It’s interesting to note the impact of the pandemic and the shift to working from home. In 2020 there were just under 2,000 workers based at home or across multiple sites, whereas now there are nearly 3,400—an increase of 70%! It will be fascinating to see whether this is a permanent change, or whether people will return to the workplace as restrictions lift.

Take a look for yourself, and see what you can find on the Jobs Map online at niauk.org/resources/jobsmap-2021. You can download the PDF as well to share with colleagues.

2021 | AUTUMN — 7

WiN UK launches five-year strategy Five workstreams will support delivery of the nuclear industry’s gender balance ambitions

All the volunteers within Women in Nuclear UK (WiN UK) are now more focussed than ever on the activity that can have the greatest impact on attracting and retaining women in the nuclear industry.

WiN UK’s new strategy outlines five workstreams and six associated near-term actions. This work will support their three key objectives of attraction, retention, and dialogue. Ultimately, delivery of this strategy will support the UK nuclear industry in meeting the gender balance commitments made in the Nuclear Sector Deal and the Nuclear Gender Roadmap, namely 40% of the UK nuclear workforce to be female by 2030 (for context, in 2020 the UK nuclear workforce was 20% female). The Nuclear Sector Gender Roadmap which WiN UK created in partnership with the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group (NSSG) aims to achieve the following milestones: → 50% of all those starting apprenticeships to be female

by 2021 → 30% of executives to be female by 2030 (currently 13%

in 2020)

New workstreams and near-term actions The five workstreams and their associated near-term actions are: → Holding nuclear sector companies and supply chains

accountable for gender diversity Action 1. CEO Engagement → Delivering sector-wide initiatives to support attraction,

retention, and dialogue Action 2. Development of mentoring frameworks through cross-industry collaboration Action 3. Developing female leaders

→ Measures and data analytics

Action 4. Gender balance and pay gap analysis

→ Engaging with the younger generation to promote

nuclear and support career progression Action 5. Nuclear on the curriculum

→ Targeting future nuclear growth opportunities for

gender equality Action 6. Nuclear growth opportunities

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More detail can be found in the recently launched five-year strategy document on the WiN UK website: www.winuk.org.uk/ win-uk-launches-five-year-strategy.

Background to WiN UK and its members WiN UK is one of over 30 international chapters under the umbrella of Women in Nuclear Global. Formed in 2014, WiN UK recently became a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, with its regional teams continuing to run events and activities that are aimed at all types of roles, not just scientists and engineers, and at all levels within our industry and beyond.

WiN UK’s aim is to improve the representation of women in leadership, engaging across the industry, with government and the public on nuclear issues, as well as supporting the industry with tools and information.

To date, WiN UK has over 1000 members of all ages, including females from a range of professions both within and beyond the nuclear industry as well as receiving support from male allies who are keen to support the mission.

In the coming months, as part of delivering its strategy, WiN UK aims to provide a new leadership framework for those members wanting to progress in the industry, as well as reaching out to promote nuclear careers, via the National Curriculum, to the next generation.

WiN UK have also developed an Industry Charter that allows companies to sign up and commit their own individual company pledge to show their commitment to diversity across the nuclear sector. Over 60 Signatory Companies have done so thus far, and WiN UK will be offering senior leadership from these businesses the opportunity to engage and focus on addressing barriers to women joining and progressing in our industry.

Get involved in improving gender balance If your organisation is interested in working with WiN UK to improve gender balance within your business, email us at info@winuk.org.uk.

Membership of WiN UK is free and open to everyone, no matter what age, gender or profession. We’d love you to join, support our mission and benefit from the range of resources and events that we’re rolling out. Sign up to WiN UK today at www.winuk.org.uk/become-a-member.

BY. SOPHIE LOWLEY / EXECUTIVE FOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, WIN UK

Support for WiN UK “The nuclear industry is entering an era of unprecedented opportunity so we are incredibly excited to be launching our fiveyear strategy. It outlines our clear, long-term plan to support the industry to deliver on its commitments on gender balance. We recognise that we can’t do this alone and will be working in close collaboration with the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group (NSSG) and the Nuclear Institute’s Young Generation Network.”

Lynsey Valentine, President of WiN UK

“This five-year strategy clearly defines WiN UK’s focus areas and key targets to enable successful delivery of both WiN UK’s objectives and the Nuclear Sector Deal ambitions. These will only be achieved by collective and cohesive work from across the WiN UK network of volunteers and the broader nuclear community.

We recognise that gender is just one aspect of diversity, and we welcome the opportunity to work with others that share the vision of a truly diverse and inclusive nuclear sector.”

Kirsty Hewitson, Strategy Director WiN UK

“WiN UK are now set to push ahead with focussed activities to improve gender balance in our industry, helping organisations explore how they can address barriers to women joining their teams and progressing their careers. As a CEO, I am accountable for gender balance within my own organisation, and I encourage other leaders across the industry to engage with WiN UK and the great work they do.”

David Peattie, CEO of the NDA and Patron of WiN UK

“I am passionate about increasing the representation of women in the nuclear sector. Talented women will not only prove critical in building existing projects, but also harnessing new and exciting advanced nuclear technology to help us create reliable low-carbon energy needed to reach net zero.

I am delighted to support the WiN UK’s Strategic Plan and encourage the industry to redouble its efforts to meet our target of women accounting for 40% of the nuclear workforce by 2030 to ensure the UK’s energy sector is fit for the future.”

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth

2021 | AUTUMN — 9

Innovation in Safety and Security for Advanced Reactor Designs

T

he UK government’s ‘Ten point plan for a green industrial revolution’ recognised the role that ‘delivering new and advanced nuclear power’ will have in accelerating our path to net zero. With the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) fast approaching, the global focus will be on green energy and decarbonisation solutions—including the steps forward being taken in developing Advanced Nuclear Technologies.

As part of the Nuclear Innovation Programme, the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) tasked Frazer-Nash Consultancy and its partners with delivering the Reactor Design: Safety and Security Research and Development Programme. Running from 2017 to March 2021, the research aimed to develop an integrated safety

Jayne Evans

Alex Arnold

Director, Beta Technology Ltd

Senior Engineer, FrazerNash Consultancy

Safety case expertise has been identified as a critical element in building our future knowledge base and positioning the UK as a world leader in nuclear technologies. We undertook a survey to understand if there were gaps in training, professional development and knowledge transfer, in the context of a safety case role.

The survey involved speaking to stakeholders, including major employers of safety case professionals and industry bodies. This was followed by an on-line survey aimed specifically at safety case professionals, to which we received 124 responses.

In the survey we asked safety case professionals about their role, education and training, and knowledge transfer. The results were very interesting, providing us with a valuable insight into the opportunities and challenges the professionals faced, augmented by the anonymity of the survey.

Our output was a series of recommendations, aimed at developing the capability and capacity we need for the future and to inspire the next generation of safety case professionals. These recommendations included greater visibility and understanding of the safety case role and how it can help career progression, as well as better access to training and further consideration of a standard qualification or accreditation for safety case professionals. Finally, we proposed that more resources are made available for knowledge transfer activities, including learning from other sectors.

For me personally, it was an interesting piece of work and reinforced that interacting with peers, mentors and professionals, especially those with other interests and expertise, is an effective way of transferring knowledge, something which has been a real challenge for us all over the past 18 months.

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and security development process specifically tailored for advanced reactor technologies, reducing barriers to adoption of such technologies in the UK. The programme included 20 Research and Development projects focused on four areas of both safety and security.

The work has produced new techniques and methods that are providing nuclear engineers with a greater insight into their reactor technology’s safety and security performance, empowering them to make risk-informed decisions that drive cost reduction.

Below we explore some of the safety and security topics investigated in the programme, through the stories of key people who helped deliver them.

As microprocessors have become more ubiquitous in safety critical plant, and as such plant has become more advanced, the gravity of safety cases for computer-based systems is greater than ever.

These advancements bring addition challenges however, in that such systems are often treated as ‘black boxes’, which may depend on proprietary features or have requirements that are difficult to ascertain from the equipment manufacturer.

In these cases, an outside-in approach is needed to support safety claims.

We have been exploring the use of statistical methods for independent confidence building measures in support of safety cases.

By employing Model-Based Design techniques and novel modular architecture, we have developed a statistical testing approach that can be readily adapted to almost any system under test. Its modular design also supports validation and verification of individual components, thus improving auditability of the overall testing scheme.

I became involved in the Safety and Security programme following work to apply this approach to SMART conductivity analyser devices serving a nuclear safety function.

This was made possible through the development of a new C&I test facility at the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) Infinity Park iHub facility in Derby, which was also delivered through this project. This collaboration with the Nuclear AMRC has been a real success, leading to Frazer-Nash Tier 2 membership, and we look forward to working with them to make best use of this facility.

Reactor design for safety and security

Security modelling and simulation assessment

Investigating how safety and security can be optimised in facility design, augmenting the UK’s skill base and developing fresh talent.

Exploring how nuclear security can transition from a discipline based on assertion to one based on risk through new approaches and tools.

Advanced safety case methodologies

Nuclear Innovation Programme Maximising the impact of safety and security research

Develop a toolkit of advanced safety case methodologies that can drive down costs and support the adoption of novel nuclear technologies as a source of low carbon power.

Control and Instrumentation (C&I) safety and security design capability Enabling modern, off-the-shelf C&I to be used in nuclear installations by developing key safety justifications, including a framework for justifying programmable elements.

Drew Clayton

Tom Purnell

Engineer, Frazer-Nash Consultancy

Business Manager – Advanced Nuclear & Government, FrazerNash Consultancy

The industry-wide safety culture has resulted in a cautious and slow uptake of alternative approaches to software development, with traditional, and often process-heavy, techniques remaining in favour.

We wrote a series of reports on software development approaches for use in the nuclear industry, outlining four methodologies which could be applied. These would bring benefits including: reduced time and cost for development, automation, and increased reliability. The four methodologies discussed in the series are: Model-Based Design, ReuseOriented Development, Iterative Incremental Development, and Formal Methods.

The work was predominantly research-based, involving the study of hundreds of research papers, reports, textbooks, and surveys. Each report in the series gives a description of one of the approaches, as well as discussing its advantages and disadvantages. They also provide case studies, giving details of the approaches being used in the nuclear industry and in other safety-critical industries, as well as considering their suitability for use within the civil nuclear industry through examination of the relevant standards.

My work on the project has offered me the opportunity since to put my research into practice. In particular, my work on the Model-Based Design report saw me brought into a team using model-based approaches to develop and verify safety software for wind turbines.

A highlight of our work on the programme for me has been the development of the Safety Case Toolkit, a great aid for anyone wanting to learn more and gain pointers on safety case generation—you can find it on our ‘www.innovationfornuclear. co.uk’ website. We have also begun to disseminate this, and our broader work, out to Advanced Nuclear Technology vendors, including recent training provided to members of the Nuclear Institute Young Generation Network (YGN).

Targeted R&D must be at the heart of the effort to successfully deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs) in the near future. Demonstrating that new reactor designs are safe and secure is expensive and time consuming, with the challenges for SMR and AMR technologies expected to be even greater than that of ‘traditional’ nuclear.

I am so pleased to have been involved in and leading our work with BEIS; the team have done a brilliant job—especially Frazer-Nash’s David McNaught and David Maclennan who have project managed this work successfully with the support of BEIS during the pandemic, not something we plan for!

All of our research outputs are open access and are available for you, the nuclear industry, to review, adopt and deploy. To find out more about the work, download all the project summaries and outputs from www. innovationfornuclear.co.uk.

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Net Zero and the UK’s Nuclear Hydrogen Economy BY. DR FIONA RAYMENT OBE / CHIEF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, NNL AND CHAIR OF THE NUCLEAR 2050 INNOVATION GROUP

Create

25,000 high value jobs

Heat

3GW of nuclear power with today’s technology could:

1

Remove more than

MILLION

10%

homes with low carbon hydrogen

of all UK aviation emissions

Deliver

10% of

2050

predicted hydrogen demand

Decarbonise

50%

Meet

45% of 2030 hydrogen target

Fuel 40,000 hydrogen buses Clean Energy

of UK shipping emissions

The scale of the challenge ahead for the UK in reaching net zero by 2050 is undeniable. As a sector, we all know that to realise the deep decarbonisation our energy system requires, we need to exploit all our zero carbon energy technologies.

Two such technologies are nuclear and hydrogen which, when combined, provide significant opportunities for the UK to reach net zero on time and affordably.

The Committee on Climate Change has predicted that, in addition to a large increase in baseload electricity, a net zero UK energy system will require 270 Terawatt-hours (TWh) of hydrogen by 2050. Essentially, we need to create a hydrogen economy equal in size to the total amount of electricity the country currently uses. With decades of nuclear experience, the UK uniquely sits on a wealth of skills, talent and capability that can successfully deliver nuclear hydrogen at this necessary scale.

As a first step towards galvanising our sector’s rich knowledge base, I was delighted to chair the Nuclear Hydrogen Roundtable earlier this year—bringing together experts from across the hydrogen value chain—and to publish our subsequent cross-sector action plan: Unlocking the UK’s Nuclear Hydrogen Economy to Support Net Zero (www.nnl. co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Hydrogen-Round-TableFINAL-v2.pdf). Timed to offer maximum value ahead of the UK Government’s anticipated Hydrogen Strategy, this highlighted the opportunities the UK can and should seize upon for zero carbon, nuclear-derived hydrogen.

With the government’s Hydrogen Strategy now published, I was pleased to see how well it aligns with the recommendations of our report and reflects the importance of nuclear alongside

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renewables as part of a balanced future UK energy portfolio.

Importantly, the Strategy recognises that nuclear hydrogen technologies are ready for near-term demonstration and that the government aims to support this, with a view to making a difference to decarbonisation efforts as rapidly as possible.

The Strategy builds on an ambition for 5 gigawatts (GW) of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030; existing nuclear technologies can be ready to help meet this, with new nuclear heat-assisted technologies soon able to unlock a greater ambition.

Currently, hydrogen production relies mainly on fossil fuelbased Steam Methane Reforming. If we are to help decarbonise hydrogen production in the near-term, a cost-effective option is therefore to use electricity from existing nuclear reactors to produce hydrogen via conventional electrolysis, before introducing higher efficiency steam electrolysis.

In the longer term, however, the most promising opportunity lies in the direct use of heat from Advanced Modular Reactors. Economic modelling conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) suggests that thermochemical processes could deliver hydrogen at a cost as low as £1.50 per kilogram of hydrogen.

The commitments made by the government in their new Strategy, combined with action from across the nuclear and hydrogen sectors, will help enable the accelerated development of these nuclear technologies and activate and incentivise the market for zero carbon nuclear hydrogen. This makes it a hugely exciting time for our sector, not only in contributing to national net zero targets but also in supporting jobs and clean growth across the UK.

U-Battery to unveil full-scale mock-ups BY. REBECCA ASTLES ⁄ COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, URENCO

The UK Government has progressed its work around Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) with the recent publication of its technical assessment for AMRs. This was accompanied by a Call for Evidence relating to an AMR demonstrator, which the UK Government is targeting to deliver by the early 2030s.

The technical assessment, authored by the Nuclear Innovation and Research Office (NIRO), stated that High Temperature Gas Reactors (HTGRs) were the “preferred technology of choice” for AMRs. The reasons given were the technology’s readiness (TRL 7) and ability to make a crucial contribution to achieving the UK’s Net Zero by 2050 target, as well as the versatility of applications from these reactors’ high output temperatures (heat for industry and low-carbon hydrogen production). Furthermore, the UK’s experience in the use of gas-cooled reactors, significantly reduced security issues and the readiness of the supply chain to support the development of HTGRs were all factors in the selection as the preferred technology.

U-Battery welcomes the publication of the technical assessment, and it is very positive to see the progress that the UK Government is making with AMRs. We are proud to be progressing the use of AMRs as well, with the developments we are making with our own project.

U-Battery is a 10MWt high temperature gas cooled reactor that has a variety of intended applications and markets, with early deployment planned for UK and Canada.

One of these is the decarbonisation of ‘hard to abate’ sectors, such as foundation and extractive industries, and through the use of modular construction and innovative employment of proven, off-the-shelf components—which reduce complexity and costs—it represents an exciting

opportunity. This has recently been demonstrated further through work under the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) Advanced Manufacturing and Materials programme.

The U-Battery team partnered with Cavendish Nuclear to submit an application to BEIS for a three-way funded development programme. This £1.7 million programme included the design, manufacture and installation of full scale mock-ups of the U-Battery reactor pressure vessel, the intermediate heat exchanger and the connecting duct that will carry helium between the two.

The aim of this project was to divide the U-Battery primary circuit into road transportable structural modules, capable of being fully factory assembled and tested before being installed and connected at any site. This approach allows the U-Battery to take advantage of the economies of scale arising from mass production and production line assembly techniques that are common for other green industries, but rather novel in the nuclear industry.

The team have used their capability and experience to capture and answer some of the key front-end questions, assumptions and requirements for the preliminary concept design. These requirements have then been used to develop a fully modular primary circuit design that mitigates several system design challenges and simplifies the justification required to underpin the nuclear power plant’s operational safety case.

Marking an important step forward in demonstrating the nuclear industry’s ability to deliver critical projects on time and budget, mock-ups of this innovative technology are being installed at Cavendish’s facility at Whetstone with visits are planned for late September.

2021 | AUTUMN — 13

IN VIEW

Hinkley Point C – five years on Full construction at Hinkley Point C got underway following signing of the final investment decision on 29 September 2016. In the five years since then the site has changed beyond recognition and now has a workforce of over 6,000 people helping to build the UK’s first new nuclear power station in a generation.

Following initial groundworks—involving the digging of over 5.6 million m3 of earth—the project moved into the main civils phase, with the construction of the two reactor bases, each weighing in at 49,000 tonnes. At the same time, teams were busy tunnelling 33 metres under the Bristol Channel for the cooling water system needed to serve the world’s largest turbines. It is now entering a new phase of MEH (Mechanical, Electrical, Heating & Air Conditioning) installation work that will see the power station’s 2,500 rooms fitted out with equipment and thousands of kilometres of pipes and cables.

Experience from building the first reactor unit has enabled the team to deliver efficiencies in follow-on construction. The second ring-liner to be fitted inside the first reactor building was built 36% faster than the first and the installation time for steel reinforcement has been cut from an average of 25 hours per tonne to 16.

Hinkley Point C has made strong progress on construction, but also continues to make a positive difference to people and businesses across the UK— meeting and exceeding stretching commitments for socio-economic benefit. £3.2 billion has already been spent directly with South West businesses, close to 800 apprentices have been trained and almost 13,000 jobs have been created on-site alone.

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2021 | AUTUMN — 15

One blip, one trend: Nuclear’s crucial role in the UK’s low carbon future BY. LINCOLN HILL / DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

The Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) is out for 2020, and presents a superficially reassuring picture. Coal use is down, wind is up, and renewable generation has overtaken fossil fuels for the first time, although nuclear generation fell slightly.

A decent picture I hear you say. But all is not what it seems. The pandemic drove down electricity generation nearly 5%, so we didn’t need to burn extra gas to cover extra demand. We won’t get that for 2021, and we certainly won’t going forward.

Already, 2021 is seeing a rebound in power demand, and the Climate Change Committee projects that with widespread electrification in transport and elsewhere, power demand will rise 20% in the next decade, and perhaps 50% by 2035.

That little boost is a one-off bonus that, hopefully, we won’t see again. We don’t want more lockdowns!

Another caveat is that wind generation was up, but we only added a bit of extra wind capacity in 2020. The extra power we got was mostly from higher wind speeds, and we can’t rely on that from year to year —we have to build more capacity to get more clean power consistently.

The last, and most critical warning, is that nuclear generation will drop away swiftly and will stay low unless we invest urgently in new capacity. Nuclear may rebound this year from 16.1%, but in the medium-term, we are losing capacity as old stations retire, and losing it fast.

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Of the UK’s 13 generating reactors, four will be gone this time next year, two at Hinkley Point B and two at Hunterston B.

By March 2024, four more reactors will go, two at Hartlepool and two at Heysham I. These stations have been the most productive low-carbon assets in British history. They were built decades ago, but even this summer of 2021, they have been the UK’s leading sources of clean power. In short, these old faithful reactors provide clean, always-on power for which we simply have no replacement.

If we leave aside the blip of 2020, the longer-term trend is less encouraging. In 2021, we are burning more gas and coal than we did in 2020. This year looks to be the first year sine 2012 in which grid carbon intensity has risen rather than fallen. Add in the nuclear retirements, depriving the grid of clean power. And then to top it all off, electricity itself is only a fraction of the energy we use in the UK—about 17%. Overall, almost 80% of the UK’s primary energy comes from fossil fuels.

We don’t just need the power to clean up the grid: we need it for new fleets of electric vehicles, clean hydrogen production, synthetic fuels and clean home heating solutions. Clean electricity is the essential foundation of our decarbonisation. If we can’t that right, we can’t meet our climate goals.

So, what can we do? On this, the wind, solar and nuclear industries are agreed:

we need to build more wind capacity, more solar capacity and more nuclear capacity. We are fighting the battle for our generation and our children’s future, so we need to use every technology that we can (www.niauk.org/media-centre/ press-releases/uks-leading-zero-carbonindustries-call-urgent-action-jumpstartgrid-decarbonisation).

Already, countries like France and Sweden that do renewables and nuclear lead the pack, and countries like Germany that have tried to go green without nuclear are falling behind.

For nuclear, this means the Government bringing forward a financing model for new projects this autumn, within months if not weeks. This is the key to mobilising the investment we need to get building and cutting costs dramatically to ensure competitive solutions.

Simply put, if we don’t have financing, we don’t have much. But if we get it, we can get Sizewell C over the line. We can push further large-scale development at other sites across the country. We can start with the fleet deployment of SMRs and bring AMRs to commercial readiness.

So, when someone tells you the stats show that nuclear is on the way out, and that’s fine, don’t believe them. Nuclear is only on the way out if our climate ambitions are on the way out as well. If nuclear is in, alongside wind and solar, then we have a fighting chance—and we have to start fighting now.

SNAPSHOT

Major project transforming Sellafield’s skyline Three giant cranes have been built at the Sellafield SIXEP Continuity Plant site, on the Sellafield site.

It means the project can accelerate into the next construction phase, which will involve concrete pouring and erection of reinforcing steel.

But that’s just part of the story. The plant is one of a portfolio of projects being delivered under our Programme and Projects Partnership model.

The model, which is unique in UK construction, is transforming major project delivery at Sellafield. It brings together KBR, Jacobs, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure Ltd, Doosan Babcock and Sellafield Ltd as the fifth partner.

And its impact goes way beyond just cranes and concrete. The partnership is also driving improvements in procurement, design, environmental remediation, job creation, and social impact.

Because it’s a 20 year partnership, it creates certainty in the Sellafield project delivery environment.

That’s unlocking long-term investment in the site, giving security to supply chains, providing job opportunities, and generating significant savings for UK taxpayers.

The SIXEP Continuity Plant cranes are a neat example of the approach. The partnership has banked savings of about £1 million by buying, rather than hiring, the cranes. And as an added benefit the cranes can be passed onto other Sellafield Ltd projects saving even more money in future.

The idea was taken from another Sellafield Ltd project—The Sellafield Product and Residue Store Retreatment Plant—demonstrating an additional partnership benefit: sharing learning across projects.

Jeremy Hunt, Sellafield Ltd’s head of projects, said: “It’s fantastic to see the SIXEP Continuity Plant project powering ahead.

The plant will play a vital role in delivering our mission to create a clean and safe environment for future generations.

“The erection of the cranes is an important enabling step and a visible skyline change.But the story behind it is even more crucial. Through the partnership we are transforming the way our major projects are delivered, creating benefits for our mission, our communities, and the local and national economies.

“The aligned delivery team, led by our main construction partner Doosan Babcock, have worked really well with key suppliers Liebherr and PPS to undertake this work safely and efficiently.

I’d like to thanks everyone involved for their dedication and professionalism in achieving this milestone.

The SIXEP Continuity Plant (SCP) will ensure the continued availability of the Site Ion Exchange Effluent Plant, known as the ‘kidneys of the Sellafield site’.

The system treats effluent from legacy waste storage facilities, removing radioactivity before it can be safely discharged to sea. The addition of SCP will ensure this service can continue until 2060.

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2021 | AUTUMN — 17

K

ason Bala has joined Assystem as Senior Business Director for Nuclear New Build to lead their talented and diverse UK nuclear new build business as the company enters an accelerated growth period.

Kason joins us to talk about his role in the firm’s involvement in Hinkley Point C, the UK’s SMR programme and new nuclear more broadly. He also explores why inclusion, diversity, and equity is vital to driving digital innovation in the sector.

IN CONVERSATION ...

KASON BALA

WHAT ROLE DOES ASSYSTEM PLAY IN THE UK’S NUCLEAR INDUSTRY?

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As an independent engineering and complex project management consultancy, Assystem covers a broad scope within the global nuclear industry. Our comprehensive offer encompasses the full nuclear lifecycle, providing engineering design, digital, safety assurance and project management services.

Since 2018, we have supported the Hinkley Point C (HPC) project as a tier 1 supplier to grow the UK team to over 100 staff in three years. This has been achieved by recruiting a talented group of people, with diverse technical and social backgrounds, leveraging more than 50 years of experience working on new nuclear build reactor design and commissioning in France and internationally. In parallel, we are supporting the Rolls-Royce led Small Modular Reactor (SMR) programme and also provide comprehensive consultancy services in the areas of fusion and decommissioning.

Being part of an international group gives us unrivalled access to a talent pool of more than 7000 experts. Our learning and experience in nuclear new build design and commissioning, including EPR technology along with our internal nuclear training academy the Assystem Nuclear Institute, will play an important role in attracting, developing, and retaining staff both within and outside the industry.

Our organisational culture is relationship-based at the fore; we bring positive disruption to the industry with fresh thinking and imagination, to be brave, to be bold and to challenge within a collaborative environment.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO EXPAND THE UK’S NUCLEAR SUPPLY CHAIN? Assystem serves as a prime example of this, with its strong track-record of working with non-nuclear engineering firms, matching in-house nuclear expertise and regulatory awareness to proven engineering methods. This has been applied successfully to address a range of challenges, such as localised repairs on the Sellafield site.

“WE ARE ACTIVE IN 17 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, SUPPORTING GOVERNMENTS, START-UPS, DEVELOPERS, AND OPERATORS WITH THEIR CIVIL NUCLEAR AND ENERGY TRANSITION PROJECTS.”

It is well understood that industry is risk-averse, a perceived dark art, with long project delivery timescales. In addition, the context of historical incidents at Fukushima and Chernobyl have undoubtedly caused some hesitancy and negativity in new suppliers wanting to engage in nuclear, as well as the industry historically relying on established, trusted players.

That said, we have begun to see smaller players make a bigger contribution in the new build market. Hinkley Point C is a specific example whereby a significant proportion of work has been carried out by local businesses—for example as a result of its relationship with the Somerset Chamber of Commerce. Local relationships can be a key enabler for expanding the supply chain.

While safety remains paramount, it is important that regulations and standards are scalable, and accessible to these smaller, less-established organisations. Assystem is keen to see that the new ISO 19443 nuclear safety standard provides necessary assurance while also being accessible to SMEs. A healthy supply chain also depends on a regular flow of new industry entrants. We know that there will be competing resource requirements in nuclear for decades to come, regardless of nearterm uncertainty around UK government’s decisions on future new build projects. We have the chance to help develop the next generation of talent.

At Assystem, to address short term gaps in both technical and business leadership we are taking steps to ensure staff, including new graduates, have the opportunity for accelerated advancement with a dedicated mentoring programme to create a safe environment for development.

We are actively working to support and promote inclusion, diversity, and equity. Our technical graduate scheme is one example to achieve this, through which we are encouraging and promoting the nuclear industry to women to make sure they have an equal share in the opportunities made available.

We are aiming to recruit 100 women, based on merit, into the HPC project over a five-year period.

TELL US ABOUT THE ROLE YOUR COMPANY HAS PLAYED ON THE INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR SCENE? Assystem was founded in 1966 to support the construction of the French nuclear fleet and 55 years later we continue to believe that nuclear power has a key role to play as the cornerstone of the low-carbon energy transition. Today, we are active in 17 countries around the world, supporting governments, start-ups, developers, and operators with their civil nuclear and energy transition projects.

Our comprehensive offer means our engineers are deployed on projects across the length and breadth of the nuclear lifecycle, providing commissioning support to the EPR fleet in France, and the VVER fleet in Turkey, Egypt, and Finland.

Assystem is also working with the Uzbekistan Government to assess and upgrade the country’s grid infrastructure to prepare for new power plants, and on decommissioning works at the Fessenheim power plant in France.

We are also preparing for the next generation of nuclear technology, working to further develop our new build centres of excellence in the UK and India, and supporting the construction of the ITER fusion project as Architect Engineer.

HOW WILL YOU DRIVE INNOVATION ACROSS THE INDUSTRY? For over 50 years, our core business has been innovating to solve some of the world’s most complex engineering challenges.

Being technology agnostic allows us to serve a broad variety of clients internationally, provides opportunities to learn more from our industry peers and grants us the freedom to respond swiftly to new trends, turning disruptive technologies into new services in which we can invest and develop. But we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.

Assystem’s ‘engineering powered by digital’ philosophy combines our proven engineering expertise with advanced digital solutions to make project delivery faster, safer, and more cost-effective. Based on our experience of implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM), Model-Based Systems Engineering, the creation of ‘Digital Twins’ and the use of Machine Vision contactless scanning technology, digital solutions will play a vital role in the future of engineering.

Digital innovation, including advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence, is moving at a rapid pace within Assystem both in terms of customer challenges and the development of digital solutions. There is a lot to be learned from other sectors and as an industry we will need to embrace the digital revolution to maximise its potential.

Beyond this, we must also do more to improve diversity in the sector. In 2020, Assystem commissioned a YouGov survey in which 62% of the British public said more diversity in engineering would benefit innovation. As a member of the Women in Nuclear UK’s Strategic Advisory Group and the lead on a pilot initiative called Racial Equality in Nuclear UK, I could not agree more.

In 2010 Assystem launched #INCREDIBLEWOMEN, our gender diversity initiative, to recruit, retain, and develop women in nuclear. As well as providing internal benefits such as mentoring, coaching and talent management, the initiative encourages and empowers women within our business to become ambassadors for groups such as Women in Nuclear UK. We have a genuine opportunity to strike while the iron’s hot and engage a generation in the ability of nuclear to provide a secure, safe, low-carbon energy future for the UK. We must not waste it.

2021 | AUTUMN — 19

CASE STUDY

NUVIA Characterisation Services BY. CHRIS MEDLOCK / CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, NUVIA

NUVIA’s GEM system deployed for fast assay on a land remediation project

UVIA’s Groundhog™ system for surface radiation mapping and land N characterisation prior to remediation

haracterisation, remediation and clean-up of a former china clay C production site

NUVIA’s four HRGS systems used for assay of 555 x 1m1 bags per week of excavated soil

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N

UVIA Characterisation Services was formed in 2013, and in 2021, it was renamed Land Remediation and Characterisation to reflect the growth and experience within the team. Although the service appears relatively recent, the core business technologies have been utilised and developed since the late 1990s.

Our technologies were developed to support land remediation and decommissioning, therefore, were designed to provide rapid in-situ solutions for the measurement of radioactivity and optimise segregation at source, hence minimising waste and opening the potential to use waste management options with lower environmental impact.

Providing data to guide in-field decision-making led us to focus on the development of the data management solutions, improving turnaround times and the quantity and quality of information. This was achieved by using programming to automate processes and engineer out transcription errors.

All these developments have resulted in a mature service, and team members experienced in all stages of the characterisation lifecycle, from planning and on-site works through to the implementation of waste management strategies—involving an understating of associated legislation, such as the Environmental Permitting Regulations and transport of dangerous goods. In addition, we have support from NUVIA Health Physics services to ensure compliance with the Ionising Radiation Regulations.

Radiation surveying technologies These technologies include surface radiation mapping, using Groundhog Fusion, for land, buildings, and pipelines, which offer the ability to delineate contaminated areas rapidly —i.e. segregation of active from non-active, and ultimately reducing the overall project costs.

A measurement is recorded automatically every second.

On average, there is one full spectral measurement in every square metre of the survey area—i.e. a high density of survey measurements. The system can be deployed as a portable hand-held device, or three detectors can be mounted on a 4x4, most suited for large-area surveys. Data is processed using a Geographical Information System (GIS) that facilitates analysis and the generation of radiation maps.

NUVIA’s ‘Subterra’ drain monitoring system for pipeline characterisation is essentially a smaller, waterproofed version of the Groundhog Fusion system. The system has been used to survey various drainage systems and to survey boreholes to establish depth profiles of contamination. Deployment is via push/pull rods, ropes, or remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and can be equipped with CCTV. These systems have been deployed for clearance purposes and to assess the total radioactive materials inventory in locations known to be contaminated.

Bulk monitoring technologies Bulk monitoring technologies, such as the Gamma Excavation Monitor (GEM), enables segregation of materials at the excavation face and provides a means of identifying when the ‘stop-dig criteria’ has been attained, therefore, preventing unnecessary removal of uncontaminated materials.

The GEM was designed for land remediation projects to provide a rapid screening tool for excavator buckets of material. At the end of a short count time, typically 10 seconds, the materials category is indicated using a ‘traffic light’ system—e.g., out of scope of regulation or very low-level waste.

The second bulk monitoring system utilises a High-Resolution Gamma Spectrometry (HRGS) system, which can measure and quantify several individual radionuclides simultaneously. Easily

measurable radionuclides are used to factor in other radionuclides from a pre-determined fingerprint, providing a means of quantifying the radioactive inventory in a structure or waste package.

The HRGS system can be installed on a purpose-built trailer, known as the High-Resolution Assay Monitor (HIRAM), and using programming, we can produce real-time data using short count-times. HRGS results are used to automatically populate a formulated spreadsheet to provide information—such as waste category, transport classification, Waste Acceptance Criteria compliance, and European Waste Codes, as the customer requires.

Data Management To manage all the data produced by the HRGS system, NUVIA developed the Information Management System (IMS), a quality assured real-time data management and location tracking system. The IMS was designed to provide a complete history of the material, from the point of generation to characterisation and location as it moves around a site, through to storage, disposal and/or recycle.

The system can be fully customised to the end-user’s requirements and automates document generation, resulting in a decrease in paperwork generation, a clear auditing process, instant access to live inventory and clear, identifiable workflow.

Coypool Park had been used for many years to produce china clay but was bought in 2018 for development. During operational use, chemical processing of the clay resulted in radioactive scale deposits on the inner surfaces of pipework and tanks.

To facilitate the removal of radioactive legacy material from the Coypool site, Cognition Land and Water (CLW) subcontracted NUVIA to: → Ensure regulatory compliance by transferring the

Environmental Permit to CLW, providing training and supervision, and surrendering the Permit on completion of remediation; → Undertake dose-based risk assessments to derive site clean-up levels; → Conduct Groundhog surveys to delineate contamination; → Provided radiation protection advice, and Health Physics monitoring; → Provide HIRAM for assay of wastes and identify and dispose of wastes to appropriate disposal facilities.

Magnox Harwell’s Liquid Effluent Treatment Plant (LETP) was used for decades to process liquid effluent from nuclear research operations. Following decommissioning, Cognition Land and Water were contracted to perform remedial works, supported by Golder Associates, providing project management, and NUVIA for radiation protection, waste assay and management services.

Critical to the work was the ability to provide real-time data and a system for managing the data to enable materials to be consigned off-site at a rate of 555 bulk bags per week. In addition, Magnox required segregation of waste at the point of production to satisfy obligations under the Waste Hierarchy, maximise the use of better management options and as part of the Duty of Care for non-active wastes.

This required NUVIA to optimise not only current waste characterisation solutions, such as the Gamma Excavation Monitor (GEM) system and High-Resolution Assay Monitor (HIRAM), but also develop additional systems, including an Information Management System (IMS) to speed up the data handling process, improve quality controls and reduce transcription errors.

2021 | AUTUMN — 21

OPINION

SMRs and regulatory imperatives BY. SIMON STUTTAFORD / PRINCIPAL, CASTLETOWN LAW

This is a synopsis of Part 1 of a two-part paper where we look at Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), their current status and proposals to open the routes for their development and deployment as an important option for nuclear power generation.

Part 1 looks at where we are now in nuclear power generation, setting the scene for an alternative treatment of SMRs. We also touch on the IAEA’s work in the development and deployment of SMRs. In Part 2 we look at the IAEA`s milestone structure and comment on each of the milestones and we consider an alternative approach within the regulatory structure which we argue is essential if SMRs are to succeed.

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The current status of nuclear power Since the UNFCCC`s Paris Agreement of 2015, it has increasingly been recognised and accepted that the use of nuclear power generation as a low carbon form of power generation is critical to meeting the Paris climate change objectives. The August 2021 IPCCC report makes the case for a universal approach combining all forms of optimised solutions .

We recognise the role of renewables in the power generation mix but their deployment has been insufficient and they are generally restricted in location choice. Some say they merely replace

the reduction in power generation from nuclear power stations—leaving intact the fossil fuelled generation and primarily gas plants to continue. Some oil and gas companies continue to develop and distribute fossil fuel for power despite claims that decarbonisation is being embraced.

In our view it is pressing for key stakeholders to adopt a short to midterm solution (10-100 years), by using combined initiatives and resources to deploy internationally SMRs. Application and distribution of SMRs as power generation resource source can fulfil the energy demand growth and the decarbonisation requirements that the world faces.

We are not alone in taking this view. On 11 August 2021 an article on the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) homepage quoted its reports and working groups` outcomes as stating: “Nuclear power is an important source of low-carbon electricity and heat that contribute to attaining carbon neutrality.”

Analyses indicate that the world’s climate objectives will not be met if nuclear technologies are excluded.”

Both the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stress that preventing the premature closure of nuclear plants is an urgent priority in addressing climate change.

Recent reports by the IAEA in June 2021 on the technical road map for SMR development provide a review, restatement and update of the position. The Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board (NIRAB)`s annual report 2020 adds to the scientific research findings that achieving a net zero industrial base globally cannot be achieved without nuclear power generation and that SMR technology is critical to the ability of the industry to deploy nuclear power. The publication by the IAEA`s SMR Regulators` Forum (June 2021) and its Phase 2 Summary Report are impressive in addressing the technical issues.

The works demonstrate a deep understanding of the scientific, technical and regulatory hurdles which are being faced. Not least the complexity derived from the multiple different approaches and claims to classification within the terminology of small and modular.

Generation III technology is very quickly being overtaken

by Generation IV and other advanced technologies which are more agile, affordable, deployable and safe. These advanced technologies suit deployment into a small network, for bespoke applications and can also be used as peaking and system management support.

Some technologies such as molten salt reactors also provide energy storage capacity and use of spent fuel as a fuel source.

Some technologies espouse a wholly prefabricated power station provision, others have a different approach.

Some developers have been working on the development of their SMR designs since the 1990’s and the cost of continuing development without the opportunity to begin production is reaching prohibitive levels. A step change in consenting is needed.

In 2020 the IAEA and the World Nuclear Association (WNA) recognised over 70 different designs for small and advance technology nuclear reactors. Only some will become international market leaders but the level of investment

suggests the market recognises their potential. Those who lead the technology development should not be delayed or restricted by other less advanced participants` involvement.

International deployment For a viable global market, an overarching international regulatory structure is needed that can adopt a f lexible single approach for the development of SMRs. We envisage a universal application of safety, security and control mechanisms for deployment and operation of SMRs aligned with the regulation and control of transportation, storage and use of nuclear material.

The IAEA sets out guidance on the regulation of civil nuclear developments. These include specific international legal compliance requirements including: the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (INFCIRC); the Convention on Assistance in the case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (INFCIRC/336); the Convention on Nuclear Safety (INFCIRC); the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (INFCIRC/449); the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials (INFCIRC/274); Safeguards arrangements; and adherence to a Nuclear Liability Regime (Vienna or Paris/Brussels).

The premise of compliance with the guidance is a milestone structure contained within three headline areas: 1. Ready to make a knowledgeable commitment to a

nuclear power programme.

2. Ready to invite bids/negotiate a contract for the first

nuclear power plant.

3. Ready to commission and operate the first nuclear

power plant.

Within these three headline areas, 19 topics on which the milestones operate are identified. In Part 2 we comment on each of these milestones with regard to their application on SMR technology deployment. We also make the case for the need for a more f lexible and efficient approach.

This text is a synopsis of Part 1 of a two-part paper, the full version of which will be available online at: www.castletownlaw.com/recent-papers.

2021 | AUTUMN — 23

NEWS IN BRIEF

Low Level Waste Repository becomes a subsidiary of the NDA Low Level Waste Repository Ltd (LLWR) is now a subsidiary of the NDA after its ownership was transferred from UK Nuclear Waste Management Ltd (UKNWM).

It represents the latest NDA-owned site to move to subsidiary status and follows a similar transition at the Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd in March.

NDA Chief Executive Officer David Peattie said: “LLWR becoming a subsidiary is a significant milestone in building a stronger NDA group. We are transforming the way that we work across the estate, with a focus on sharing and collaboration, while also maximising the strength and scale of the group.

“Thank you to the UKNWM team for their good stewardship of the site in recent years and congratulations to Martin Walkingshaw, who is stepping up from being LLWR’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation. Martin is fully committed to the NDA group’s mission and values and will expertly steer the important work at the LLWR site.”

The move to make LLWR an NDA subsidiary is a step towards the creation of a single group waste division early next year.

This will bring together the NDA’s waste management expertise, including LLWR and Radioactive Waste Management, growing capability and simplifying how the group operates to deliver greater value for the taxpayer.

Jacobs was selected to design and deliver the First Plasma Radiological Environmental Monitoring System (REMS), a key safety system for ITER, the world’s largest fusion energy experiment.

The First Plasma REMS, which protects workers and the environment against ionizing radiation by monitoring radiological activity, is needed for the milestone moment when ITER starts operations.

Fusion for Energy (F4E), responsible for the European Union’s contribution to ITER, amounting to nearly half of the project, estimates the contract for final design, procurement, installation and commissioning at over £3 million.

F4E has also reselected Jacobs as its principal supplier of instrumentation and control systems support under a new framework contract covering ITER’s upcoming nuclear safety needs over the next seven years. Jacobs will prepare technical specifications and support F4E to oversee project delivery and acceptance of systems.

Jacobs previously delivered the REMS preliminary design under a separate contract. The new project will be carried out at the ITER site and at Jacobs’ offices across Europe.

24 — AUTUMN | 2021

Jacobs to Design Key Safety Feature for ITER Fusion Project

Cavendish Nuclear awarded Framatome completes Hinkley Point A contract acquisition of BHR Group Framatome has announced that it completed its acquisition of VirtualPiE Limited (traded as BHR Group), a leader in fluid engineering-based products and services for the chemical and nuclear energy industries. With this transaction, Framatome continues to expand its presence in the United Kingdom and its comprehensive portfolio of solutions.

“It is a pleasure to welcome the employees of BHR Group to Framatome,” said Bernard Fontana, CEO of Framatome.

“Their expertise and proven technologies will support our work in the nuclear industry and together, we will make a strong contribution to the United Kingdom’s energy sector.”

Framatome has supported the UK nuclear market for decades, contributing to the engineering and maintenance of existing reactors and participating in new build projects including Hinkley Point C. BHR Group has been supporting companies since 1947, maintaining its competitive edge by providing independent expert advice, integrated solutions and services.

NIRO publishes the UK Nuclear Fission R&D Catalogue

Cavendish Nuclear has been awarded a circa £10 million contract that will provide Magnox’s Hinkley Point A site in Somerset with the capability to process and package Solid Intermediate Level Waste (ILW). The contract award is for the Concrete Box Loading Facility (CBLF).

The project scope covers detail design, manufacture, installation and inactive commissioning and is scheduled for completion over a 3½ year programme. Cavendish Nuclear will also act as Principal Contractor under the Construction Design and Management Regulations (2015).

The CBLF project forms part of the Hinkley Point A Solid ILW sub-programme, which will provide Magnox with the capability to safely retrieve, sort, process and load waste into their designated disposal containers for storage at the site’s Interim Storage Facility (ISF). The CBLF will process and package a variety of waste streams into 6m3 concrete boxes and export these for encapsulation at the Modular Intermediate Level Waste Encapsulation Plant (MILWEP).

Gary Ward Cavendish Nuclear’s Business Unit Director said, “This is another great project where Cavendish Nuclear will support Magnox at Hinkley Point A on their mission to safely process ILW held at the site. On CBLF we are able to bring the skills and experience gained from successful project delivery for Magnox at their Berkeley site”.

Paul Winkle, Magnox Chief Operating Officer, added: “The concrete box loading facility is integral to the waste processing capability at Hinkley. It forms part of a bigger system of waste retrievals, processing and packaging facilities that must all dovetail together to ensure delivery of our programme to reduce the overall hazard on site. We look forward to working with Cavendish to continue to deliver our mission.”

Cavendish Nuclear is already delivering projects at Hinkley Point A for the Pre-Conditioning Facility and the Dry Vault FED Retrievals and is pleased to add CBLF to this growing portfolio.

The production of the Fission R&D catalogue follows a recommendation from NIRAB, that UK Government through the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), should commission the production of a catalogue of the UK civil nuclear research facilities and capabilities.

This catalogue brings together and builds on existing information about UK Nuclear Fission R&D facilities. It aims to provide a comprehensive list of all equipment and capabilities, updated contacts for users and access requirements.

The catalogue can be on the BEIS website at www.gov.uk/ guidance/funding-for-nuclear-innovation#rd-catalogue.

2021 | AUTUMN — 25

Supported by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), DECOM2022 will attract delegates from across the sector and will look at reducing nuclear liabilities, from operational to decommissioning and waste management in the UK and abroad.

Following the success of DECOM2018, the 2022 conference will preceed the NDA supply chain event. With high calibre speakers, a wide range of exhibitors and high volume of delegates expected to attend, it will be the leading decommissioning conference of 2022.

A range of sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are on offer.* Take an active role in the conference program, while enhancing your company profile and networking directly with your target audience. Check out the website for more information.

* Please note you MUST book your space with NDA separately

Back to business BY. ALEX BUCKLEY / MEMBER RELATIONS & EVENTS EXECUTIVE

S

eventeen months later we finally had our first face to face Business Group, and for me, my first after recently joining the NIA. Even though online webinars were a good substitute I think we were all very excited to have in person events back…hopefully for good.

After joining the NIA back at the start of July I was very excited to see how Business Groups worked and was especially interested to see how they differ from my last place of work, organising global IT events. Although Bristol might not have the same wow factor as Las Vegas or Amsterdam I was still looking forward to attending my first face-to-face event in over a year.

Before I continue, myself and the entire NIA team would like to acknowledge PA Consulting and say a big thank you for supporting the Summit. They also launched a new report, during the Summit, “How a culture shift can make the UK nuclear industry pivotal to net zero and beyond”.

So, how did my first NIA Business Group Summit go? After arriving at the station after a quick journey from Paddington station and being made to walk to the hotel in what felt like fifty plus degree heat (thanks to Stephanie McKenna), the buzz of my first NIA business group started.

Once in, I found myself at a table with even more new faces and straight away began chitchatting, from nuclear

to football. Dinner over (and I must say, a very nice one at that), and after talking to everyone on my table and probably boring them by trying to convince them that next season it’s Arsenal’s year, I thought it was best I look for some more new faces. Moving swiftly on…

It was the day of the actual meeting and again I found myself excited to see how the day would play out and received by members.

The talks began with the Rolling Programme of Decommissioning by John Norton from Magnox Limited, then onto change of status to a NonDepartmental Public Body, hosted by Geoff Druce from AWE. We then moved onto Nuclear’s Connection Imperative which was spoken about by Chris Sheryn from PA Consulting. After the first hour I can honestly say I really enjoyed hearing about these topics and learning about this amazing industry more and more after every talk.

We then moved onto New Build and had a panel session on what enablers are required for UK nuclear new build to succeed, covering government, industry and supply chain. Speakers included Julia Pyke (EDF Energy), Alan Woods (UK SMR) and Cameron Gilmour (Doosan Babcock).

After lunch we were back and it was the turn of the international section, including a panel session on SMEs working internationally, lessons learnt, the do’s and the don’ts and cultural

differences. A great panel which supplied the audience with valuable information and a very good Q&A afterwards, with Neil Foreman (Centronic), Loren Jones (Cavendish Nuclear) and Ian Truman (Burges Salmon).

Our last topic was Fusion, with talks from Robert Hunter (BEIS) who discussed a new fusion partnership with the EU: participating in Euratom Research & Training and Fusion for Energy. That was followed by Robert Skilton (UKAEA) on the subject of LongOps. And finally, Chris Ferrie (Doosan Babcock) who discussed Working at ITER. So, how did my first NIA Business Group Summit go? I’d say it went extremely well; from meeting new faces to learning a huge amount about the industry. A personal highlight was hearing insightful discussions on Hinkley Point C and how construction and operation of the station will create 25,000 employment opportunities, up to 1,000 apprenticeships, with 64% of the project’s construction value is predicted to go to UK companies.

I’ve also seen from my first experience of these Business Groups the opportunity for companies to really raise their profile across the industry, as well as exchanging ideas, hear about new opportunities and to help develop important policies.

I’m excited to have started my journey here at the NIA and I’m looking forward to the next Business Group and seeing some familiar and not so familiar faces.

2021 | AUTUMN — 27

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NEW NIA MEMBERS

To find out about the work of NIA and benefits of membership visit www.niauk.org/about-us/ membership-benefits.

Shadow Robot Company shadowrobot.com

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

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

JOIN NIA TODAY

ISEC Monitoring Systems AB isec.se ISEC Monitoring Systems is a Swedish SME that design and manufacture modern and innovative radiation tolerant cameras and CCTV systems for the Nuclear Industry. We provide high quality viewing solutions for inspection and surveillance requirements. We also design and supply cost-effective turnkey CCTV solutions including new systems for all radiological environments as well as the upgrade of existing analogue and digital systems.

CORE POWER UK Ltd corepower.energy CORE POWER is a UK-based development company, specialising in scalable atomic power technology for ocean transport and heavy industry. In partnership with leading international corporations, we aim to deliver durable zero-emission energy for floating industrial production and deep-sea shipping.

We help clients and customers make the transition from fossil fuels to m-MSR power through design and engineering consulting and leads the work required to amend maritime regulations for wide acceptance of m-MSR powered ships in ports around the world.

Krantz Ltd krantzuk.com Krantz develops, designs and manufactures air distribution systems, cooling and heating systems for ceiling and facade installations as well as exhaust gas filtration, dampers and clean air solutions.

We are the expert partner at your side at all times, especially concerning plant construction and ventilation services for nuclear power stations.

Our products enjoy an excellent reputation and are used where quality and reliability matters, in both public and in commercial buildings.

Createc Ltd createc.co.uk Createc is an innovation engine. An organisation which brings together imagination, research, development, and entrepreneurialism to deliver technical solutions in nuclear decommissioning and other challenging environments.

Createc is renowned for its first of a kind technology deployments across imaging, sensing and robotics to solve complex problems in notable decommissioning sites such as Fukushima Daiichi and Sellafield.

28 — AUTUMN | 2021

Kreab kreab.com/london Kreab London is one of the network’s leading hubs for international reputation management. From the vantage point of the UK capital, with its world-leading media outlets and high-level influencers, we are able to conduct global campaigns for clients across a wide range of sectors.

We build next-generation robot hands and systems with advanced dexterity to help solve challenging problems and provide a meaningful purpose. Whether it’s for crucial research or mission-critical work, our autonomous and teleoperated robots boldly step in.

TAM International UK Ltd tamintl.ca Established in 2004, TAM International offers full-service expertise in the global transportation of radioactive materials and other high consequence cargo.

Based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, TAM is strategically located near the world’s richest uranium deposits.

By operating in a global hub of nuclear activity, TAM has developed a firsthand understanding of the nuclear industry, and a unique perspective on the processes and regulations related to handling radioactive materials.

Wilson James Ltd wilsonjames.co.uk Wilson James has been raising standards in security, construction logistics, aviation and technology services for over 30 years.

With a team of nearly 5,000 people, the company utilises in-depth sector experience and service expertise across both the public and private sector to deliver bespoke client-focused solutions.

As one of the UK’s industry-leading, award-winning companies, Wilson James is committed to ensuring: • buildings, businesses, and reputations of over 300 clients are secured; • airports succeed by providing outstanding levels of customer service; • construction logistics projects are operationally efficient, safer and greener.

WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE RAB BY. LINCOLN HILL / DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

“THE MOST CRITICAL STEP NOW IS FOR GOVERNMENT TO BEGIN LEGISLATING FOR A FINANCING MODEL FOR NEW NUCLEAR IN 2021”

Parliamentary recess has made this past quarter one of preparation and planning, a deep breath before the plunge, if you will.

The long-awaited Hydrogen Strategy did indeed appear, and named electrolysis, steam electrolysis, and thermochemical water splitting driven by nuclear energy as options for clean hydrogen production.

They would not have done so had not the NIA and the whole sector organised ourselves to push Government hard for inclusion in an emerging area of decarbonisation. However, there is work left to do: the strategy was not long on detailed policies or in funding commitments, and it unleashed a wave of further consultations.

A wave of consultations, ably ridden by our policy analyst Georgina Hines, has been something of a theme this summer, with the Government inviting feedback on hydrogen business models, standard and funding, net zero governance, at large, net zero in shipping (for which nuclear has many promising disruptive innovations), and on the next round of AMR funding.

That last one marks a great step forward for the industry, partly because it was backed by cash. The Government announced that it was minded to commit £170 million from the Advanced Nuclear Fund earmarked for AMRs, to the development of High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (HTGRs).

The UK of course has unparalleled expertise in gas-cooled reactors

from 60 years of the AGR programme.

We also have a strong group of member companies involved in HTGR development, notably the U-Battery design, in which Urenco, NNL and others are actively involved.

Government funding for HTGRs could not only unlock impressive solutions for clean hydrogen and process heat production, but also new opportunities for all those in our current workforce with gas-cooled reactor skills. When we talk of a just transition to net zero, that is what we mean in practice.

The HTGR announcement partly meets one of the 10 actions set out in the Nuclear APPG’s recent report Net Zero Needs Nuclear: A Roadmap to 2024, calling for a pathway for an AMR demonstrator to be set by the year’s end. That Roadmap has given us clear benchmarks to structure our advocacy and hold the Government to account for its performance.

It also gives us a clear sense of priorities moving into the autumn. To quote from it, “the most critical step now is for Government to begin legislating for a financing model for new nuclear in 2021.” Without the money, we can’t do much, but with a new financing model, we have the potential to unlock billions of pounds in new investment and get new projects underway.

That is why a theme throughout this edition has been financing and why, when we meet MPs at Nuclear Week in

Parliament, we will stress the critical need to get legislation on the books.

We understand that legislation has been prepared to bring the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model into law, and we will press at every opportunity to get it introduced in the autumn sitting of Parliament. On this issue, we do not need more consultations. A new model was promised three years ago, a consultation was concluded two years ago, and now it is time to act.

By the time this issue lands, we will have had our first debate in Parliament dedicated to nuclear power in quite some time. On 7 September, Mark Menzies, MP for Fylde, secured a debate on the future of fuel manufacturing at Springfields, the UK’s only such facility. This debate is a heartening sign of growing Parliamentary interest in nuclear’s role not only in our net zero future, but in our future prosperity.

Springfields also exemplifies the urgency of our situation. Since the AGRs are rapidly retiring, fuel demand at the facility is dropping. Without new investment, those skills, which the Government has acknowledged as a strategic national capability, could go.

Those jobs, and thousands more in the supply chain, could be at risk.

We are going to bring these arguments right to Parliament and two ministers in what will be an extremely busy autumn.

We know the urgency, we sense the opportunity, and we know our priority: get financing done, and let building begin.

2021 | AUTUMN — 29

Nuclear 2021, the industry’s leading annual nuclear conference, is back as an in-person event, taking place on Thursday 2 December.

Now in its 21st year, the event will bring together an array of speakers covering key developments over the past year, as well as looking ahead to 2022 and beyond.

This year’s conference will return to Park Plaza Victoria, along with an exhibition space—allowing you to showcase your capabilities, interact with colleagues and make some new connections.

Visit the website for details on registration, sponsorship and exhibition opportunities.