Industry Link – Summer 2020

MAGAZINE OF THE UK NUCLEAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION SUMMER / 2020

NIAUK.ORG

Nuclear approach to security risk 12

75 AND WORKING THROUGH COVID 18 2

AFCP DELIVERING 16 MAJOR SUCCESSES

James Fisher Nuclear

Simply The Right Solution A world class project and technical integrator for the nuclear industry.

Providing engineering, manufacturing and specialist services, built on a culture of excellence, innovation and practical experience.

UK reactor segmentation

www.jfnl.co.uk

What can I say? A lot has changed since our last issue. This is the first time Industry Link hasn’t gone to print—and many of you will be enjoying this e-copy from home (or trying to, as a few kids scream in the background).

While it seems the world has turned upside down, nuclear has remained resilient... rather our strong suit. We’ve seen the industry go above and beyond in national relief efforts, and adapt quickly to a shifting landscape.

Incredible progress has been made in an unprecedented situation: the new build programme adapted quickly with the Sizewell C DCO application going in after a sensible pause, and Hinkley adjusted construction practices and completed its second reactor base on-schedule.

Not to mention the work nuclear was doing behind the scenes to support staff: companies like Sellafield provided mental health resources, such as employees’ thoughts and top tips for their mental health, during this trying time.

That’s a bit of good news in bad news times. On that theme, in this issue we take a look at companies adjusting to life in lockdown, and to give you respite from all things COVID-19, you will also find interviews with leaders in the field, discussion about civil nuclear’s approach to security risk and the importance of developing new fuel cycle solutions.

I hope by our next issue, the world will be in a more settled state. In the meantime, take care of yourself, stay safe, and join us for some NIA webinars until we can meet again.

Hartley Butler George, Editor

IN THIS ISSUE...

REINVENTING NUCLEAR FOR TOMORROW’S CHALLENGES PAGE 4

IN VIEW

PAGE 14

PAGE 22

TURNING CRISIS MANAGEMENT INTO SUSTAINABLE VALUE

IN CONVERSATION...

KAREN WHEELER

PAGE 10

NIAUK.ORG Follow us: @NIAUK

Editor - Hartley Butler George Art Editor - Dan Powney Contributors - Tom Greatrex, Ieuan Williams, Georgina Hines, Stephanie McKenna, Jay Bhart, Stephen Brauner – Jacobs, Katherine Nowill – KUKA Systems, Chris Sheryn – PA Consulting, Adrian Pryor – Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Adrian Bull & Caroline Longman – NNL, Robert McKeag – Centronic, Karen Wheeler – RWM, with additional thanks to World Nuclear News

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Cover image: Photo by Deva Darshan from Pexels - https://www.pexels.com This magazine is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable based inks.

BY. TOM GREATREX

The economic impact of coronavirus and the related restrictions on business and social activity has been, and continues to be, unprecedented.

With a 20% reduction in GDP during April, and the country’s debt equivalent to the size of the economy as a whole, the headline figures are stark. What is perhaps harder to measure, but nonetheless tangible, is the extent to which a brush with the reality of how fragile human life is, the way society functions and how economic recovery should be steered are the subject of greater consideration than would have been the case three months ago.

During that period, public attitudes to how to address big challenges, such as climate change, have undergone an interesting shift: a recognition that, and perhaps here is an example of people being ahead of their political officeholders, concerted action needs to be taken with governments across the world in the lead.

Be that the interim report from the citizens assemblies formed to provide evidence to select committees on tackling climate change, the latest (lack of) progress report from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), analysis published by the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) on how to decarbonise, how the aviation sector’s recovery can be linked to the development of synthetic fuels and the regional economic opportunities inherent in building low carbon energy infrastructure to drive economic activity—there is a remarkable degree of consensus on three key factors.

1. The political priority to ensure effective and real stimulus for the economy, spread across the country, in sectors where investment will drive growth, jobs and exports.

2. The demonstrable need for co-ordinated action to move towards net zero at pace if the 2050 target is to be achieved.

3. Decarbonisation of transport, heat and industry are an increasingly urgent aspect of emissions reduction, where fossil fuels continue to dominate.

It is against this backdrop—with the urgency of progressing towards net zero and a pressing need to drive the recovery —that the NIA has published our nuclear roadmap. Forty by ’50 sets out a clear and compelling case for how nuclear can continue to provide the 40% of low carbon power that is currently provided to the grid as net zero targets are met for 2050.

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and growth across the whole country, and to do so in a way that enables the replacement of ageing infrastructure with new strategic national assets that are fit for the net zero future.

While the reality of the ongoing construction at Hinkley Point C demonstrates a live case study in how the economy of a region can be positively impacted by part of the move to net zero, even better can be achieved with follow on projects. A re-purposed supply chain and construction industry working smarter, digitally and with the benefit of the experience of building the first new power station for a generation offers the prospect of a really positive economic impetus from each and every project.

By delivering 40% of the low carbon power for a net zero economy, worth in excess of £33bn in Gross Value Added per year and more than 300,000 job opportunities in highly skilled, well paid, stable jobs across the whole of the country, while also helping safeguard strategic industries like steel manufacture and specialist engineering within the UK economy.

But the nuclear story is not only about new build—in fuel manufacture, decommissioning and waste management, research and development of future fuels, reactor technologies and advanced robotics—the UK’s industry is already in many respects world-leading, and with great prospects for taking that capability and expertise out into global markets. As important a facet of the economic contribution that our industry can make internationally alongside the pressing need for new generating capacity domestically.

Alongside the work being done to deliver the sector deal commitments, the Forty by ’50 roadmap sets out what can be achieved, how the UK’s industry can contribute to net zero and the beneficial economic impact that comes as a result. There is scope for many technologies to play their part in that story— but the overriding objective for the UK industry is to be able to help those from outside our industry understand, appreciate and embrace the fantastic opportunity we are able to part of.

Without nuclear then seeking to achieve net zero moves from being a monumental task to an all but impossible one.

Without nuclear the opportunity to take advantage of projects ready to get going quickly and drive economic growth across the country is significantly diminished. Without nuclear world leading capability we currently have will be lost forever.

With nuclear, we can play a big part in successfully meeting the challenges facing the whole of humanity. As we assess the impact of coronavirus and adjust our approach, there can be no greater prize than rebuilding the economy with the foundations of a greener, cleaner and more sustainable future.

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Image by Deva Darshan from Pexels — https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-view-of-road-in-the-middle-of-trees-1173777

But more than that, the important and often understated case for how civil nuclear can also help the UK meet the challenge of sustained decarbonisation of heating, transport and industry, so net zero can become a reality. The potential for nuclear to be an integral part of the emerging and accelerating hydrogen economy, so that excess heat is put to productive use, is significant. As are the opportunities in district heating, the production of synthetic fuels for aviation and maritime transport, all part of the benefit of the range of civil nuclear reactor technologies currently available or in advanced states of development.

Too often there has been a false debate about nuclear. Pitting large scale reactors—such as the EPR currently being built and providing a massive stimulus to the economy of the south west of England at Hinkley Point, the ABWR planned for Wylfa and the HPR-1000 at Bradwell—against small and advanced modular reactor technologies, such as the Rolls-Royce led consortium, NuScale, Moltex, Westinghouse, GE-Hitachi, U-Battery and others.

This misses the point that if net zero by 2050 is to be a reality, the CCC have already demonstrated it will mean a doubling of our power capacity, and four times the amount of low carbon generation we currently have. Ensuring that the system is able to withstand the vagaries of power that delivers intermittently, depending upon the weather, means that the requirement for firm power—that which is available 24/7, whatever the weather—will be close to 40%.

Nuclear is the only proven available source of reliable low carbon energy, delivering large volumes of electricity. The UK is going to need a lot of it if decarbonisation is to be a reality, including large reactors, smaller modular construction, advanced designs and fusion.

Every significant, reputable and well-evidenced report published in recent times—from the CCC, the ESC, the OECD, MIT and many others—all show that to meet net zero, across the whole economy, providing the type of always available power that nuclear can is a pre-requisite.

Without nuclear, not only is net zero made all but impossible— embedding more burning of fossil fuels to back up the variable output of weather dependent generation—but it adds to the systems costs as well. What is more, doing nothing as our current fleet mostly closes during this decade, will leave a massive deficit in carbon emissions reductions compared even to the relatively limited progress that has been made to date.

But more than its impeccable and unimpeachable low carbon credentials—nuclear power is also an engine of growth at a time when policy makers are seeking ways to both boost jobs

Reinventing nuclear for tomorrow’s challenges BY. STEPHEN BRAUNER ⁄ JACOBS

Scientists at work in Jacobs’ laboratories in Birchwood Park, Warrington

Like most of his colleagues, Clive White has had several employers throughout his career, while remaining steadfastly loyal to the same business.

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hat business began life as the National Nuclear Corporation in the 1970s, when it was governmentowned and responsible for designing and supporting all the civil nuclear reactors built in the UK. Since then it has been under the wing of GEC, a private equity-backed management buyout, AMEC, Amec Foster Wheeler and Wood before being acquired by Jacobs in March of this year.

When the deal went through, Clive became Senior Vice President of Jacobs Critical Mission Solutions International (CMS-I), which employs 5,000 around the world. CMS-I provides programme management, engineering, consulting, technology and construction solutions to the nuclear market across the whole lifecycle.

“Although we only became part of Jacobs in March, we began talking to them nearly four years ago when the nuclear business of Amec Foster Wheeler was originally put up for sale,” he says.

“Wood decided to keep us when they acquired Amec Foster Wheeler and they provided a good home for us for two-anda-half years. But I always felt that the business would be better placed as part of a company that had a greater focus on the nuclear sector. This is crucial for Jacobs because of the company’s focus on solutions for clean energy, environmental clean-up, and resiliency.

“The other great benefit of becoming part of Jacobs is that we have brought together complementary capabilities, principally deep technical expertise and programme and project delivery excellence. Bringing these attributes together means better solutions for customers, more world-leading projects for our people to work on and accelerated growth as a result.”

Clive is a physicist by training and his early career was in safety case engineering, engineering management and project management. Most of his career, however, has been in leadership roles, where he has demonstrated the ability to maintain strong business growth despite market volatility and the potential for distraction which ownership changes bring.

He is a non-executive director of the Nuclear Industry Association and until recently the National Skills Academy Nuclear and the Energy Industries Council and, by invitation, a member of the government/private sector Nuclear Industry Council. Those broader responsibilities reflect Jacobs’ stature in the nuclear sector, which is underpinned by its positions as: → Engineering Design Partner for Sellafield Ltd under the

Programme and Project Partner framework; → Delivery Partner to EDF at Hinkley Point C;

MEDIA WATCH NEWS

In early March, The Canadian Nuclear Association and the Nuclear Industry Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Department for International Trade Civil Nuclear Showcase 2020 to collaborate in nuclear and promote clean, innovative and advanced nuclear technologies.

PowerTechnology and Energy News 24 gave this news a nod.

→ Programme Management Partner for the Barakah NPP in the

United Arab Emirates;

→ Lifetime partner to EDF in the UK for reactor systems,

technology and plant performance;

→ Lead partner in MOMENTUM, construction management-as-

agent contractor at ITER.

Clive says: “Everything we do is based on having a deep understanding of our customers and on building enduring relationships with them through thick and thin. The quality of our solutions and our innovations is intrinsically related to our customer focus and our alignment to their challenges and needs—and this enables us to have a transformational effect on their business operations.

“Jacobs is challenging today to reinvent tomorrow, and that aspiration is particularly relevant in the nuclear industry, where technological advance is key to maximising the contribution that nuclear can make to the net-zero carbon economies of the future.

“We can see this in so many areas where we are already active as a business, such as Hinkley Point C, nuclear fusion projects at ITER and UKAEA, modularisation and compact power stations, and our UK government-funded research work on creating a Nuclear Virtual Engineering Capability, using digital techniques to revolutionise the way reactors are designed and maintained.

“It’s equally important that we push the boundaries of technology in decommissioning and I’ve been inspired by the work we’re doing to create new techniques for dismantling highly active facilities, treating waste and finding long-term storage solutions.

“For example, we recently won the integrated innovation for nuclear decommissioning competition, run by Innovate UK and the NDA, where we had to come up with new ways to take apart fuel reprocessing cells at Sellafield. We did this by collaborating with a host of partners from other sectors, including medical instruments, and the space industry, developing new technology and adapting established systems that will work in a nuclear setting. We were successful because our solution minimises human intervention, makes waste characterisation and handling more cost efficient, and reduces waste volumes.”

Clive knew that 2020 was going to be a busy year, completing the transition to Jacobs and integrating the two businesses— but like the rest of us, he had no idea the coronavirus crisis was on its way. Despite disruption to normal ways of doing business in recent months, Jacobs has continued to serve its clients and the integration programme is on track.

“I have been very proud to witness the way our people have responded to the crisis, with the vast majority moving seamlessly and, it seemed, instantly to working from home,” he says. “Most importantly, we have maintained a relentless focus on keeping people safe. Watching how our people have responded, you really can see the Jacobs culture of caring in action.”

In late March, media attention was given to the NIA’s letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak in advance of the spring budget. It was covered in InCumbria and BBC. The Nuclear Industry Association’s Chair, Dr Tim Stone, demanded a “robust financing mechanism” to support large plants and he noted: “the Committee on Climate Change’s Net Zero report recommended that a future energy mix should be made up of 38% firm power, of which nuclear is the only proven, commercially viable option.”

In late May, the BBC and other major outlets covered the news that the Sizewell C power station project in Suffolk applied for its major planning permission (‘Development Consent Order’). This success follows on the heels of the news that the Hinkley Point C project beat its regional investment target five years early.

The NIA’s Chief Executive, Tom Greatrex, was quoted by the Press Association: “It is excellent news that Hinkley remains on track, despite the challenges of the pandemic...this power station represents a big step towards Net Zero emissions. It also shows nuclear’s large scale green growth opportunities are real, and there is more to come.”

In early June, Bloomberg published a piece, “Don’t Ignore the Nuclear Option.” In it, the reporter reminded readers of the scale of the climate change task that lies ahead, and ended the article saying “the carbon cost of ignoring nuclear is just too great.”

Also in early June, The Financial Times published a piece, “Britain needs new nuclear, and the government should fund it.”

The reporter argued future prosperity depends on securing reliable zero carbon power at the lowest cost: “as the coronavirus crisis has shown, politicians need to plan for contingencies. Britain’s economic competitiveness ultimately depends on the decisions around energy transition. With so much at stake, nuclear cannot be dropped.”

In mid-June, it was announced that Bilfinger won two new contracts worth £350m to deliver the design, procurement, supplier management, fabrication and construction of high quality pipework and specialist equipment for the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. This news was covered by trade publications, and the NIA’s Chief Executive, Tom Greatrex, called it a “a step towards a better future for the UK.”

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TEPCO to survey Fukushima fuel pool Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has carried out training in the operation of a submersible remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that will be used to investigate the used fuel pool of unit 2 at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Dose levels on the operating floor of unit 2 are high making it difficult to access. It has yet to conduct an internal investigation of the pool, but has made progress with the cleanup of equipment, etc. that remains on the operating floor.

TEPCO held training sessions for eight employees on operation of the ROV. It says the design of equipment for the removal of the fuel from unit 2’s storage pool will be reviewed according to the results of the investigation.

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Czech state to pay 70% of Dukovany unit cost Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced the government will provide a loan to cover 70% of the cost of building a new unit at the Dukovany power plant, with the majority state-owned utility funding the remaining 30%.

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A tender to select the reactor vendor for a turnkey contract will be announced by the end of this year, with the winner selected by the end of 2022. The cost of the project to Czech ratepayers will be a little as one-tenth of the cost to them from investment in renewables.

Five companies had expressed interest in building the new unit, which are reported to be China General Nuclear, EDF, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Rosatom and Westinghouse.

Czech utility CEZ applied to the State Office for Nuclear Safety on 25 March to construct two new reactors at its Dukovany nuclear power plant. Four VVER-440 units are currently in operation at the site, in Vysocina Region.

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Chernobyl forest fires pose no health risk The recent fires in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine have not led to a hazardous increase in air-borne radioactive particles, the IAEA said.

Basing its assessment on data provided

by Ukraine, the IAEA said the increase in levels of radiation measured in the country was very small and posed no risk to human health, and levels fall significantly with increasing distance from the site of the fires.

Ukrainian authorities have a network of radiation monitoring stations countrywide and around the Chernobyl, the last operating reactor of which was shut down two decades ago.

The burning of meadows, pastures and stubble has resulted in some minor increases in radiation due to the release of radionuclides transferred from contaminated soil. But the concentration of radioactive materials in the air remained below safety norms and posed no public health concern.

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Framatome to develop new fuel Framatome and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany have started commercial development of nuclear research reactor fuels that can be used instead of highly enriched uranium (HEU), which is seen as a potential nuclear proliferation risk.

The project will take place at the CERCA Research and Innovation Lab, a new research and development laboratory dedicated to advancing the fabrication of nuclear fuels for medical, research and sterilisation applications.

The international community is working to minimise amounts of HEU material, which could potentially be used for nuclear weapons.

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

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Forty by ’50: roadmap to a green economy BY. HARTLEY BUTLER GEORGE

In June, the NIA released ‘Forty by ’50: The Nuclear Roadmap.’ The report sets out the vision of an ambitious nuclear programme delivering a multibillion-pound green economic boom and meeting up to 40% of clean electricity demand in 2050 (hence, “40 by 50”).

Clean electricity demand is expected to quadruple as the UK switches from fossil fuels and we see a boom in electric cars and heating.

The report calculated a maximum deployment of large scale, small and advanced modular reactors could deliver 33GW of electricity generation capacity. It estimated a further 18GW of nuclear plant could be used to generate hydrogen, district heating and ‘synthetic’ fuels for land transport, shipping and aviation, decarbonising great swathes of the economy.

In publishing the report the NIA said the next wave of nuclear power stations would see costs fall by 35% and reduces even further from future repeat reactors, SMRs and AMRs. Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the NIA called on Government to set out a clear ambition for the nuclear sector and set policy to deliver a long term programme, including a new framework for financing projects and a facilitative programme for next generation reactors.

“A planned approach would not only help meet tough climate targets, but begin creating high quality employment immediately, and ultimately generate around 300,000 UK jobs and £33bn of annual economic added value,” he said.

“We know the next large-scale projects can deliver energy much more cheaply by building on lessons learned from our new build programme, tried and tested designs, and by making changes to the way projects are financed.

“Greenlighting new projects already in the pipeline would trigger a ramp-up in investment and job creation in parts of the UK facing the biggest economic challenges from the predicted COVID-19 inflicted recession.”

Earlier in the Month the Energy Systems Catapult innovation group publshed ‘Nuclear for Net Zero’. Based on detailed independent, internationally peer reviewed modelling the ESC report identified the need for 10GW of new large scale capacity beyond Hinkley Point C and support for the roll out of ‘Gen IV’ reactors.

During the rest of 2020 the NIA will explore the themes of the roadmap report and Net Zero, including at the popular December annual conference.

The event will be ‘in-person’, with a fallback contingency plan for a fully interactive digital festival with virtual breakout rooms, networking areas, and main “stage” for plenary sessions.

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Robotic solution to waste retrieval project BY. KATHERINE NOWILL ⁄ KUKA SYSTEMS UK

The Pile Fuel Cladding Silo (PFCS) is a legacy silo on the Sellafield site, built in the 1950’s and filled over the decades that followed.

Waste within the silo consists primarily of aluminium pile fuel cladding but it also contains significant quantities of Magnox Swarf and other miscellaneous waste. It is one of the most significant radiological waste management challenges in the UK. Cavendish Nuclear, as part of a joint venture with Sellafield, were tasked with the delivery of plant and equipment capable of accessing the legacy waste, removing it and transferring it into containers for safe interim storage.

Cavendish Nuclear engaged with KUKA Systems UK to develop, design, and build a robotic system for use within the Waste Container Handling Facility (WCHF) of the PFCS. A series of engineering studies and reports were conducted involving KUKA, Cavendish Nuclear and Sellafield to explore the feasibility of several robotic systems design variations, with simulation models were created for each design option.

These digital twins featured all elements of the robot equipment and periphery and, featured actual physical assets within the WCHF. Optioning and risk reduction exercises were conducted on the various concepts, until a workable solution was identified.

The robot system removes bolts from the lid of the Waste Container (WC) and

places them into a bolt storage rack. The WC is moved to a separate area where the lid is removed and the container filled with waste. When full the lid is placed back in position and the WC is moved back into the robot cell.

The robot then deploys a felt swab to test the lid seal area, which is analysed to determine that no contamination is present around the seal. If the WC is clean, the bolts are then replaced by the robot and each bolt tightened to a pre-determined torque. The WC is then exported from the WCHF. The robotic bolting and swabbing processes are KUKA standard process that can also be applied to future projects within the nuclear and other industry sectors. The robot cell consists of: → A KUKA KR150 six axis industrial robot

mounted on a fabricated support pedestal—the robot is fitted with an automatic tool changing device that allows both the nut running tool, used for bolt removal and the swab gripping tool be deployed. → A tool storage rack—allowing safe

storage of the robot tooling when not in use.

→ A bolt storage rack—allowing

storage of lid bolts when they have been removed.

→ Swab cassette storage stand—

allowing for storage of one hundred felt

swabs, ready for collection by the robot when required. → A programmable logic controller cell

control system—providing complete control of the robot cell and safe operation by way of safety interlocks.

The robot cell was designed, built and fully tested at KUKA Systems UK to the customer’s satisfaction. Plant operating staff were trained on the use of the equipment, once pass-off trials were completed.

The equipment was then dismantled and delivered to the Sellafield site. The robot cell was successfully installed at Sellafield, tested along with other operating equipment within the WCHF, with active waste retrieval beginning in late 2019.

This stage of the PFCSR project is known as the Early Retrievals Project.

The next stage ‘Full Retrievals’ will soon commence. There is a requirement for an additional robot cell for use within this stage of waste retrievals.

The project was an exciting concept for KUKA Systems UK. It involved many hours of innovative development, detailed design and in-depth investigation and evaluation, to solve complex challenges with practical solutions before a final robotic solution was established.

The project helped to strengthen KUKA UK’s presence within the Nuclear Industry and show its ongoing commitment to the sector into the future.

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Embrace the jolt: Turning crisis management into sustainable value BY. CHRIS SHERYN / PA CONSULTING SERVICES LTD

“YOU MUST NEVER CONFUSE FAITH THAT YOU WILL PREVAIL IN THE END —WHICH YOU CAN NEVER AFFORD TO LOSE—WITH THE DISCIPLINE TO CONFRONT THE MOST BRUTAL FACTS OF YOUR CURRENT REALITY, WHATEVER THEY MIGHT BE.” JAMES STOCKDALE, VIETNAM PRISONER OF WAR

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his is true in most situations, but it seems particularly relevant in the face of COVID-19. We know humanity will get through the pandemic, and that the disruption offers significant opportunities to do things better and build a positive human future. But we must also face the short-term harsh realities.

Most organisations quickly embraced this short-term view.

As governments restricted people’s movement to contain the virus, organisations mobilised response teams to understand the implications on their workforce and supply chain. But it soon became clear that the situation was evolving too quickly for ‘scenario + response’. Organisations needed to understand the likelihood of scenarios.

Epidemiologists have helped here by explaining the spread of the virus. That’s let response teams get slightly ahead of the curve, taking decisions based on what’s likely to happen in the coming days instead of responding to issues after they arise.

As many organisations now have strategies to maintain critical operations in the short-term, it’s time to consider the medium-term actions that will move organisations from ensuring survival to preparing to thrive.

Embrace the jolt In the medium-term, as we move past this crisis, organisations can look to use the unprecedented disruption to their advantage.

New working practices, adopted out of necessity, can offer sustainable value in the future. Two examples of this that many organisations have adopted are results-only work environment (ROWE) and more digital operations: • ROWE – the link between attendance and value has vanished with remote working, so it’s essential to manage people based on what they deliver rather than presence. Many people find this an attractive way to work as it offers more flexibility and responsibility, meaning it usually boosts productivity and helps attract and retain top talent.

There are many similar examples of changes made in response to the current crisis that will deliver value in the future if maintained. The challenge is in embedding those changes as the ‘new normal’ rather than temporary reactive measures. In our experience, that comes down to focusing on three actions: 1. Learn lessons now

As we emerge from this crisis, we’ll all reflect on our responses and review what worked well. But research shows it only takes around two weeks for people to comply with perceived organisational norms. So, within a couple of weeks, people will have eased back into the old ways of working and lose all the transformative responses.

Now, as we continue to respond to the pandemic, is the time to review what’s working and consider what you might want to retain. Don’t wait to do this after things have started to return to normality: producing a report into the lessons learned while we’re forced to embrace different approaches will highlight the opportunities to retain helpful new practices and behaviours.

2. Effectively manage the restart

The supply chain for operations includes resource of all types – time, money, physical space, expertise, manpower etc. As organisations consider restarting operations, projects will often look to mitigate perceived supply risks by over-resourcing. It’s the business equivalent of stockpiling toilet paper.

Such behaviours will put stress on the supply of resources, resulting in performance dropping below pre-crisis levels. So, in the medium-term, it’s vital to look at the organisation’s value streams and understand how the system works so you can manage resources as you re-scale operations.

3. Connect with your people

Most of us intuitively understand that performance increases when people feel a connection with their organisation.

But remote working can put a strain on people’s sense of connectedness. So, organisations need to take immediate action to maintain that connection. In our experience, putting purpose first and communicating openly has a significant impact.

A clear purpose is an anchor that helps you sensecheck your plans, make good decisions and organise what you do. By putting your organisation’s purpose first, everyone will be able to trust decisions and feel connected.

And open, continuous discussions that clearly share essential information give everyone a full understanding of what’s happening, letting them connect with the reasons behind decisions.

Thriving in the new reality In the long-term, as we all settle into the post-pandemic world, organisations will need to quickly reassess and clarify their strategies. Having embraced the jolt of the pandemic, there will be new capabilities to exploit as we answer new demands. And people will need to understand how that impacts the strategy communicated before COVID-19 hit.

Business leaders should consider not just ‘how to do what we do a little bit better’ but ‘the Big Hairy Audacious Goals to which we could collectively commit the organisation’. It’s these big ambitions that can be the catalyst for sustaining the focus, urgency and engagement many organisations are seeing through the crisis.

In the wake of COVID-19, it will be an organisation’s ability to recognise the opportunities it faces that differentiates it. By quickly moving from short-term reactions to proactively embedding new ways of working in the medium-term, they can capture those opportunities and thrive in a post-coronavirus world.

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Image by Gerd Altmann — https://pixabay.com/illustrations/corona-coronavirus-virus-blood-5174671

• Digital operations – remote working has made organisations much more digital in the way they operate. And the most progressive COOs and CEOs are using this to drive digital transformation and achieve big performance goals.

Civil nuclear and our approach to security risk – time for a re-think?

BY. ADRIAN PRIOR / FRAZER-NASH CONSULTANCY LIMITED

In this article, Frazer-Nash’s Adrian Prior examines the current approach to civil nuclear security risk assessment, and suggests potential refinements that draw upon nuclear safety good practice.

How do we know that our civil nuclear sites are resilient to potential attack by terrorists, criminals or state-sponsored hackers? Currently, we determine necessary security requirements through analysis of the Design Basis Threat (DBT), as recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Being prescriptive in nature, this approach sits awkwardly within our outcome-focused regulatory framework, where Dutyholders are encouraged to take greater responsibility for managing security risk. How can we develop our approach to realise additional security and business benefits?

Some regard nuclear security DBT as a ‘one size fits all’ model—defined at a national level and setting a de facto risk appetite for the entire nuclear estate. It describes the motivation, intentions and capabilities of potential adversaries, both outsiders and insiders; and spanning the physical, personnel and cyber security domains.

The details within a DBT analysis are bespoke to individual countries, reflecting their intelligence assessment and their appetite for future proofing against novel threats. In the UK, DBT details are contained within the Nuclear Industries Malicious Capabilities (Planning) Assumptions (NIMCA) document.

A DBT approach sets the scope of the threat to be considered in security risk assessments conducted by Dutyholders and Requesting Parties (RPs), when designing and validating their security systems. Protection systems, designed and evaluated against these threats, primarily focus on preventing the theft or sabotage of nuclear and radiological material, and the compromise of sensitive nuclear information.

Within these site-level risk assessments, however, there is limited value placed on the likelihood that a malicious event will take place—usually a key factor in risk assessment in other sectors.

The second important factor in the security assessment process is the ‘security outcomes’. Set by the Regulator, these are dependent on the nature and quantity of the nuclear and radiological material being held, and the potential consequences of an attack; this follows the IAEA ‘graded approach’.

A site’s security system must mitigate malicious attacks to a level commensurate with both the relevant ‘security outcome’ and the adversary capabilities defined in the DBT analysis.

Different sites and RPs must meet different security outcomes, but all use the same DBT.

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A deterministic model The current UK approach is ‘deterministic’: focused on ‘determining’ the effectiveness of security controls and functions within an outcome-focused regulatory environment.

This model assumes that the probability of an initiating event is always 1.0.1 What matters is how effective the security system is in mitigating adversary scenarios, developed from the DBT, to the limits defined in the relevant security outcome. But the plausible likelihood of different types of events taking place is a key factor in risk assessment of all types, and the IAEA Nuclear Security Series guidance underscores the importance of threat assessment and ‘a risk-informed approach’ to nuclear security.

The variable security outcomes, matched to the assets being protected on individual sites, enable a ‘pseudo’ riskbased and graded approach to be implemented However, the lack of emphasis on determining the ‘likelihood’ of securityinitiating events in the UK seems to be driven by the high consequence nature of some sites, and an understandable low-risk appetite for the entire sector.

Challenging the current approach There are a number of drawbacks to the current model: → All categories of nuclear site must apply the same DBT

approach, regardless of how attractive or vulnerable their site may be to an adversary, or the severity of the consequences that may result from a malicious attack. → The concept of residual risk,2 and the expectation that risk

should be reduced to As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP), is generally not acknowledged or applied by civil nuclear security professionals. As a result, there is limited incentive to quantify and actively manage residual risk. → Dutyholders trying to take advantage of the outcome-

focused regulatory framework in their risk assessment process are constrained by the lack of value placed on the ‘likelihood’ of an adversary initiating an event.

→ The NIMCA document is detailed and sensitive, and cannot

easily be shared with vendors engaged in the early design process for new and novel reactors, inhibiting their ability to design-in appropriate levels of inherent and intrinsic security. → A State sponsored DBT document may need a significant

amount of conservatism built in, to anticipate developments in the threat over the lifetime of the plant. This may result in over-engineered security solutions for some sites. → The deterministic approach sets rigid security outcomes for the

theft of nuclear and radiological material, irrespective of how the material is held (although it is anticipated that the regulator would be receptive to well-argued challenges to this).

A refined approach In nuclear safety, a combined deterministic and probabilistic approach is used. But how could this model be applied to nuclear security?

Deterministic analysis is considered more suitable for events of higher frequency, where the acceptance criteria are set, with probabilistic safety analysis used as a tool to evaluate the risk arising from low frequency sequences that can lead to ‘barrier’ damage. A probabilistic element for security could work as shown in the diagram below.

In stage one, an initial probabilistic assessment of malicious initiating events is undertaken, considering the likelihood that

a specific scenario (based on the DBT) might occur. At stage two, the reliability of the systems designed to meet the security requirements is assessed, including Information and Operational Technology systems.

For stage three—the event sequences that might lead to unacceptable radiological consequences—theft of nuclear or radiological material, or compromise of sensitive nuclear information are identified and assessed, using event-tree methodology.

Potential benefits A probabilistic approach in the early stages of design could help inform the classification of security related structures, systems, and components, through consideration of reliability.

A combined probabilistic and deterministic approach to nuclear security risk assessment would retain the benefits of applying a State level DBT analysis, but imbue Dutyholders with a degree of freedom.

It would allow them to determine, and demonstrate to the Regulator, that their security arrangements can deliver outcomes proportionate to both the consequences and the variable likelihood of malicious events at individual sites. This, in turn, enables the Dutyholder to more actively manage its security risk, and to have a greater sense of ownership.

A more finely tuned security system could offer the Dutyholder a reduction in security costs, a lessening of potential negative impacts on its business; and improve its competitive advantage.

Probabilistic approach to security risk

Stage 1

• Probabilistic assessment of malicious initiating events

Stage 2

• Analysis of reliability of security systems

Stage 3

• Development of adversary scenarios • Assessment of adversary scenarios to identify failure sequences

1 Unlike approaches to determining Physical Protection Systems, specialist cyber security risk assessment methodologies, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, do take account of likelihood in their analysis, as do some approaches to personnel security. This sets cyber and personnel security risk assessment apart from physical security.

2 Residual risk is that risk which remains after all efforts have been made to identify and eliminate risk.

2020 | SUMMER — 13

IN VIEW

DRS helping to keep the country rolling The team at Direct Rail Services (DRS) has pulled out all the stops to make sure it can carry on delivering essential services throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.

The specialist rail freight company, a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), provides rail transport to a range of vital sectors, including nuclear power stations, logistics and distribution for supermarkets, passenger rail as well as helping maintain the UK’s rail network.

The Carlisle-based firm has enacted its business continuity plans and put in place extra layers of safety and protection for all its staff working across the UK —from train crew to engineering and maintenance teams through to train planners and the essential office-based staff that keep the trains running on time.

Chris Connelly, Managing Director, said: “We have an important role to play to help keep the country going during these difficult times. DRS’ services make sure the country’s nuclear power stations can keep working, food and other goods are available on supermarket shelves, key workers can get to their place of work, and the rail infrastructure can be maintained.

DRS’ intermodal work has been crucial, delivering vital supplies for supermarkets up and down the country. Their distinctive locomotives are moving thousands of shipping containers every week—with DRS initially running some of its longest trains to keep up with demand.

NDA Chief Executive, David Peattie, said: “DRS plays a crucial role in the NDA’s mission—safely transporting materials across the UK to support nuclear decommissioning and EDF Energy’s operating power stations. Their non-nuclear work, keeping the supermarket shelves full and helping keep the rail network running for key workers, has never been more important.”

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2020 | SUMMER — 15

Daventry to Mossend supermarket freight service. Image courtesy of Direct Rail Services — www.directrailservices.com

Glovebox facilities for the manufacture of mixed oxide fuels at NNL Central Laboratory, Sellafield.

Advanced fuel cycles for an advanced nuclear fleet: AFCP is delivering major successes BY. ADRIAN BULL, EXTERNAL RELATIONS DIRECTOR, AND CAROLINE LONGMAN, ACCOUNT DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT / NNL

O

ur global civil nuclear sector was born out of the brilliance, research and insight of scientists many decades ago (many of them British) who developed an understanding of atomic structure, how to split the atom to generate energy and how to harness that energy for largescale electricity production.

Now that global corporations are built around nuclear power, which generates around 20% of the UK’s electricity needs, it would be easy to question the need for major programmes of nuclear research. Traditionally, government funding for nuclear research had been focused on the back end of the fuel cycle and during the 1980s and 1990s government funding for such R&D fell to virtually zero, leading to the closure of many nuclear laboratories in the UK. With the subsequent advent of new nuclear power, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee recognised that an ambitious programme of nuclear research and development was necessary to grow UK industrial capability to deliver and support a new generation of nuclear reactors. Their report in 2011 led to a number of positive steps, including the establishment of the Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board (NIRAB), to bring industry experts together with Government officials to advise on what interventions would be most effective.

NIRAB produced a detailed set of recommendations to Government in 2016, advising on the priority areas for investment needed to underpin a major programme of nuclear research. This in turn heralded the start of the ‘Nuclear Innovation Programme’ (NIP) with the objective to secure,

16 — SUMMER | 2020

maintain and develop UK-based capability and capacity, returning Britain to the “top table” of nuclear nations. This £180m programme of work—part of the wider £500m Energy Innovation Programme, all funded by BEIS—represents the first significant public investment in nuclear fission research and innovation for a generation.

In order for nuclear to meet challenges of increased demand and cost efficiency, and thus be competitive with other clean energy sources, it was recognised that there needed to be a step change in technology and that R&D would be required to develop new technologies through to deployment. Advanced reactor technologies require advanced fuel cycles and developing new fuel cycle solutions with increased efficiencies will make a huge difference to the lifetime costs of nuclear energy.

A major element of the NIP is the Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme (AFCP), led by the NNL and delivered in partnership with our extensive industrial and academic supply chain. The safety and economic benefits of more advanced fuel types are now being recognised and attracting global interest. Developments are being seen on both advanced near term type fuels, and those supporting longer term “Generation IV” opportunities.

Building a strong R&D capability, including the skills and facilities to undertake the key aspects of fuel manufacture, will underpin the realisation of economic benefits from advanced reactors and fuel cycles. In addition, there is recognition that it is strongly in the UK’s interest to keep the closed fuel cycle option open.

To enable this, new and advanced spent fuel management routes are needed, which improve the economic and environmental benefits of spent fuel recycling, which generate less waste for geological disposal and enhance proliferation resistance. This includes managing spent fuel for a future Generation IV industry, and to develop the UK’s R&D capability to support such an opportunity. The AFCP is designed to meet exactly these needs.

The technical scope of AFCP spans the entire fuel cycle.

Front end fuel development activities focus on three different categories of advanced fuels. Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF), Coated Particle Fuels (CPF) and Fast Reactor Fuels (FRF). The ATF programme develops fuels with improved safety, performance and efficiency. This includes novel fuel materials such as highdensity uranium nitride fuels, and other variants look at new cladding materials such as composites or advanced coatings.

The CPF programme seeks to re-establish a capability to manufacture coated fuel kernels and the FRF programme maintains and develops capability to support longer term options, which could underpin UK policy for the future.

Development of advanced fuel recycling technologies can drive increased sustainability and minimise the burden on a future geological waste repository. This may be critical in enabling the expanded use of nuclear energy. The AFCP is exploring novel technologies that provide substantial opportunities to reduce fuel cycle costs, reduce wastes and environmental impacts as well as enhancing safety, security and proliferation resistance compared to current reprocessing technology.

These technology options include developments of the existing “PUREX” process as well as newer technologies such as pyro-processing. Some advantages of technologies under consideration are flexible (and possibly modular or scalable), so they can potentially be adapted to suit various future scenarios.

The AFCP programme is not just about development of technology though. Other strategic objectives are around development of future technical expertise, engaging and supporting a vibrant and innovative UK supply chain and restoring the UK to its former place among the recognised “thought leaders” of the nuclear sector.

To that end, it’s worth recognising that under four major focus areas of Capability, Capacity, Cost reduction and Collaboration, the programme has already delivered major successes:

Equipment for casting of CPF kernels installed at the NNL facility at Springfields in Lancashire

hree stages of pilot scale centrifugal contactors T (installed at the University of Leeds under AFCP)

→ The programme has supported over 22,000 hours of research

in advanced fuel and fuel cycle. This helps to maintain and develop key skills to underpin future UK nuclear capability, secure “at risk” skills, support highly skilled jobs and develop the ability to export expertise in advanced nuclear fuels; → AFCP is utilising world leading UK infrastructure delivered

through government investment; → The work has already involved contracting with around 30

companies in the wider UK supply chain (for an expected total of £20m of work), with over half of this going to SMEs; → Through the programme’s work, there has been significant

international influence, both bi-lateral and multi-lateral programmes, for example, having UK chairs appointed to a number of OECD/ NEA Expert Groups and programmes developed as part of the UK’s contribution to the Generation IV International Forum.

The inception of AFCP pre-dates the ratification of net zero into UK law. However, by developing cost competitive advanced fuel cycle solutions for an advanced nuclear fleet, the programme supports the growth of affordable clean energy which is vital to the prosperity of the UK and meeting the net zero challenge.

2020 | SUMMER — 17

Over 75 and working through lockdown...

Centronic adds another chapter to its history BY. ROBERT MCKEAG / CENTRONIC

When you run a company with a long history, you have certain responsibilities—not just the familiar ones in the Companies Act, but the knowledge that other people have committed their lives to building the business with you and guiding it through decades of opportunity and peril.

This thought is ever-present, but was not foremost, in our minds at the start of the year. 2020 marks 75 years since Centronic was founded and 20 years since it was rejuvenated as a private SME, so at our first leadership meeting in January the talk quickly turned to how we would celebrate our special anniversaries.

Social events would clearly play a key part: cram the whole company onto a Thames cruise, open days for the community and maybe a dinner or barbeque with partners?

This programme would have been a generous celebration in normal times, but writing now in the midst of lockdown, it would be blatantly illegal.

The pivot described above is one which every business in our industry is facing in some form in response to the

Factory frontage circa 1975

18 — SUMMER | 2020

COVID-19 pandemic: simple things which seemed natural have become unthinkable whilst the unimaginably absurd has suddenly become our new normal.

In this article we will outline how we at Centronic have approached the pandemic as an SME of 93 people as well as how and why we have continued to trade and manufacture throughout it.

One of the great strengths of the nuclear industry is of course its global sharing of experience and practices, so this edition of Industry Link seems an appropriate place to facilitate that sharing.

Centronic was founded in 1945 as the country emerged from the second world war. Gilbert Tomes and Alan Tidmarsh had worked through the war with John Logie Baird at Crystal Palace, repurposing their broadcast engineering skills to build early electronic components for radar and munitions. During rationing, Gilbert had kept bees for their honey and had developed a novel Geiger-Muller tube deployed with radioactive paint to manage the swarm. Post-

20th Century Electronics’ first company dinner, 1953

20th Century Electronics technical literature circa 1950

Gilbert Tomes operating his queen bee detector circa 1944

war, they identified a broader need for radiation detectors and started out on their own.

Centurian Tubes grew up into Twentieth Century Electronics which was later concatenated to Centronic. During the following years the company had to deal with the death of a founder, fires, economic instability, political uncertainty and unfair competition: all the slings and arrows which can typically bend and then break a small company. And yet they survived and thrived.

Gilbert and his team developed the business into new areas including neutron f lux detectors for reactor control, semiconductors and novel materials. The company entered a period of corporate ownership when Gilbert exited prosperously in the early 1980’s but then faced questionable leadership followed by the discomfort of being a Cinderella subsidiary to a business whose interests lay elsewhere.

In the millennial year the company was taken back into private ownership by Ian Crawford and Neil Foreman who returned it to a stable, sustainable operation and grew it through acquisitions while the nuclear industry itself transitioned from cold-war pariah to its present renaissance as part of our low-carbon future. And now it was our turn…

The present leadership team at Centronic had been formed in early 2019, which meant that we had the benefit of a year of working together and experience of introducing extensive change in our respective roles before we had to respond to the unfamiliar landscape of the coronavirus. All five of us agree that the trust and relationships we had already formed with each other would prove to be a foundation which we would lean on heavily in what was to follow.

Like most people in the UK, we would have considered the prominent news stories in early 2020 to have been wildfires in Australia, Greta Thunberg’s travels and the f loods in Wales and the west of England. The emergence of a “new SARS” in China had been known since before Christmas but seemed initially to be a local problem, a long way away.

Two inf luences changed this perception and primed us to begin to manage the coronavirus threat considerably earlier than if we had relied solely on government advice: the first was our close business relationship with our representatives in Beijing, as this shrank the distance, and the second was the media coverage of a British “super spreader” who self lessly decided to share his story. It was evident this virus was now global.

Our first precautionary behaviour on-site occurred in midFebruary, when a member of staff reported having had contact with someone who had travelled from a virus affected region.

At this early point we decided to err on the side of caution and require staff in that situation to stay away from work in the behaviour we have all now come to know as “isolating”.

Following these early warning signs, we convened a “COVID-19 Working Group” to collate information and formulate advice within the company. This approach enabled us to focus professional effort on our coronavirus response while containing that activity so that it did not become the all-consuming function of our whole management team.

Crucially, the working group did not include the CEO, as we agreed from the outset that he needed to be able to focus primarily on running the business while drawing on advice from the working group.

With the working group in place we launched a suite of activities based on a simple written policy of “1: Protect our staff and 2: Protect the business”. This included the ramp-up of hygiene practices, safe guarding particular staff, reviewing likely impact on supply and demand, preparing IT hardware and services for increased offsite working and ,yes, ordering a sufficient supply of certain consumables.

Key insights emerged quickly. The first, was that addressing the concerns and insecurities of staff would be a

2020 | SUMMER — 19

demanding and essential activity. These concerns were often driven by factors and media outside the workplace and we found it challenging to moderate them credibly in a situation where we were not always confident of how many assurances we could offer.

The other insight was that our only rational option was to maintain, so far as possible, “business as usual”. Our business continuity plan was written primarily to cope with a sudden catastrophic loss of facility or capability and would have been an inappropriate tool to manage the slow-drip waiting game of a risk event which we were anticipating, but which had not yet manifested.

In this context, the agility of a working group proved far more appropriate than a pre-packaged plan.

While the working group executed its preparations and pivots, our CEO got on with running the company and quickly found that this is what our customers very much expected.

We received “key worker” status flowed down from one of our major UK nuclear customers and corresponding requests to sustain manufacturing arrived from familiar industry names and even the Queen’s representative in Ontario.

We also received requests to keep supplying our photodiodes to manufacturers of lab and medical equipment for virus detection and blood oxygenation machines. To meet these obligations we proceeded with the planned purchase and installation of a new CNC Turning Centre for our

machine shop, a revised control system for our cleanroom air conditioning (reducing electricity usage by 20%), construction of a new product cleaning facility and changes to our MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning) system to embed the previous year’s major upgrade. All implemented with social distancing and with as many staff as possible working from home.

As we approach the mid-year and come to terms with the general consensus that the world will be living alongside coronavirus for the foreseeable future, it is too early to judge whether or not the decisions we have made were optimal. That insight will require some years of perspective, however, as a leadership team we are proud of the way that our staff, suppliers, customers and our industry have worked together to enable us to operate into and through such a challenging period.

Our concerns about doing justice to Gilbert Tomes’s legacy will never fully disappear but for now we are looking forward to a busy second half of the year and can take quiet satisfaction from the fact that the COVID-19 epidemic does not yet rate among the darkest or most perilous periods in our company’s 75 year history.

So long as we continue to keep our staff safe and protect the business, we can allow ourselves to be ready and eager for the next 75 years.

CNC Turning Supervisor instructs Apprentice Machinist Taylor McPhillips on the new XYZ CT65 machining centre

20 — SUMMER | 2020

SNAPSHOT

Atkins tracking Hinkley construction with drones Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, has been appointed to undertake monthly drone flights across Hinkley Point C, to provide survey data on the nuclear power stations’ ongoing construction work.

Once a month, Atkins is using a multi-platform approach to survey the 180-hectare site, deploying its fixedwing Wingtra drone to survey the entire site and multi-rotor drones to conduct localised surveys.

With Extended Visual Line of Sight (EVLOS) permission granted by the Civil Aviation Authority earlier this month, Atkins can conduct the survey from up to 650ft above ground level, within a range of 1.5km from the drone pilot.

The increased altitude afforded by the EVLOS certification is particularly useful at Hinkley Point C, home to the world’s

biggest crane “Big Carl”—created by NIA member Sarens—which, at 568ft, exceeds the standard drone surveying altitude permissions.

All flights will comply with Civil Aviation Authority regulations on the use of drones at restricted installations.

The high-precision data collected will report on the as-built state of the site and will enable progress monitoring and non-conformance detection, while also supporting informed decision-making on stock management and road planning.

With data captured using cuttingedge technology, the use of drones will increase the speed of data capture and the fidelity of the data, while also ensuring that the impact to site operations is kept to a minimum.

Charlton Bland, Digital Survey Lead at Atkins, said: “Conducting drone

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

surveys at Hinkley Point C is a great example of how we are pairing our engineering expertise with the latest technology and digital workflows.

“The data we collect via the drone survey will help support the safe construction of this nuclear power plant, which is expected to play a central role in the low-carbon energy future of the UK in decades to come.”

Atkins has almost 30 years of aerial survey experience. It has been using drone technology for data capture since 2015 and was the first company to use drones at an operating nuclear power station, at Dungeness B in 2017.

The appointment at Hinkley Point C builds on decades of work on the project and over 1.5m hours of support, from delivering engineering designs to on-theground support via site secondments.

NIAUK.ORG

2020 | SUMMER — 21

M

eet Karen Wheeler, new Chief Executive Officer of Radioactive Waste Management (RWM). RWM, as part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group, is leading the way for the safe, secure, long-term management of the most hazardous radioactive waste in the UK. Karen’s previously held roles as Director General of the Border Delivery Group, leading the border planning for EU exit, and NHS England’s National Director for Transformation and Corporate Operations, as well as leading major change and infrastructure projects in the Ministry of Justice—so she is used to embracing important and complex challenges.

Speaking to Industry Link, she explains RWM’s role and the progress being made towards delivering a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).

IN CONVERSATION ...

KAREN WHEELER

WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT YOUR NEW ROLE?

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The importance to the UK of RWM’s mission to deliver a GDF for the UK’s legacy radioactive waste is awe-inspiring and hugely exciting.

A GDF is vital long-term environmental project that is a necessary and right thing to do. In collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, we are collectively taking responsibility and getting on with permanently dealing with the UK’s radioactive waste for the benefit of future generations.

I am very proud to be leading RWM and working collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver this multi-billion pound, 100 year project of national importance. It brings together remarkable expertise and experience across a range of sectors.

WHAT IS A GDF AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? The UK has a long and proud history of nuclear innovation.

For more than sixty years now we have used nuclear technologies in power generation to generate low carbonelectricity, and for medical purposes.

Like all industrial processes, these activities have produced waste—and the most hazardous waste is currently being stored safely in storage facilities at more than 20 locations around the country. But this waste will remain hazardous and requires looking after safely for tens of thousands of years.

We cannot reasonably expect to continue to manage this waste in such facilities for that time; surface storage facilities require constant monitoring, ongoing maintenance, and every few decades stores and packaging need to be replaced with huge cost and additional risks for workers who have to carry out this maintenance and re-packaging.

Surface facilities will also remain vulnerable to the environmental and social risks and changes that will occur over many thousands of years, such as sea-level changes, extreme weather events, and unforeseen social disruption.

A permanent safe solution is required, and the internationally recognised best solution is geological disposal, deep underground. So we are planning to safely and permanently dispose of this waste in a GDF—a highlyengineered network of vaults and tunnels built into the rock

The Twittersphere BY. GEORGINA HINES

many hundreds of metres underground to ensure that no harmful levels of radiation ever reach the surface environment.

This is the solution being adopted world-wide, with countries including Sweden, Finland, France and Canada already working on their plans to construct their own GDFs.

WHAT IS THE ROLE FOR THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY AND NIA MEMBERS? The nuclear industry is absolutely integral to the delivery of a GDF. RWM is currently a small organisation of less than 200 people. We can only deliver this by drawing on the skills, experience, and expertise of the nuclear sector. Right now we are working on planning and mobilising a delivery programme; the next stage will require partnerships with the industry and supply chain to help deliver future phases of our mission.

IS PROGRESS BEING MADE TO DELIVER A GDF? The siting process for a GDF in the UK is now well underway following the publication of the updated UK Government policy document on Working with Communities in December 2018, and the equivalent Welsh Government policy in January 2019.

At RWM, we are actively engaging with people and communities across the country to help them find out more about the opportunities this long-term investment programme could offer them, so they can decide whether their community might be interested.

Behind the scenes there is also a great deal of activity to ensure a GDF is delivered, including cutting edge research to inform our work, the development of GDF design and safety cases, and developing RWM for safe and effective delivery.

WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE AND WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? For the year ahead, we have three priorities: the first is to establish Working Groups and then Community Partnerships to support GDF siting; the second is to progress the detailed planning and technical preparation needed for the next phase of work, when we have some agreed sites to investigate technically; and thirdly, we are building the skills and capabilities which RWM needs to plan, manage, and deliver this major programme.

We have a very clear mission: to find an appropriate site, with a community which is keen to realise the benefits the project can potentially offer over the long term, and to deliver a GDF which will safely enable permanent disposal of the UK’s legacy of radioactive waste.

We can only do this by working in close collaboration with our stakeholders, in particular those in the nuclear sector— and I have every confidence we will succeed in our goal.

When Twitter announced it was banning political adverts there was widespread applause. The timing couldn’t have been better, following Mark Zuckerberg’s court appearance for Facebook’s role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the company being charged $5bn as a result. Twitter moved in and claimed the ‘moral high ground’ over Facebook (if morality is ever something an information platform can, in fact, claim).

Aside from the obvious popularity boost for the platform, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said: “This isn’t about free expression.

This is about paying for reach. Paying to increase the reach of political speech has significant ramifications that today’s democratic infrastructure may not be prepared to handle.”

The announcement was a first in the sector, but now that the dust has settled Twitter will need to implement this policy and it’s not going to be without bumps in the road.

One of the big questions is: who will be most affected by the ban? Despite Trump’s grievances with Twitter’s plan, he and other big names in politics are unlikely to be affected.

Once a politician reaches a certain level of fame, they make the news—one Tweet becomes five news stories. But for politicians with smaller Who to follow? audiences, such as those Want information on nuclear running for local positions, and other relevant topics? they rely on political adverts to extend their reach, project This issue we recommend messages and break through you follow: the news cycle. Without these adverts, it is be extremely @urencoglobal difficult to get noticed. @VirginiaCrosbie For me, how Twitter will @theCCCuk moderate this ban will be the @WorldEnergyTV most interesting story.

‘Political’ ads and campaigns is a broad description in a world where almost everything can be linked back to politics. How Twitter will define ‘political,’ I’m sure will provoke some debate in the coming months. There are the sensitive topics that will be dangerous territory, which they could have a tough time winning whatever side they choose.

There will also be the question of who this applies to, as well as the content of these posts. Is it just politicians and campaigns that will be subjected to the ban? Or will any person or organisation with political ties or leanings face increased moderation of their paid promotions?

Twitter hasn’t hit any of these big tests yet but I’m betting with the US elections coming up later this year, the ban won’t be without problems for long.

Twitter Count Followers: 7,746 Tweets: 10.8 K

@jack We’ve made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally. We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought.

2020 | SUMMER — 23

NEWS IN BRIEF

UKAEA signs multimillion-pound framework agreement The framework will allow companies to work closely with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), which researches the development of nuclear fusion energy and its related technologies.

Further, it will enable UKAEA to call upon a broad range of engineering and technical skills as UKAEA’s range of activities (in fusion research, powerplant design, robotics, materials and other technology areas) continues to flourish.

It will be vital in the mission to develop commercial fusion power, while also helping to grow the UK economy by ensuring industry are fully involved.

The arrangement means UKAEA can call upon experts as and when needed to undertake a range of projects. There is also the opportunity for providers to

work together on initiatives costing more than £100,000.

Paula Barham, UKAEA Head of Procurement, said: “This framework brings exciting opportunities for UKAEA; to work collaboratively with the Supply Chain and maximise the potential value within those relationships. This is vital to UKAEA succeeding and positioning the UK as a leader in sustainable nuclear energy.”

The collaboration features companies with a background in some, or all of, the following: mechanical engineering, process engineering, computer-based modelling and simulations, minor structural engineering for design, specialist nuclear services, and electrical, control and instrumentation (EC&I).

NUVIA awarded place on Higher Activity Waste Framework

24 — SUMMER | 2020

One example of how the arrangement could work is the delivery of a feasibility study—or concept design—for STEP. STEP is the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production, a UKAEA programme to design and build the world’s first compact fusion reactor by 2040.

Gary Stables, Engineering Design Office Group Leader at UKAEA, said: “I look forward to working closely with our industrial partners, and working together to solve some of the challenges we will encounter on the road to a commercially viable fusion powerplant.”

Companies in the framework are: Assystem, DBD, Rolls-Royce, Jacobs, Frazer Nash, Atkins, IDOM and Mott MacDonald.For more information contact richard.woodall@ukaea.uk.

NUVIA, as the leader of the ORCHID consortium of companies, has won a place on a four-year contract to deliver Engineering Design support to Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) as part of its High Activity Waste (HAW) Framework.

This contract will allow the ORCHID team to provide substantial support to RWM as they move forward in developing a repository for the disposal of High Activity Wastes from the UK Nuclear Industry.

The ORCHID consortium is composed of NUVIA, Orano Projects, WSP, National Nuclear Laboratories (NNL) and Gardiner and Theobald LLC supported by specialist suppliers including NIS, Optima Systems Consultancy and Risktec.

Ian Wigginton, Head Of Delivery for Nuvia Consulting and the Contract Manager, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for NUVIA, and its partners within ORCHID, to play an important role in the design of this vital waste management facility to the UK Nuclear Industry during an important phase in its development.”

Following its previous involvement through the Specialist Nuclear Services Framework, NUVIA is delighted to secure this opportunity to continue supporting RWM. This contract aligns well to NUVIA’s strategic objectives and builds upon its proven expertise and experience across both engineering design and radioactive waste consultancy, to support the management of the UK’s nuclear legacy.

NIS manufactures essential safety equipment

Assystem acquires Corporate Risk Associates

NIS Ltd was proud to see products it had manufactured start making their way to Key Workers and the frontline.

Its first intubation shield box, based on a design from The Manufacturing Technology Centre was completed in early May and since then has been in the process of manufacturing another 10, which will be gifted to the NHS. The shields purpose is to minimise risk of exposure to COVID-19 for frontline care givers involved in both the intubation and extubation processes.

A large number of visors, which were printed on its 3D printers, were also distributed to Buckshaw Village Care Home and Eachstep Blackburn, which is a specialist Dementia care service as well as more making their way to a cause close to the heart of a member of the NIS Calleva Park team.

Mace, Laing O’Rourke and Arcadis round up a million items of PPE for the NHS In April Laing O’Rourke, Mace and Arcadis were among 40 construction organisations that gathered together a million items of PPE for NHS staff.

The collaborative, industry-wide campaign, which was co-ordinated by consultancy Arcadis, was initially challenged to find 250,000 items of PPE over four days for NHS London.

With the help of organisations including Network Rail, CBRE and recruitment service Kelly, more than a million items were sourced.

Among the substantial number of donations collected were 150,000 gowns/coveralls, 650,000 masks and 420,000 gloves. Arcadis said a large amount of the PPE went to north London hospitals to help frontline NHS staff treat coronavirus patients.

Arcadis’s Managing Director for Buildings, Edel Christie, said the consultancy was continuing to seek supplies for the NHS: “There has been an exceptional response from across the industry, which we are proud to be part of,” she said. “We’re now in the process of identifying potential new industrial supply chains capable of supplying thousands more items of PPE for our NHS heroes.”

Laing O’Rourke group Commercial Director John O’Connor revealed the contractor had sourced more than 20,000 items: “We owe an incredible amount to all those working in the NHS to keep us safe. Our project teams across the UK feel humbled that they have been able to support the national effort by sourcing more than 20,000 items of personal protective equipment from the stores on our sites for use by health workers across the country.”

This story was originally published on Construction News https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/health-and-safety/macelaing-orourke-and-arcadis-round-up-million-items-of-ppe-fornhs-22-04-2020.

Assystem SA has acquired 100% of the shares in Corporate Risk Associates (CRA), one of the largest teams of Risk, Safety, Operations and Human Factors consultants in the UK. This acquisition will significantly enhance Assystem’s offering in risk and safety management consultancy across the entire nuclear plant lifecycle, as well as supporting its work in the transport and infrastructure markets, where CRA has significant UK-based experience.

CRA will gain access to Assystem’s projects across the world such as supporting the development of nuclear power plants in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, as well as the work supporting the development of the world’s largest nuclear fusion prototype ITER. CRA will also support the development of major infrastructure projects in France and the Middle East, becoming an integral part of Assystem’s growth ambitions.

CRA will retain its UK operating base, and all of its current team of employees, as part of the move.

Christian Jeanneau, Senior Vice President of Nuclear at Assystem said: “We are delighted to announce that CRA will now become part of Assystem. Their expertise and strong reputation in the delivery of safety case consultancy will significantly enhance our offer to our customers operating across the nuclear plant lifecycle and in the transport and infrastructure market.”

Jasbir Sidhu, Managing Director of CRA said: “This merger is very exciting news for CRA and Assystem. Over the last year, CRA have been actively engaged with Assystem, understanding each other’s company culture and values. We invest significantly in our people and although Assystem is a large corporate body it maintains a family feel to the organisation.

“We both have ambitious growth plans—we genuinely believe that our combined offering will be second to none in the marketplace. I am fully energised by this merger and am looking forward to continuing the CRA journey within Assystem—there is plenty to do, achieve and accomplish ahead for us all.”

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Civil Nuclear Showcase BY. GEORGINA HINES

The Department for International Trade’s Annual Civil Nuclear Showcase took place in March at the Park Plaza Riverbank hotel in Central London.

The Showcase aims to promote the success stories and ingenuity of the UK nuclear industry to delegates from around the world. It likely marks the last time we were in the company of our international friends and colleagues before the current restrictions were put in place.

The two-day event was chaired by the NIA’s Chief Executive Tom Greatrex and featured impressive speakers from across the sector in areas such as financing new build, decommissioning, skills and more.

Speakers included Gwen Parry Jones, CEO of Magnox, Zheng Dongshan, CEO of CGN UK and Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, Nuclear Development Managing Director of EDF Energy.

Our Chairman Tim Stone was among the speakers, taking to the stage as part of a panel discussion on financing large-scale new nuclear projects, alongside other experts in the sector specialising in large infrastructure. Nuclear Sector Deal Project Management Office Director Jay Bhart was also on hand to give an update on the progress of the Nuclear Sector Deal since it was published almost two years ago.

This year also marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the NIA and the Canadian Nuclear Association—represented by Tom Greatrex and CNA President and CEO John Gorman respectively. The MoU encourages the need for greater dialogue between the two nations and commits to collaboration in promoting clean, innovative and advanced nuclear technologies.

“International cooperation is critical to both the current success and the bright future of the nuclear industry,” said Tom. “This MOU will further strengthen ties with our Canadian partners and assist in advancing nuclear power as an essential element of clean energy solutions to address climate issues globally.”

The NIA also took part in two side events at the Showcase. Building on the MoU signed the previous day, the NIA and our Canadian counterparts took part in an Energy Roundtable, with Tom chairing a session on Nuclear New Builds and Refurishments at the Canada UK Nuclear Energy Summit. Ieuan Williams, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, spoke about regional opportunities at a side event organised by the Northern Nuclear Alliance.

We always enjoy our time at the Showcase and hope you did too. See you in 2021!

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BY. JAY BHART

The Nuclear Sector Deal (NSD) was published on 28 June 2018 where a deal had been agreed between UK Government and industry to delivery significant benefits in the form of targets and stated commitments by 2030 to bring the nuclear sector closer together and deliver better strategic social-economic impact.

Delivery of the NSD is structured in five working groups: 1. New Build Cost Reduction 30% reduction in new build 2. Legacy Cost Reduction 20% lost reduction in legacy 3. Winning UK Business £2bn increase in winning UK business 4. Future Workforce 40% Women in Nuclear 5. Innovation and R&D Deliver several Innovation and R&D projects In order to independently support and facilitate the working groups in the delivery of the targets and communicate and report progress against the working groups the Nuclear Sector Deal Programme Management Office (PMO) was established at the end of October with the recruitment of Jay Bhart as PMO Director. There are five key objectives of the PMO:

• • • • •

Deliver an integrated performance and risk dashboard with regular reviews Identify and manage strategic dependencies Communicate and manage key stakeholder groups Support the delivery of the NSD working groups Transparency and traceability

To achieve the objectives of the PMO a number of parttime and full-time secondments have and are in the process of joining the team.

To date the team has five part-time members that directly support the working group leaders and three full-time members to deliver the core requirements of the PMO as well as three part-time support members from Government and industry. The team has a broad range of skills and back grounds and come from organisations across industry.

The key focus over last six months has been setting up the team and establishing roles and responsibilities so it can operate in an effective and efficient way to deliver value.

The next steps include developing an integrated dashboard to track and monitor progress against the targets/comments and plans, deliver and implement a communication strategy on NSD and work closely with and across the working groups to identify common task/themes so that we can integrate them for better value.

The NSD is approaching its second anniversary and plans are underway to look at how to mark this occasion. We will keep you updated on a regular basis with the progress we are making on the NSD and the PMO.

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Until we meet again: Learn and network virtually with the NIA

NEW NIA MEMBERS

BY. STEPHANIE MCKENNA

OX2 Consulting ox2c.com

For business to succeed, information is key. As Member Relations Manager, I know how much members benefit from the business group programme we provide.

Despite the current situation, we aren’t slowing down: we are regularly bringing experts together via webinars and so far, the response has been extremely positive.

If you haven’t yet, I’d urge you to get involved virtually.

While it is not the same as meeting in-person, we’re now all getting used to technology letting us still learn and network, without having to travel hundreds of miles.

The NIA has held several webinars for our members on varied topics. Our first one kicked off with Cavendish Nuclear and PA Consulting dealing with COVID-19 and how predictive planning is essential. This was followed by PA offering NIA members free use of their “conversation starter” tool which helps companies working remotely to identify problematic issues.

The webinar programme continued with a discussion on “myth busting” with over 80 attendees listening to common myths within our industry and the truth behind them.

We heard from Sellafield Ltd and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership on community support and the next stage for Sellafield as well as the wider Northern economic recovery.

NIA members heard from four experts from 39 Essex Chambers around Nuclear Development in the time of Coronavirus: Challenges and opportunities. It was an indepth conversation on commercial insurance, quarantine property issues and Nuclear Information – Security.

The week concluded with a conversation between Tom Greatrex and John Gorman, President of Canadian Nuclear Association. The two leaders discussed the impact on their domestic industry, lessons learned, and the symbiotic relationship between climate and the economy.

We have been lucky enough to be joined by Saranne Postans from UKAEA who, along with her colleague, from Fresh Air Fridays provided us a webinar on mental health and wellbeing.

I especially enjoyed the interactive breathing exercise.

The programme is continuing to grow, and all the webinars are available to NIA members through the members side of the website, so if you missed one you can catch up at your leisure.

We are always listening to our members. Do you have an idea for a webinar or another form of online engagement? I would love to hear it: stephanie.mckenna@niauk.org.

Keep an eye on our events page for future webinars and activities…by the time this gets to your inbox there should be more available to you. Until we meet again in-person, I do hope you will join us.

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An independent nuclear safety specialists supporting all aspects of nuclear design construction and operations.

OX2 Consulting provides safety case expertise to Tier 1 contract organisations for long or short project assignments.

It undertakes all aspects of nuclear safety strategy definition, risk assessment and safety justification and can lead a project through licensee’s governance and regulatory approval.

Powertherm Contract Services Ltd powerthermcontracts.co.uk Powertherm is an industry leader in the provision of innovative insulation solutions to the power generation and petrochemical sectors.

A multi-discipline industrial service provider with over 25 years experience, it offers a range of industry-renowned services. Its products are used across the nuclear industry, due to their exceptional safety and innovative production.

These products are being recognised globally for their contribution to the safety of the industry.

Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) usnc.com USNC’s mission is to develop and deploy nuclear-based power generating equipment that is safe, commercially competitive, and simple to use.

It is committed to bringing safe, reliable, and secure nuclear energy to world markets.

USNC is a new energy company. It vertically integrates all the stages of 4th Generation nuclear power production, strictly adhering to safety principles, through technology innovation in fuels, materials, and design practices.

Ieuan Williams Public Affairs Manager ieuan.williams@niauk.org

“AS A WISE MAN ONCE SAID TO ME, ONCE YOU HAVE DECIDED YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, JUST GET ON WITH IT, OTHERWISE THE GOALPOSTS MOVE AROUND YOU.”

What does a Prime Minister standing down, ‘Getting Brexit Done’, a General Election, a Cabinet reshuffle, and a global pandemic all have in common?

That’s right, they’ve all got in the way of the Energy White Paper.

At the time of writing, as was the case well over a year ago, we’re still no clearer as to when it will be published. It’s seen two Prime Ministers, three Secretaries of State, and I’ve lost count of the Ministers.

Then there’s the number of times I’ve seen roundtable or panel events—now better known as webinars—titled, “What does [name of latest development] mean for the upcoming Energy White Paper?”.

Making sense of it all might as well have been done by a Zoltar fortune telling machine on Barry Island.

As a wise man once said to me, once you have decided you want to do something, just get on with it, otherwise the goalposts move around you.

No truer has this been the case than with the Energy White Paper, when it was first mooted around two years ago, we lived in much simpler times. The general public had no idea who the Prime Minister’s chief advisor was, the news was dominated by Brexit, and we only had to decarbonise our economy by a paltry 80%.

No more. In that time, not only has the emissions target been upgraded to Net

Zero, but the Government has now made significant promises to ‘level up’ the country, and to top it off, we’re heading for a recession of as-yet-unknown depths. This is what Jacinda Ardern might call, ‘quite a decent shake’.

I’ve found myself questioning, on a number of occasions, if there will be a White Paper at all, and if it does get published, will it be enough?

The list of announcements we’ve been expecting hasn’t changed for months, meanwhile our current nuclear fleet isn’t ageing any slower, nor is the need for a new financing arrangement for future projects any less urgent.

Despite COVID-19 (which is almost the new ‘despite Brexit’), the Government’s core promise at the last General Election of levelling up the economy, and bringing wealth to all the regions and nations of the UK cannot be abandoned. They know that would be political suicide.

Now with the delayed National Infrastructure Strategy also joining the list, there’s a huge opportunity to consolidate this into a post-COVID-19 recovery plan.

Nothing quite gets an economy going again like spending billions of pounds on massive infrastructure projects, generating tens of thousands of jobs, and doing it in places outside of the South East.

Nuclear delivers on all these fronts, and to sweeten it we even have projects ready to go.

Furthermore, we haven’t squandered our downtime in lockdown, the NIA will soon be releasing the first ever ‘Nuclear Roadmap’, setting out the vision for a pipeline of developments up and down the country, and identifying the key enablers which can make that happen.

Because we know the amount of nuclear power this country needs to reach Net Zero, from decades of experience, we’re also able to calculate the number of jobs such an expansion would bring, such as its value to the economy, and a number of additional wide-ranging benefits.

From helping to maintain Grid stability, to facilitating the trickier elements which arise when totally decarbonising a country—like generating the hydrogen for heating homes and powering heavy industries— nuclear power can be about so much more than just electricity production.

The Roadmap will be the focal point for all our activities for the rest of the year, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

In the last edition of this magazine, I genuinely said, ‘We could be in for one hell of a March.’ Well, I blinked, and suddenly it was June.

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