Industry Link – Summer 2022

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE UK NUCLEAR INDUSTRY

SUMMER / 2022

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New nuclear?

The best time is now

Collaboration on nuclear hydrogen

The PPP way at Sellafield

ITER’s “Big Lift” is a success

James Fisher Nuclear

WELCOME TO

Welcome to the Summer edition of Industry Link!

And there’s nothing quite like a bold government announcement to get the blood flowing.

A large chunk of this issue is dedicated to the long-awaited Energy Security Strategy, with features nuclear as its very core, with a brand new 24 GW of nuclear by 2050 target along with the formation of Great British Nuclear. It really is a historic moment for the sector The NIA’s Tom Greatrex offers his take on the Strategy and explains why the time is now to ramp up nuclear capacity and reverse years of government delay and dither. You will also hear from Simon Bowen, the man heading up Great British Nuclear, who explains his vision for its success.

But as the NIA’s Lincoln Hill explains in his Power Politics column, the world is a very different place now compared with a few months ago, with war in Ukraine and a worsening energy crisis bringing into sharper focus the importance of domestic energy. The Strategy is good for nuclear policy, but let’s not forget how we got here he writes.

Elsewhere in this issue Frazer-Nash Consultancy and the Nuclear AMRC detail their collaboration on advanced reactors and hydrogen and Orano’s Ruth Sellick gives an update on the decommissioning progress on one of Sellafield’s most striking sights. Look out too for Callum Thomas’s write up of a key report from the Next Generation Nuclear Industry Council, and there’s an exciting update on the ITER Project. I hope you enjoy!

Iolo James Media & Communications Manager, Editor

IN THIS ISSUE•••

NEWS FROM THE HUB. PAGE 7

SVI providing effective solutions PAGE 4

NUCLEAR WEEK IN PARLIAMENT 2022

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FUTURE WORKFORCE

Editor - Iolo James Art Editor - Dan Powney

TRANSFORMING THE SKYLINE AT SELLAFIELD

Press & Advertisement Enquiries - press@niauk.org Membership Enquiries - membership@niauk.org Contributors - Lincoln Hill • Tom Greatrex • Ieuan Williams • Rich Ditte, Steve Vick International • Tom Gannon, KBR • Tim Chapman, Nuclear AMRC • Simon Bowen, BEIS • Jason Hendry, Peterson • Callum Thomas, Next Gen NIC • Ruth Sellick, Orano • with additional thanks to World Nuclear News Nuclear Industry Association is a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 2804518 Registered Office - 5th Floor, Tower House, 10 Southampton Street, London WC2E 7HA TEL +44(0)20 7766 6640 EMAIL info@niauk.org Cover image - Courtesy of Sellafield gov.uk/government/organisations/sellafield-ltd This magazine is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable based inks.

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Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours for nuclear workers

TOM GREATREX • CHIEF EXECUTIVE • NIA

New nuclear?

The best time is now

O

ne of the statements I hear myself repeating in my sleep is that ‘the best time to build a fleet of nuclear power stations was 15 years ago, the second best time is now.’ Given the perilous situation the country finds itself in, with the worst energy crisis in a generation threatening to linger for years, it is a truism that currently carries added resonance. While it isn’t great to be in a position to say I told you so—well, we told you so.

We have been in the grips of this crisis since August 2021, when the volatility of the gas market became all too apparent. The COP climate event in Glasgow, although deemed a relative success, was overshadowed somewhat by the spiralling cost of wholesale natural gas prices which began severely impacting the UK. And then Russia invaded Ukraine, which in turn led to many European nations, which get up to 40% of their gas from Russia, to take hard-line measures to end this dependence. And, in some cases, Russia refusing to supply unless paid in roubles, to bolster money supply in what has become a pariah state. Of course, there is no short-term fix, so European demand for gas is bidding up the price that other countries, like Japan and the US, are paying.

Although the UK imports just over 3% of its gas from Russia, that does not mean we are immune to international market prices, which has led to energy firms going under, bills sky-rocketing and unprecedented financial support from the government to help with the cost of living.

It is against this backdrop that the Energy Security Strategy was published, with nuclear front and centre, alongside a ramp up in renewable capacity.

The new nuclear target of 24 gigawatts by 2050 and the promise of approving eight new reactors by 2030

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“Building new capacity takes time—but projects don’t need to take as long as they currently do to get to construction go-ahead”

made headlines as the government outlined its plan for the power sector, unrivalled in recent times in its scope and scale.

Prior to the Strategy’s release the Prime Minister and Business Secretary hosted industry leaders at Number 10 and invited views on how the UK could accelerate rapid progress on securing new nuclear capacity. As well as discussing the benefits of scaling up investment and removing barriers facing development, one of the main themes was the need for fleets of large and small scale stations as being essential to securing clean, affordable, British power.

Building new capacity takes time—but projects don’t need to take as long as they currently do to get to construction go-ahead—so we need to get on with it. Once built, modern nuclear stations can run for several decades. Hinkley Point C, will, in all likelihood, still be producing power into the 2120s. They have exceptionally low operating costs, including fuel, and their efficiency has made existing nuclear reactors the cheapest (and cleanest) form of electricity generation worldwide.

But if we don’t start, we will never get there.

What is important now is that we learn from the mistakes of the past. Sizewell B, which was completed in 1995, was supposed to be the first of a fleet of four new power stations, but Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C and Wylfa B were never built.

They could have saved 800 million tonnes of carbon, worth around £35 billion at today’s carbon prices, and would likely have been built more cheaply than Sizewell B. Replicating designs and repeating tasks increases efficiency, cutting build time and costs.

The Strategy also reiterated the desire to help SMR in the UK progress. The Rolls-Royce SMR

consortium has raised more than £500m, including some government funding, to get to market as soon as possible. If decisions on initial orders, siting and factories could be made while the GDA is continuing, rather than afterwards, then the delivery could be more rapid.

Progress is being made, but we cannot let this momentum go to waste, as has happened in the past. That is why the greater clarity of intent is welcome—it’s imperative that government and industry are on the same page—and so the potential for the new delivery body, Great British Nuclear, is massively significant.

As the interview with Simon Bowen elsewhere in this edition explains, there must be a real drive to get on with the job of building new stations.

There is still a lot of work to do to get the ball rolling, including taking four key decisions as soon as possible: ● Nuclear to be labelled as green in the UK Taxonomy ● Nuclear to be in included in the Treasury’s green bonds framework ● Existing nuclear licensed sites—many owned by the NDA—to be able to be utilised for future projects ● And, most immediately, the Sizewell C Final Investment Decision These decisions would create tens of thousands of jobs and ultimately save 30 million tonnes of carbon each year. Without action the industry will end up where it did twenty years ago. Jobs will go, skills will go and the base on which we can build will be gone. The ambition is there, let’s get on with it.

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IEUAN WILLIAMS • HEAD OF POLICY & PUBLIC AFFAIRS • NIA

O

ur core message has remained very simple, for a very long time. Whenever we talk to stakeholders, be it MPs in Westminster, Members of the Senedd or Scottish Parliament, or a district councillor near Bradwell, everything we say revolves around three key pillars: 1. O ur energy system shouldn’t be too vulnerable to forces out of our control; 2. O ne has to be very careful when integrating a high penetration of variable generation into the grid; 3. E nergy security cannot mean having a heavy reliance on imported energy.

Last September these three points were perfectly demonstrated all in the same week. It also just so happened to be our inaugural Nuclear Week in Parliament.

It was a particularly unseasonably calm week on the weather front, with the wind fleet producing far less than expected. One of the interconnector terminals to France suffered a significant fire, reducing our electrify imports by a massive 2GW,

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and it was also that week when gas prices started going a bit wonky. Suddenly, the energy market was making the news.

Before Nuclear Week, two energy companies had gone bust, or as Kwasi Kwarteng more poetically put it, ‘choosing to exit the market’, with a further two also closing shop during Nuclear Week itself.

Over 650,000 customers were left without suppliers, eventually being picked up by EDF or British Gas. As it turned out, this was just a flavour of the things to come, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine being the horrific climax.

All of these events put quite the spotlight on the nuclear industry, with several MPs on all sides of the House publicly and privately pushing the nuclear agenda, asking why we didn’t have more projects in the pipeline. We even saw the Prime Minister have an argument at PMQs with the Leader of the Opposition about who was the most pro-nuclear.

It’s interesting how the conversation about energy security has come back with a vengeance.

Many commentators have taken it for granted in recent years and dismissed it as an antiquated notion—the same individuals who also claim we

IOLO JAMES • MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER • NIA

no longer need baseload. Not everyone had the luxury of being this frivolous, especially those who relied upon the energy price cap to keep their bills under control.

It wasn’t until we saw the eyewatering cost of maintaining security of supply at times of system stress was it people realised the energy trilemma is still very real, despite what Greg Clark wanted us to believe back in 2018.

Being in the thick of it as the tide was turning was incredibly fortunate. However, as a wise man once told me, there’s no such thing as good luck, there is only being prepared for when opportunities arise.

Therefore, with all the forecasts predicting we’re heading for another rough autumn and winter on the energy markets, and the climate change conversation remaining firmly on the agenda, we’re going ahead with the sequel, Nuclear Week in Parliament 2022.

Getting our message in front of MPs and Peers is a core part of the NIA’s remit, and who knows what the state of play could be

by September…

Media Watch

The long-awaited Energy Strategy, which was published at the beginning of April, put nuclear at the very centre of the government’s plans to strengthen the UK’s energy security, and gave the NIA, as well the industry at large, a platform to speak about the sector’s needs.

As expected, there was considerable media interest, with the NIA’s Chief Executive, Tom Greatrex, interviewed by BBC News, Sky News, Channel 5 News, GB News, Times Radio and LBC. He explained the importance of the new target of 24 gigawatts by 2050 and detailed what should happen next to make that target a reality. There was genuine interest throughout the day in the good that nuclear can do and the extent to which Britain is a world leader in nuclear skills and innovation.

In May, the BBC’s Climate Question released a special episode dedicated to nuclear’s role in the energy transition. Presenter, Jordan Dunbar, was given rare access to Hinkley Point B and went behind the scenes to see what it’s really like to work at a nuclear station. He met Ross Mark, a young apprentice, to find out what his friends think of him training to run a nuclear reactor and found out from the man that runs the place—Mike Davies—what kettles have to do with splitting atoms. Head to BBC Sounds (www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0c73y0s)if you want to listen!

With a large cohort (two, but who’s counting?!) of the NIA hailing from Wales, when a request comes in to appear on BBC Radio Cymru, the Welsh language radio station, to talk about nuclear we naturally oblige. I appeared on the station’s lunch time show to explain the ins and outs if the £120 million Future Nuclear Enabling Fund and the prospects of new nuclear projects in North Wales.

That week also saw a joint announcement from the NDA and Cwmni Egino on the future of the Trawsfynydd site, with the NIA’s response appearing on BBC Cymru Fyw, the Welsh language online news service.

In June, the NDA arranged exclusive access for Sky News’s Science Editor and his team to cover the start of the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) retrievals at Sellafield. It’s rare for camera crews to get this sort of access, so it was a great opportunity to see the inner workings of what is an important legacy operation.

Chris Halliwell, who is head of the retrieval programme, described it as “such a significant moment” and likened the process to “emptying a wheelie bin with a teaspoon.” Of course, the waste being handled at Sellafield goes way beyond what came from the civil nuclear power programme, but it’s impressive work.

If you’re a fan of the BBC’s Countryfile then you may have seen a recent episode in which the team visited Hunterston B power station and Sellafield for an item on nuclear waste. Given the expected ramp up in nuclear power over the coming decades, the waste issue will inevitably be given more of a media spotlight and that’s important. The Countryfile item was a balanced representation of what happens to high level waste, as well as the very latest on the UK’s plan for a Geological Disposal Facility.

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

Decom milestone at Spain’s Zorita plant

The demolition of the turbine building at the shut down Zorita nuclear power plant has been completed, says Spanish decommissioning and waste management firm Enresa.

The building was converted to the Auxiliary Decommissioning Building, where radioactive waste from the dismantling of the active parts of the plant was conditioned.

Completed in just two months, demolition of the building means the plant has now entered the restoration phase and final radiological monitoring of the site.

Orano to reprocess Fugen used fuel

Orano has been awarded a contract by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency for transport and treatment of 731 used fuel assemblies from the Fugen experimental Advanced Thermal Reactor in Japan.

Under the terms of the contract Orano will continue to carry out all of the technical work required for the shipment of 111 metric tonnes of

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material, including the provision of a fleet of transport casks.

“The materials extracted during industrial operations could be recycled to supply low-carbon electricity to the grid in France and Europe,” Orano noted. “In France, 10% of nucleargenerated electricity comes from recycled materials.”

Saskatchewan’s government identified development of SMR technology as a goal for growth in its 2019 development roadmap, and earlier this year, alongside the governments of Ontario, New Brunswick and Alberta, it released a joint strategic plan setting out a path for developing and deploying SMRs.

SaskPower Selects GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 SMR

Vattenfall considers building SMRs

Utility SaskPower has selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GEH) small modular reactor (SMR) for potential deployment in Saskatchewan in the mid-2030s.

SaskPower said it made its selection after an assessment that focused on factors including safety, technology readiness, generation size, fuel type and expected costs of electricity. The “independent and comprehensive” assessment process also included close collaboration with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and a review by independent engineering firm Calian.

Although all of Canada’s uranium production comes from Saskatchewan, the province does not currently use nuclear power. However,

Swedish state-owned energy company Vattenfall announced it is initiating a pilot study looking at the conditions for constructing at least two SMRs adjacent to the Ringhals nuclear power plant.

A framework agreement announced in 2016 allows for the construction of up to ten new nuclear reactors at existing sites, to replace plants as they retire. Setting 2040 as the date at which Sweden should have a 100% renewable electricity system, the document stresses that 2040 is a ‘goal’ and not a cut-off date for nuclear.

Work on the pilot study will start immediately and it is expected to be completed by around late-2023 or early-2024, with the possibility to have the first SMR reactor in operation by the early 2030s.

SVI providing effective solutions Rich Ditte, from Steve Vick International, talks to us about a project he was involved in to immobilise contamination in pipes, prior to decommissioning at Hinkley Point ‘A’

We were approached by Magnox, on behalf of Hinkley Point ‘A’, and asked to design and supply an effective method for sealing and decommissioning radioactive pipework.

Magnox were looking to decommission 1.2km of pipework housed in an Active Drains Trench (ADT) where access and space around the pipes was very restricted.

After conducting a site visit and understanding the full project scope it was decided between myself and Mike Gladwyn, Project Engineer at Magnox, that our FOAMBAG™ system would offer the best solution. The reason being, the expanding Polyurethane (PU) Foam within our FOAMBAGS, can immobilise contamination and therefore allow the pipes to be cut safely. Our FOAMBAG™ solution also overcomes the issue of access and space as the PU foam can be deployed from a remote location. After using this technique, the project was completed with just 50 injection points and took just 20 days from start to finish.

Mike Gladwyn, was very impressed by the work we’d already undertaken in the gas industry, using our expanding foam techniques and was reassured to see that we’d already carried out work in the nuclear decommissioning sector, specifically at Harwell, Chapelcross, Sellafield and Hunterston. He felt that together, the solution we devised offered benefits that far outweighed the other options that’d been explored. He felt that our FOAMBAG™ system helped to improve safety on the project by encapsulating contamination prior to cutting and also said that the system significantly reduced the timescale of the project and therefore helped to reduce their overall costs.

Part of the overall technique we chose for the project was our bespoke hot-tapping system which allows for a fully contained insertion of our FOAMBAG™. The FOAMBAG™ creates a permanent plug inside the pipe without the loss

of pipe integrity. The semi porous FOAMBAG™ uses an expanding PU resin foam, comprising of a resin base and hardener which is mixed prior to application and then injected into the bag via an injection tube. The expanding foam fills the bag and at full expansion, a measured volume of foam seeps through the FOAMBAG™ material to adhere to the pipe wall.

Once the FOAMBAG™ has cured the void between two Foambags can then be filled with foam. The foam encapsulates loose debris and contamination as it expands and cures. Once cured hard, it is then possible to section the pipe into 800mm lengths for disposal without contamination becoming airborne.

Our products can be introduced from a remote location allowing application in contaminated or hard to reach places and are suitable for all pipe materials including steel, asbestos, concrete and plastic.

FOAMBAG™ was developed by us as a safe and effective method of sealing off gas mains for abandonment and has become a gas industry standard technique. The same method has been further developed to meet the needs of nuclear decommissioning and emergency repair engineers.

Graham Steer, project manager, said that our technology has not only reduced the programme and cost, it has also resulted in significant safety improvements.

Our technicians were trained by Magnox to enable them to work on site and our technicians in turn trained Magnox technicians in the installation of Foambags and pipe drilling operations.

The collaboration between our two companies and their respective staff was excellent and a strong working relationship formed. This working relationship was invaluable during the final project with problem solving and collaborative working being key to the project’s ultimate success.

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TOM GANNON • COMMUNICATIONS AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT BUSINESS PARTNER • KBR

Three years into its 20-year life, the Programme and Project Partners (PPP) model at Sellafield is beginning to achieve firsts for the nuclear industry.

The Sellafield site is home to one of the most complex portfolios of infrastructure projects in the world. Safely decommissioning the site is of strategic and national importance to the UK. In delivering a pipeline of large-scale infrastructure projects, PPP is creating new relationships and opportunities for the supply chain, economy and communities. PPP has been brought together to deliver the bulk of Sellafield’s major infrastructure over a 20-year period.

The strength of the model lies in its common purpose, shared goals and incentives. It is a longterm partnership between KBR, Jacobs, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Doosan, and Sellafield Ltd. It is designed to be highly collaborative, innovative and responsive to change, creating an enduring capability for the delivery of major projects.

The PPP model is based on Project 13 principles of creating an ‘enterprise’—an integrated organisation that is aligned and commercially incentivised to deliver better outcomes. PPP’s current in-flight major projects are:

The SIXEP Continuity Plant (SCP) Sellafield’s existing SIXEP facility treats and makes safe the effluent created by risk reduction activities in the site’s First Generation Magnox Storage Pond and Magnox Swarf Storage Silo.

Having the SIXEP Continuity Plant will enable Sellafield to continue treating this waste for decades to come. The plant is currently in its construction phase, with building set to finish in 2029.

The Sellafield Product and Residue Store Retreatment Plant (SRP) SRP is also in construction and once commissioned will safely receive all special nuclear material packages from existing storage locations across the Sellafield site before retreating them into new 100-year packages for safe storage. The SRP facility will enable all special nuclear material 8 — SUMMER | 2022

to remain safe and secure in its store into the next century and beyond.

The Replacement Analytical Project (RAP) RAP is modifying and refitting the National Nuclear Laboratory’s Central Laboratory at Sellafield to provide continued analytical services to the site.

Sellafield’s Analytical Services teams support almost every part of the site’s operations. It was one of the first things done at Sellafield and is one of the largest such capabilities in the world. RAP is currently in its design phase and is expected to progress through the detail design gate in late 2023 with the project set to be delivered between 2028-2031.

These major projects were originally initiated under traditional Sellafield Ltd project delivery practices and transferred, at various levels of maturity, to PPP in 2019 during the first year of the new contract model. Under PPP, both SRP and SCP have successfully had their full business cases approved by HM Government. RAP is on course to progress towards full business case approval in 2024.

Each project plays a vital role in ensuring Sellafield can safely empty ponds and silos, manage the waste and store it safely and therefore helping Sellafield achieve its purpose to create a clean and safe environment for future generations.

PPP’s programmatic approach to major project delivery means resources, skills and learning are shared across projects, further enhancing benefits like increasing value for money for the UK tax payer, accelerating high hazard reduction, promoting long term investment in communities and creating employment opportunities across a vast supply chain.

PPP also ensures the government knows what each project is, how it will be delivered, what it will cost and how delivery performance will be measured. This certainty about how much projects will cost creates predictability and stability, and frees up resources and money for use elsewhere.

A growing supply chain PPP is helping to transform procurement and supply chain development. It has launched a ‘multi project procurement’ (MPP) approach that will provide increased value for the UK taxpayer and improved predictability. It will enable better planning, resilience and sustainability from suppliers working across multiple major projects.

The group began by introducing an industry leading ‘early contractor involvement’ (ECI) strategy at the outset of key projects. The MPP model then selects key delivery partners, using framework agreements to deliver multiple projects. So far, 12 MPPs have been developed, four frameworks have been awarded and 86 suppliers have been appointed across the projects, 45% of which are small and medium sized enterprises and 40% of which are based locally.

“The PPP approach is supporting faster, more effective project delivery, stability in design and construction supply chains, greater workforce flexibility, and local economic benefit.

“Working alongside our supply chain to deliver our 20-year programme of major infrastructure projects we will create a lasting and sustainable legacy. With billions of pounds passing through the supply chain, a collaborative, joined-up approach to sustainability, inclusive of social impact, economic and environmental agendas are essential to enable our success.

“We’ve recently announced four key supply chain partners and one goods and services framework which includes seven companies, three of which are based locally in Cumbria. We’ve even seen two local SMEs form a joint venture which will create more opportunities for people in the local community.”

Peter Hogg, Head of Supply Chain at PPP

Driving ambitious, long-term social impact To date, the PPP has mobilised 1,400 people onto the programme, including 48 graduates and apprentices and 11 interns through an awardwinning internship scheme. The partnership is also creating opportunities for employees to grow and develop through ‘porosity’ between the partnering organisations, while intern, apprenticeship and graduate schemes attract early talent and provide high quality career pathways which develop the programme’s future leaders.

PPP uses the social value model throughout all of its activity, meaning that anyone working on the partnership, including key delivery partners and supply chain has committed to delivering the maximum positive social impact for our local communities in West Cumbria and Warrington.

This year will see the launch of the PPP Schools’ Programme which joins an established PPP internship scheme, ‘Timebank’ volunteering scheme and the Prince’s Trust Get Into programme as central PPP social impact initiatives.

To date, those who’ve taken part in the Timebank scheme alone have amassed 2,800 PPP volunteer hours which will rise to 3,500 by the end of 2022.

Search for the Programme and Project Partners on LinkedIn to stay up to date with the latest news and meet the team at the NDA’s supply chain event at the International Centre in Telford on 21 July 2022.

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IOLO JAMES • MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER • NIA

Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours recognise nuclear workers Five members of the nuclear industry were recognised in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours List in June, with their public service recognised in celebration of Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.

Cath Giel, Communications and Stakeholder Relations Director at the LLW Repository Site in Cumbria until her retirement earlier this year, was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).

She is joined by Professor Cherry Tweed, Nuclear Waste Services Chief Scientific Advisor, and June Love, Community Relations Manager at Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd, who have also been awarded MBEs. Both are due to retire this year.

Magnox Ltd and Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd Chair Lawrie Haynes was also recognised in the list.

He has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his voluntary service, supporting RAF personnel and veterans.

The List also awards Dame Susan Ion, global expert in nuclear engineering, and Chair of the Nuclear Innovation Research Advisory Board (NIRAB), who received a Dame Grand Cross for international impact in her field and for her work fostering the next generation of engineers from under-represented groups.

Congratulations to them all from us here at the Nuclear Industry Association.

Cath Giel LLW Repository - Communications and Stakeholder Relations Director “I’ve been blown away by this tremendous recognition and feel grateful that I’ve had the support of those around me, both professionally and from the community, which has played a huge part in the many great achievements I’ve been involved in.”

June Love

Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd Community Relations Manager “I was delighted to receive this honour and have been so humbled by all the messages and kind words received since it was announced. I feel privileged that I’ve received this award for contributions during my career.”

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Cherry Tweed Nuclear Waste Services - Chief Scientific Advisor “This is an incredible honour and came completely out of the blue. It’s also a tribute to the committed and dedicated NWS team who support the UK’s geological disposal programme.”

Lawrie Haynes Magnox Ltd and Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd - Chair

“I am hugely delighted to receive this honour and accept it on behalf of everyone who works so hard at the RAFBF to support RAF personnel, both past and present. The work done at RAFBF touches and improves the lives of so many people, I am so proud to have been associated with it.”

Creating a Safe and Secure World Together From decommissioning redundant nuclear facilities, through supporting the Continuous at Sea Deterrent, to supporting the operation and build of nuclear power plants, our role in Cavendish Nuclear is to clean up the nuclear legacy and create a world where nuclear plays a key contribution in protecting our nation, ensuring security of energy supply and meeting our net zero commitments.

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www.cavendishnuclear.com

COLLABORATION FOCUSES ON NUCLEAR HYDROGEN COGENERATION 12 — SUMMER | 2022

TIM CHAPMAN • COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER • NUCLEAR AMRC

▲ Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay — https://pixabay.com/illustrations/chemistry-molecules-hydrogen-7030100

F

VISIT fnc.co.uk namrc.co.uk

razer-Nash Consultancy and the Nuclear AMRC are working together to understand the benefits of advanced nuclear reactors for more efficient low-carbon hydrogen production.

The project is exploring the feasibility of a hydrogen production demonstrator and test facility that simulates the heat and electricity outputs of a new generation of nuclear plant, based on a variety of small modular reactor (SMR) and advanced modular reactor (AMR) designs.

As well as supporting the development of new SMR and AMR designs, the facility would help companies which are developing new hydrogen production technologies, with a goal of commercial deployment as part of a nuclear cogeneration installation in the mid-2030s.

The collaborative research projct is funded by BEIS through the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio’s Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 competition.

We are thrilled to have won funding for this exciting study combining new and emerging technologies from within the nuclear and hydrogen sectors, gaining valuable insights from industry on future trends and understanding their requirements.

The proposed test facility will cover hydrogen production by high-temperature electrolysis and thermochemical splitting of water. Both techniques are more energy efficient than conventional electrolysis, while avoiding the high greenhouse gas emissions of steam methane reforming.

By demonstrating how advanced nuclear reactors can produce hydrogen, the new facility will accelerate the deployment of sustainable hydrogen production as part of the global transition to

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net zero emissions. As well as replacing fossil Orano_UK_Annonce_102x134mm.indd fuels for transport and heating, hydrogen can help decarbonise industrial processes such as steelmaking, chemical synthesis, and the production of ethanol and synthetic fuels.

It is well understood that nuclear power will play an important part in meeting 2050 net-zero targets as a provider of baseload electricity to meet ever-increasing demands, but nuclear power’s cogenerative potential is absolutely massive and largely untapped.

Various studies have shown that nuclear energy’s unique combination of heat and electricity can be used to produce clean hydrogen at a price similar to current renewable and fossil fuel methods, at any time of day, in all weathers, and without the need for fossil fuels or carbon capture. This demonstrator will seek to unlock the potential for nuclear as part of the wider energy mix, by answering the questions that would otherwise go unanswered until SMR and AMR reactors are operating in the 2030s.

In the first phase of the collaborative project, Frazer-Nash and the Nuclear AMRC are working with hydrogen and nuclear industry partners to investigate the feasibility of a small-scale hydrogen production demonstrator to simulate the output of a range of AMR and SMR designs. This feasibility study is supported by funding of around £237,000 from BEIS, and will conclude this autumn.

Should the study demonstrate value for money and a viable solution, a second phase of the collaboration would then cover detailed design, construction and operation of the facility by 2025.

www.orano.group

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DYNAMIC, company led by Ansaldo Nucleare, transfers the first sector of the Vacuum Vessel inside the Tokamak Pit The ITER Project achieved a major machine assembly milestone in May, as the first sub-section of the ITER plasma chamber was successfully lifted out of tooling and lowered into the machine well.

The first-of-a-kind operation was spectacular at many levels. The sheer weight of the component plus rigging—1,380 tonnes—came the closest yet to the nominal lift capacity (1,500 tonnes) of the double overhead bridge crane in the ITER Assembly Hall. The multilayer rigging arrangement, added to an already tall load, left the crane operators with a clearance of only 20 cm over the concrete wall that delimits the machine assembly well. The teams achieved millimetre-level tolerances in the positioning of a component that towers six storeys high and weighs the equivalent of four fully loaded Boeing 747s.

The “piece” of the ITER machine lowered represents one-ninth of the toroidal plasma chamber. It is a composite assembly, formed from one 40° vacuum vessel sector fitted with silvercoated thermal shields, and two D-shaped vertical superconducting electromagnets called toroidal field coils. Eight other similar assemblies will form the complete chamber and surrounding toroidal field coil superstructure.

The creation of the composite assembly took place on specialized tooling in the ITER Assembly Hall between March and December 2021. The components were first lifted to vertical on a specially adapted “upending” cradle and transferred to a standing tool capable of docking the vacuum vessel sector in its centre and rotating the other components in on its wings.

This major lifting operation took several months to prepare for the entire ITER and DYNAMIC SNC team, the franco-italian joint enterprise in charge of the TAC2 contract and formed by Ansaldo Nucleare, Endel Engie, Orys Group ORTEC, SIMIC, Ansaldo Energia, and Leading Metal Mechanic Solutions SL. On the ground, the operation was carried out

by DYNAMIC SNC with crane operator Foselev and metrologists, coordinated by ITER Organization.

The component is currently suspended directly above its supports on the assembly pit floor, as ITER metrologists carry out their final positional measurements. It will be lowered to its supports after that, arriving “home” after a long and complex journey.

The colossal work of the entire crew led to this successful lift operation that will be celebrated across the community as a major assembly milestone, bringing the project another step closer to First Plasma.

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“This first milestone in the Tokamak assembly marks a new stage in Ansaldo’s commitment to support the ITER project, and more generally in the creation of all-round industrial skills, from engineering to construction, to make the exploitation of the fusion nuclear power a real option for the future of energy.”

Roberto Adinolfi, President (and Interim CEO) of Ansaldo Nucleare

2022 | SUMMER — 15

▲ Image by Carles Rabada on Unsplash — https://unsplash.com/@carlesrgm 16 — SUMMER | 2022

Simon Bowen, Industry Adviser, BEIS At his family home overlooking the majestic Langland Bay on South Wales’s Gower Peninsula, Simon Bowen can be found, for the most part, in the sea, surfing his favourite wave on one of his many longboards. “I just paddle and sit.

It’s where I do my highest quality of thinking.”

After a career spanning four decades, from a Royal Navy engineer in his early days, to running Babcock’s nuclear division until very recently, the water around his homeland’s famous coastline has become his haven and his retirement plan, or so he thought.

I meet Simon on a warm Tuesday morning at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). He has swapped the cooling sea breeze for air-conditioning, his wetsuit for more traditional office attire, and his surfboard for a computer tablet.

This is Simon’s new second home for the foreseeable future. It is where he will be putting all his thinking into practice as the government’s newly appointed Industry Adviser, tasked with driving forward plans for a new Great British Nuclear (GBN) vehicle.

“It’s really exciting” he tells me, “but if you had asked me whether I would be doing this six months ago I would not have even thought about it because I went into semi-retirement. Then Tim Stone of the NIA called me and mentioned what the opportunity was with what I would call the rejuvenation of the nuclear industry, and there was no hesitation. It’s the best opportunity we have had in the last twenty years.”

GBN made headlines when it was announced in the government’s Energy Security Strategy in April. Alongside a commitment for 24 GW of nuclear capacity by 2050, the Strategy also had big, ambitious targets for the renewable sector and outlined the government’s plan to strengthen the UK’s energy security as we head towards net zero.

The energy crisis has meant the spotlight is firmly back on nuclear, with those in power very vocal about supercharging the industry. “We have got real interest from the politicians,” Simon says, “so the time is now and we have to make the most of it and create the industry that all of us have been striving for.”

The sector “finds itself in a really new situation, where the AGRs have been fabulous as a technology… and they are approaching end of life, and all that people capability is in danger of dispersing. We need to intervene now and create something which glues everything together, so that we have an industry that people want to be part of for generations to come,” Simon tells me.

“24 GW by 2050 is a nice strapline” he goes on to say, “but what does it mean? It means we need a new industry. It’s massive.”

These are bold words, but it is difficult to disagree with him. After all, he has lived and breathed the sector and is passionate about making it the best it can be, with the goal of creating real opportunities for future employment and building a strong skills base at its heart.

Simon talks about the next few months with a sense of vigour and knows full well that positive change down the line requires immediate action.

Part of that process, he explains, is to recognise what is missing in structural terms and to get clarity over the role of government on one side, industry on the other and the new GBN body in the middle.

In the short term “we need to define what that [body] is, what its scope is and what its capability and capacity is, because once we have done that then it can act as the nucleus” with the overall aim of creating a “sustainable sector which is a balance of government investment and commitment but also private investment and commitment.”

Over the next couple of years, he tells me, he would like to see certainty in three areas: how many gigawatts the UK is going to build, who is going to build them and where? Which SMR technologies the UK wants to build and where?

And clarity over Britain’s role in the AMR space.

To do all that, Simon explains, requires nuclear projects to be run as a programme, and that is what the new body is there to do.

In the hustle and bustle of BEIS HQ, with meetings taking place all around us, you get the feeling that Simon enjoys the fast-paced element of his new role.

He has an inherent optimism which is plain to see and speaks about the long-term goals of the industry with genuine excitement.

“You can now see a future where we’ll have a fleet of gigawatt and small-scale reactors that we will operate as the UK, and the UK can become a centre for nuclear capability.” Given the current situation, answering the energy security challenge has got to be the short-term focus and the highest priority, but he speaks of the AMR technologies and delivering fusion with the same enthusiasm.

“To me, if you put all that together, you’ve got a nuclear continuum where there is a future for the entirety of the industry which I find hugely compelling. It’s the reason why I’ve given up surfing, at least for a few months, to get involved and lead this stage of the work.”

2022 | SUMMER — 17

JASON HENDRY • MANAGING DIRECTOR, ENGLAND AND RENEWABLES STRATEGY • PETERSON

Delivery the focus for Peterson’s Lillyhall team “OUR TEAM’S RELENTLESS DRIVE TO DELIVER AN EXCELLENT SERVICE HAS BEEN EXEMPLARY SINCE THE START OF OPERATIONS AT LILLYHALL, AND THIS LATEST AWARD IS TESTAMENT TO THEIR HARD WORK, DEDICATION AND SUCCESS ACHIEVED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.”

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S

ince 2016 we have been the operator of the Control Tower and Security and Distribution Centre (S&DC) at Lillyhall on behalf of Sellafield Limited.

We manage inbound logistics and secure distribution of goods from the site, in accordance with stringent key performance indicators at Lillyhall. By applying lean principles to materials management and making effective use of technology, we have reduced the number of trucks that deliver direct to main site on a ratio of 8 to 1—for every 8 trucks that would have gone to the main site previously, there is now only 1.

The Lillyhall team’s latest success has come in the form of the Sellafield Management of Contractors Award for Health & Safety Performance 2021-22—which we have achieved for the third time since 2018. The win also means our team have secured a total of four awards from Sellafield Limited, as well as several internal Peterson awards, over the seven years we have been the operator of the Control Tower and S&DC.

The awards are given annually for outstanding performance by Sellafield Limited, and it’s a huge honour to be recognised in this way. Our team’s relentless drive to deliver an excellent service has been exemplary since the start of operations at Lillyhall, and this latest award is testament to their hard work, dedication and success achieved throughout the year.

We have also worked collaboratively with Sellafield over the years to develop several technologies to modernise and streamline operations whilst enhancing safety and security protocols.

Our track and trace technology, developed in collaboration with Sellafield, has improved operational efficiency and resulted in significant fuel savings for the wider supply chain and a material reduction in CO2 emissions. Last year also saw the team at Lillyhall successfully achieve ISO9001, 45001 and 14001 certifications.

We are excited about the future and to continue working closely with the Sellafield team to innovate and enhance our operations.

CALLUM THOMAS • MEMBER • NEXT GENERATION NUCLEAR INDUSTRY COUNCIL

T

he Next Generation Nuclear Industry Council (NGNIC) in the UK has been conducting a series of Future Workforce Consultations over the last year, which has culminated in the publication of a report of the findings. We asked them a few questions about this initiative.

What are the Future Workforce Consultations and why did you do them?

We started this exercise with the question, if we asked the workforce of today what their desired future working environment would look like in 2030, what would they say?

With this insight we could identify key trends and issues and investment to help nuclear organisations create an optimal working environment—one that could help retain and increase the UK nuclear workforce in line with UK nuclear Net Zero by 2050 ambitions.

To obtain this insight the NGNIC held a series of Future Workforce consultations. Hosted during 2021/2022, these consultations were designed to create a ’safe space’ to enable open discussions and better understand the views of those working in the UK nuclear sector today.

Who participated in the consultations?

We invited a group of 100 participants to take part in the consultations, with participants broadly representing the diversity of the UK population, which in our view, is the diversity that should be championed for a future nuclear workforce.

Through small group consultations we were able to understand what people like and dislike about working in the nuclear sector currently, what type of working environment would attract or repel them, and their views on where time and effort should be invested to create and maintain the optimal working environment.

that the sector is not progressive and is slow, old fashioned and lacking in diversity.

Participants emphasised their desire to work in an environment that had inclusivity at its core, which was sadly not the reality for the participants we engaged with. Participants also stressed the importance of career progression and supportive colleagues as key motivators for staying with an organisation and so the fact that they see exciting opportunities in the nuclear sector and feel supported by colleagues is a big positive for the sector and retention.

Participants highlighted emphasised three key areas that should be central in the current and future nuclear working environment. These are: i) inclusive leadership; ii) improving the image of the sector; and iii) long term investment in training, development and career pathways.

From the consultations it was apparent that participants felt true accountability at leadership level and consequences for unacceptable behaviours were currently lacking.

We heard about personal experiences of many participants that were troubling, especially those that showed unacceptable behaviours we hoped had been wiped out but still exist in the UK’s nuclear sector.

What outcomes are you hoping this initiative will lead to?

We hope our findings motivate leaders to look closely at themselves and their organisations as well as taking responsibility and accountability for creating the working environment that the future workforce will thrive in.

We also hope we can work with and inspire others from across the sector to build on the findings and truly create an inclusive UK nuclear sector we can all be proud of.

What did you find?

How can people see the full report?:

The discussions found positive characteristics of today’s working environment, including an appreciation of the challenging and interesting nature of the work alongside the culture of collaboration. We also identified negative views

The report is free to download through the following QR code and can be read online at the NIA Hub. 2022 | SUMMER — 19

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RUTH SELLICK • MAKETING & COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE • ORANO

Transforming the Sellafield skyline How ADAPT has made visible decommissioning progress on one of the most striking sights of our UK legacy 110 metres tall, 5,000 tonnes and 70 years old: this is what characterised the Windscale Pile 1 chimney at Sellafield. If there was a picture postcard of the UK’s nuclear legacy, this would be it. The chimney, the remainder of a pair that served the Windscale Pile Reactors have been arguably one of the nuclear industry’s most recognisable landmarks, shaping the well-known Sellafield skyline, framed against the backdrop of the West Cumbrian coast.

However, today things are changing, with the diffuser section that fed into the original filter galleries at the top of the chimney having been completely removed and works being readied for the next stage of the project. So, who’s behind it? What challenges have been overcome so far to achieve this milestone, and how does this illustrate the benefits of collaboration within the UK’s decommissioning supply chain?

I took a closer look at the journey so far, speaking to Steve Topping, Framework Manager for the ADAPT consortium, comprising of partners Orano, Doosan Babcock and Atkins. ADAPT are one of six partners working with Sellafield through the Decommissioning Delivery Partnership, and have been responsible for delivering the work on the most recent stage of the Pile 1 chimney demolition, and removal of the diffuser section in partnership with Sellafield Limited and the supporting supply chain

So, let’s start from the beginning, what makes the demolition of the Windscale Pile 1 diffuser such an important marker for decommissioning progress?

As you’ve already mentioned, Windscale Pile 1 and its chimney has been an iconic part of the Sellafield skyline so the change we see in this today is a real, visible demonstration of progress being made in decommissioning some of the most significant facilities on the Sellafield site.

However, it’s important to note that Pile 1 is not just known for its looks—the chimney presents a number of radiological and conventional safety risks that need careful management, none more than the impact of the infamous Windscale fire in 1957, which left the chimney and diffuser section with levels of internal contamination requiring additional PPE to be worn during the demolition phase and careful management of the resultant waste materials.

There were also other important factors to consider in the facility’s history such as its rapid construction in the 1950s, as a result of the race to develop the UK’s nuclear deterrent. This meant time was short, and so today we have found that there

is a lack of design records that make it difficult to substantiate the structure from a seismic point of view. The filtration system, famously known as ‘Cockroft’s Folly’ was also a last-minute addition to the top of the chimney structures.

It’s also worth pointing out that Pile 1 finds itself at the heart of the Sellafield site, meaning its surrounded by a number of other facilities within the radius of the chimney, and have a direct impact on the large-scale equipment needed to carry out the work.

Taking all these factors into consideration, can you tell us more about ADAPT’s approach to the project?

Using the world-class engineering capability and specialist nuclear expertise of all three of the ADAPT partners, our approach centred on developing an innovative engineering solution, backed up with expert design and preparation.

Planning for success focused on delivering against three central decommissioning requirements: namely retiring the risk of the chimney under certain seismic condition, ensuring safe, ‘right first time’, predictable delivery in a nuclear environment, and eliminating the ongoing maintenance burden by removing the structure and associated equipment.

In terms of our engineering solution, earlier decommissioning work undertaken by Doosan Babcock who subsequently became an ADAPT partner organisation, had removed the filter gallery section of the chimney using highly labourintensive methods. We wanted to learn from previous experience and to do something different by employing the technologies and equipment we had to hand to keep risk to an absolute minimum, ensuring efficient waste disposal and optimising the plan with respect to time and money spent on the project.

To achieve this, we employed two key techniques, namely the use of diamond wire cutting and use of a tower crane. The use of diamond wire cutting equipment meant we were able to create large blocks of material, up to several tonnes, whilst managing any radioactive contamination and minimising worker exposure.

The tower crane enabled us to remove this material safely which improved efficiency sevenfold over a previous limit of one tonne per lift.

Close working with both Sellafield Limited and the Regulators was essential in creating a plan and supporting Safety Case that would enable the team to apply the most effective solutions to the task.

2022 | SUMMER — 21

Today we can see that the diffuser is now gone, so it’s a clear success story for the integrated ADAPT Sellafield team and the Windscale Pile 1 project. Can you give us a few more details of the project once physical works were in action?

In total, the diffuser was deconstructed by the drilling, cutting and removal of over 290 large blocks, weighing on average 7 tonnes each. Every block had to be removed using a detailed and prescribed process with emphasis on safety first to ensure that the integrity of the chimney was protected and to minimising the associated seismic risk.

While from the outside progress may have appeared slow, the team chose to operate in this predictable, repeatable way to ensure that everyone remained safe whilst making solid progress on the demolition project.

I’d also attribute the success of the project to the flexibility of our approach in overcoming some of the challenges we encountered. Being in Cumbria, we had to consider unpredictable factors such as the weather. If the wind blew at speeds greater than 21 metres per second (45 mph), then all work at height would have to be paused, the limit for crane operations was half of that, as the risk to safety was unacceptable. This meant we had to have other work available and waiting to ensure we made the most of our available resources on site.

How do you think this iconic project has illustrated benefits of collaboration within the UK’s decommissioning supply chain?

As we’ve already discussed, Windscale Pile 1 was and remains no ordinary demolition project, but a challenge that requires a careful and collaborative plan of action, pooling best

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engineering and specialist nuclear practice across Sellafield Limited and its partners. In this sense, Windscale Pile 1 is a real-life example of where tangible change has come about through effective collaboration.

As a joint venture, collaboration is ingrained in ADAPT’s culture—we are very much three partners with one identity, who all bring something different to the table to add value to complex projects such as these. Working with our trusted suppliers, we have managed to overcome many of the challenges posed to us on the project, keep steady progress on the demolition, and do so in the safest and most efficient way possible.

The changing skyline at Sellafield should therefore be seen as a mark of success for collaboration in our industry. It shows that real progress can be made if we pool our knowledge and experience both across the supply chain and the Site Licence Companies themselves.

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NEWS FROM THE HUB. Cumbrian firm secure new five year framework with Axiom Cumbria O&M Services COMS, based at the Westlakes Science Park at Moor Row, have secured an extended contract with Axiom; part of the The Design Services Alliance (DSA) at Sellafield Ltd. The alliance was first set up in 2012 with Sellafield Ltd as an alliance partner working as one team alongside AXIOM (a 4 entity joint venture comprising Assystem, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald and Progressive (Aecom and Cavendish Nuclear)).

COMS, who have been working on Axiom projects over the past five years on a sub-contract basis, have secured this new framework agreement and will be delivering Engineering and Maintenance, Operations Support, Commissioning and Start-Up as part of the DSA Framework which will continue over the next five years.

COMS provide specialist operations, maintenance and engineering services and help businesses within the nuclear industry realise significant value from their assets, people and processes. The business began in 2014 and has grown considerably over the last eight years and as a result of the new framework has influenced their decision to relocate to larger offices within the Westlake Science Park, employ new local talent from outside the industry to train and up-skill, and also to take on an additional apprentice in the coming months.

“It is fantastic to be awarded further work as part of the Design Services Alliance. We have worked closely with Axiom over the last five years on various projects and the new framework is testament to the hard work of our team and the services we provideto our clients. We are pleased to be continuing this great relationship over the next five years and excited by the opportunities this brings to our business for even further growth.”

Grant Taylor, Operations Director, COMS

▲ L-R, COMS Directors, Matthew Garrat, Cliff Woodman, John Garratt, Grant Taylor

Joint collaboration to support potential future development at trawsfynydd The NDA and Cwmni Egino have announced they will work together on proposals for the siting of a new nuclear development at Trawsfynydd, north Wales.

With the agreement of BEIS, the two organisations are working towards a collaboration agreement aimed at progressing plans which will ultimately support UK government’s Energy Security Strategy.

“Our ambition for a British nuclear renaissance means a bright future for nuclear power in Wales, not only securing clean, affordable, homegrown energy but also jobs and investment at sites like Trawsfynydd.”

Kwasi Kwarteng, UK Business and Energy Secretary The NDA are charged with the mission to clean up the UK’s earliest nuclear sites safely, securely and cost-effectively, with the aim of benefiting local communities and the environment, to ultimately release its 17 sites for other uses.

Cwmni Egino (CE) is a development company wholly owned by Welsh Government, established to drive future development at the Trawsfynydd site and to promote regional economic and social regeneration.

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The NDA site at Trawsfynydd is home to a Magnox station which is being decommissioned

by Magnox Ltd, a subsidiary of the NDA. The NDA also owns land outside the Magnox site boundary which could be used for a new nuclear development.

As part of this new arrangement, the NDA will share information about the characteristics of the available land at the Trawsfynydd site, its decommissioning plans (to support schedule and work-force planning) and support Cwmni Egino in the development of its socio-economic plans.

It will also offer an opportunity for Cwmni Egino to engage with potential developers and technology providers who wish to participate in the development of the Trawsfynydd site.

Any formal commitment of NDA land, or other support, would require government approval via NDA’s sponsoring department BEIS. Cwmni Egino is progressing its plans for a development at Trawsfynydd and hope to be in a position to confirm their outline business proposition within the year.

They are also engaged with the newly created government body Great British Nuclear, led by Simon Bowen, which will bring forward new projects. of our nuclear workforce.”

New headquarters for Rolls-Royce SMR

Jacobs awarded contract extension to support uk’s transition to net-zero Project maximizes emission-free electricity generation

Rolls-Royce SMR’s new HQ will be located in central Manchester, as part of its continued expansion.

Tom Samson, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Chief Executive, made the announcement during a stakeholder event, where the company’s senior leadership team gave an update on the project to deploy a fleet of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) power stations.

Tom Samson said: “Rolls-Royce SMR is coming back to Manchester, where Charles Rolls and Henry Royce first met in 1904. We’re growing as a company and, as we move at pace to build our SMR power stations in the UK, the time is right to set up our head office in this fantastic city.

“We’re on target to recruit 850 people to work on this incredibly exciting project by the end of this year. As the UK’s domestic nuclear energy champion, we will play a vital role in providing clean, reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity for generations to come.”

The new office will operate alongside Rolls-Royce SMR’s existing locations in Warrington and Derby.

Jacobs was awarded a two-year extension to its Stations Services Agreement (SSA) with EDF Nuclear Generation (EDF), operator of the UK’s nuclear power plants. Jacobs’ scope includes supporting the safe operation and maintenance of the advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) stations which account for about 17% of the country’s electricity output.

Jacobs will act as the prime contractor to deliver flagship projects, such as the overhaul of primary plant heating and ventilation systems. The SSA team also has an established reputation for troubleshooting and work delivery on many complex plant systems. EDF estimates the contract value of the April 2022—March 2024 extension at more than $3 million (£2.3 million).

“The agreement to extend was made following an exceptional year of safe maintenance and delivery from Jacobs, reflecting EDF’s confidence in our record of successful performance on of this multiyear framework.

“We will assist EDF in maximizing emission-free generation from these vital national assets for the remainder of their operating lives, supporting the transition to a net-zero economy, and follow-on transition toward defueling and decommissioning.”

Karen Wiemelt, Jacobs Energy, Security & Technology Senior Vice President Now in its fourth year, the SSA contract supports work for Jacobs’ technical specialists embedded at power stations with the client’s teams.

“From my perspective, the Jacobs SSA team are great to work with. There is a good level of reach-back through the wider organization, which drives continuous improvement on site, and they have a strong leadership team through the Site General Manager.”

Tom Oulton, EDF Heysham 2 Power Station Supply Chain Contract Manager

Doosan to be sold to Altrad Doosan Babcock Limited are pleased to announce that Doosan Enerbility have agreed to sell Doosan Babcock Limited to Altrad The transaction, which is likely to conclude in quarter three of 2022, marks another exciting milestone in Doosan Babcock’s ongoing development, whereby it will be acquired by Altrad, a business that shares its enthusiasm, vision and values and a desire to add enhanced value to its clients.

“We are extremely pleased to be joining Altrad and we are confident our business will be well positioned to grow and develop at pace under the new ownership structure. We believe our collective capabilities and shared vision and values will be attractive to our clients, our people and the communities within which we work.”

Andy Colquhoun, CEO of Doosan Babcock Pleasingly, this arrangement will encompass approximately 4,000 talented people joining Altrad, wherein they will be valued and encouraged to develop fulfilling careers, to become the best they can be.

2022 | SUMMER — 25

LINCOLN HILL • DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS • NIA

A different world, a changed debate

W

e live in a different world to the one in which I wrote the last Power Politics column in mid-February. Russia’s criminal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on 24 February destroyed old perceptions of military alignments, international relations, and of course energy policy.

The human tragedy sits foremost in our minds, and our first thought is for our brave colleagues in the Ukrainian nuclear industry who persevered through horrific conditions to keep the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant running safely and correctly and who still today operate Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant at Russian gunpoint. Their courage in the face of brutal occupation is another testament to the character of the Ukrainian people and to heights of dedication and professionalism they exhibit. We think of them every day, and if you wish to support them, you can donate to the American Nuclear SocietyEuropean Nuclear Society’s relief fund here: https:// www.ans.org/donate/form/appeal-ukraine.

The war has also highlighted in the most heartbreaking and immediate terms the dangers of importing energy from a regime prepared to murder its neighbours to revive the borders of the Tsars. Energy security is now one of the overriding priorities of the Government and indeed of all parties. The need, as I wrote in my last column for “secure, sovereign and affordable energy” has spurred both the Government and the opposition to support major new investment in nuclear and renewable energy capacity.

We can call the British Energy Security Strategy and the related announcement of the formation of Great British Nuclear a historic moment for the sector. For the first time, the Government defined a clear and ambitious target for 24 GW of nuclear capacity by 2050, to produce 25% of our electricity.

That is twice as much gross capacity than the UK has ever had before, and it would return the nuclear share of electricity to close to the peak we achieved in the late 1990s.

The Government also announced the immediate establishment of Great British Nuclear (GBN) to

26 — SUMMER | 2022

accelerate the deployment of nuclear projects and a firm goal to have two further nuclear projects reach a Final Investment Decision (FID). I am pleased to report that Great British Nuclear, under the leadership of Simon Bowen as industry adviser, has got swiftly to work identifying the barriers to nuclear deployment in the UK. They intend to report their findings and recommendations for the future structure of GBN in early September after an intensive 100-day sprint.

Elsewhere, as promised again in the previous edition, I can report that the Nuclear Energy (Financing) Bill to establish the Regulated Asset Base model for nuclear projects is now law. Moreover, the Government has published draft reasons for designating Sizewell C under the new legislation, to facilitate the application of the RAB model to the project, so we look forward to further progress toward this vital project formally going ahead.

This level of commitment, and the broad, consistent and intense political support gives us the greatest reassurance we have had in years that nuclear, and new nuclear in particular, has a secure, long-term future in the UK. Indeed, our own YouGov polling shows a 12% increase in net support for building new nuclear power stations here in the UK, and the highest ever support, 79%, for a strong and diverse energy mix that includes renewables and nuclear.

In that theme of ecumenical, cross-sector collaboration, the NIA has been collaborating with Energy UK, Renewable UK, Solar UK, the Renewable Energy Association, and Scottish Renewables to inform MPs about the risks of extending the windfall tax on fossil fuels to electricity generators. In short, we have made the argument that the electricity generators must mobilise hundreds of billions of pounds in long-term, low-carbon investment, and to do that at competitive rates they need to show secure and, crucially, predictable, returns on investment. Since electricity generation is intended to be the engine of decarbonisation, powering electric vehicles, home heat pumps, and hydrogen

▲ R ead the strategy online at gov.uk/government/ publications/british-energy-security-strategy/ british-energy-security-strategy

production, it is vital that clean power investment is an attractive long-term proposition. We firmly intend to maintain and extend our collaboration with our renewable energy brethren in future, as we have many overlapping interests in ensuring that the UK electricity market, planning system and green financing system are set up to match the ambitions we have for this country.

The nuclear sector has also been looking for allies, amongst our allies. Tom Greatrex , our Chief Executive, co-hosted a high-level US-UK Energy Dialogue event explicitly on nuclear energy with Maria Korsnick, chief executive of our US sister organisation the Nuclear Energy Institute.

BEIS Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng and US Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk attended, as did leading executives from across the US and UK nuclear industries.

The main topics discussed were delivering our shared nuclear ambitions, including the UK’s new build targets, removing barriers to trade between us, especially on the licensing of new reactor technologies, and US-UK collaboration on protecting the energy security of allied and partner nations, including in nuclear fuel.

The US and UK of course have a long history of collaboration and share vital strategic aims in the energy space, notably accelerating the clean energy transition and minimising dependency on Russian energy sources wherever and whenever possible.

We will continue to engage with our American partners on it, to identify all opportunities to secure more investment and more business for the UK nuclear industry, and to prevent energy from being used as a weapon to undermine our democracies and our shared values.

This sector, and the work we do, is essential to those strategic goals. Our place in the nation’s future looks increasingly secure, but we have to make the place of everyone struggling for a stable job in the community they grew up in, or struggling to pay the bills in this crisis, secure in this country as well. That is our task ahead.

2022 | SUMMER — 27

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EXPLEO expleo.com

FISCHER CONNECTORS fischerconnectors.com

Expleo is a global engineering, technology and consulting service provider. It partners with leading organisations to guide them through their business transformation, helping to achieve operational excellence and future-proof their businesses. It has more than 40 years of experience developing complex products, optimising manufacturing processes, and ensuring the quality of information systems.

Fischer Connectors offer high-performance connectivity solutions that manage power and data flows seamlessly from sensors and devices to the cloud, enabling the emergence of new ecosystems.

By innovating together with customers and partners, we can help even the biggest, most ambitious ideas succeed.

Not a member? To find out about the NIA and benefits of membership scan the QR code.

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

HARRISON NETWORK theharrisonnetwork.co.uk

LV SHIPPING LTD lv-logistics.com

MORSON TALENT terrapower.com

Harrison Network develops the people and teams that industry needs for tomorrow, today. We help you build the strong, human relationships that will transform teams, leadership, culture and your triple bottom line.

LV Logistics offers logistics solutions through our global network. We see to it that every logistics need of our customers is taken care of, meeting the highest Health & Safety standards.

LV Logistics is here for you! With the right solution for every challenge!

Morson Talent has an outstanding reputation for placing talented people into the right roles with exciting organisations across the globe.

At Morson, recruitment is more than filling roles. It’s transforming businesses, fuelling industry and innovation, creating fulfilling careers and opening up the world of work for all.

NPL npl.co.uk

SEIMAF seimaf.com

SITEFLOW siteflow.com

NPL is the UK’s National Metrology Institute, developing and maintaining the national primary measurement standards. We undertake excellent science and engineering to deliver extraordinary impact for the UK and provide the measurement capability that underpins the UK’s prosperity and quality of life.

SEIMAF is an engineering consultancy company specialised in plant design and mechanical engineering and civil engineering for the Nuclear industry.

Since 1994 we have gained an extensive expertise by delivering innovative projects for nuclear new builds and decommissioning.

Siteflow offers the first cloud-based field service management software designed for nuclear operations. Its web and mobile applications enable secure connection of 100% of your workforce, from desk offices to the field, preparation to closure, and help companies deploy their forces into environments characterized by highly demanding QA QC standards.

STEVE VICK INTERNATIONAL stevevick.com

ULTRA ELECTRONICS ENERGY ultraelectronicsenergy.com

YOKOGAWA yokogawa.com/uk

Steve Vick International offer solutions for decommissioning pipes, ducts or chambers as well as offering methods for making new connections and carrying out CCTV inspections under live conditions.

Our techniques have been proved to radically reduce time on site, exposure time and costs.

Ultra Energy is a global engineering and design manufacture leader with just over six decades of experience designing for heavily regulated markets. We develop sensors and instrumentation and control solutions for harsh environments and mission critical applications when safety and reliability matter.

Yokogawa is a leading provider of Industrial Automation and Test and Measurement solutions. Combining superior technology with engineering services, project management, and maintenance, Yokogawa delivers field proven operational efficiency, safety, quality, and reliability.

2022 | SUMMER — 29