Industry Link – Summer 2021

MAGAZINE OF THE UK NUCLEAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION SUMMER / 2021

NIAUK.ORG

All roads lead to Glasgow... 2 CELEBRATING EARTH DAY:

CREATING A MORE CONNECTED, 10 SUSTAINABLE WORLD

A STEP in the 8 right direction

LABOUR GREEN WITH ENVY OVER BLUE NUCLEAR SEATS 18

Welcome to the summer edition of the Nuclear Industry Association’s quarterly magazine, Industry Link.

2021 has long been mooted as being a turning point for tackling climate change. As we approach this year’s halfway mark it’s encouraging to see countries, including the UK, commit to deep carbon cuts, but how much progress will there have been by the time the Glasgow gathering of world leaders takes place in November?

For one thing we’re going to need a lot more nuclear for progress to be achieved. We all know it, but we need to see it. In the Spring edition I noted the apparent ‘scale of ambition for new nuclear’ from those in power.

In this edition we analyse where we are at, and what needs to happen.

Between now and Glasgow, will the UK Government follow through on its commitment to increase nuclear capacity?

But do not fret, there is much more to this edition than climate targets and cutting emissions. There’s a breakthrough in nuclear fusion to be celebrated, following a successful experiment at the Culham Centre.

We also sit down with the boss of the newly formed NTS, a world leader in safe and reliable nuclear transport solutions.

As always, there is also plenty from our members to digest and to enjoy. After all, it’s been a busy start to the year.

Iolo James, Media & Communications Manager, Editor

IN VIEW

IN THIS ISSUE...

PAGE 4 PETERSON BROADENING REACH IN NUCLEAR INDUSTRY

PAGE 14

PAGE 20

SIZEWELL C AWARDED DAC PAGE 23 FUNDING

IN CONVERSATION: SETH KYBIRD Editor - Iolo James Art Editor - Dan Powney

Follow us: @NIAUK

Contributors - Tom Greatrex, Ieuan Williams, Tom Brook, Stephanie McKenna, Lincoln Hill, Jay Bhart, Steven Smith – Peterson, Nick Holloway – UKAEA, Vanessa Mourant – Jacobs, Seth Kybird – NTS, Sarah Burgoyne – TSP Engineering, with additional thanks to EDF Energy, Ansaldo Nucleare & World Nuclear News

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

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Cover image: Courtesy of EUROfusion - www.euro-fusion.org This magazine is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable based inks.

All roads lead to Glasgow…

BY. TOM GREATREX / CHIEF EXECUTIVE

E

ver since the Paris Agreement was adopted back in 2015, COP26 has been viewed as a seminal moment on the path to reaching the climate targets that were triumphantly agreed in the French capital.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, recently said he hoped the climate summit would hammer out the final details of an “era-defining outcome” for the planet. But there was also a warning from the PM; the stakes are too high for the talks to be a “last minute dash to the line.”

He is right of course; we must act now. With less than five months to go until the talks in Glasgow, governments need to use the time wisely. As co-hosts, the UK should be leading by example. That includes delivering on the promises the Government made in the Energy White Paper and Mr Johnson’s Ten Point Plan.

That includes following through on its commitment to increase nuclear capacity and to legislate to get that capacity built. There needs to be an endorsing of a new financing model for nuclear projects; key to reducing the cost of capital and mobilising the investment required to build new stations.

We are already seeing successes in reducing construction times by repeating tasks, and if we combine a better financing model with the benefits of a fleet build, the nuclear industry in Britain can continue to thrive, leading to more jobs and of course more clean power.

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Nowhere is that vision better personified than in Europe’s biggest building site near Bridgwater in Somerset. The sheer scale and complexity of the Hinkley Point C project has been brilliantly captured in the BBC Two documentary series, ‘Building Britain’s Biggest Nuclear Power Station’. The opening sequence of the first episode alone filled me with pride. ‘The biggest cranes in the world, the biggest lifts in the world, the most lifts in the world,’ one worker says, a smile as wide as the Bristol Channel across her face. ‘The biggest kit of parts in Europe,’ another says, with an air of excitement.

The series perfectly captures the essence of a big nuclear project; of the immense engineering and construction skills that’s required, and the years of planning and dedication. But above all it’s the people that make the site tick.

From steel workers to project managers, from specialist radiographers to the kitchen staff (perhaps the most important of them all!). COP26 is where the talking will take place, but the delivery is in places like Bridgwater, at the feet of the thousands of workers who are playing their part in building a greener future.

You may have read my blogpost back in May in which I commended the Hinkley workers for vastly improving their efficiency, for example building a second containment ring 36% faster than the first. A ring 17 metres high and 47 metres across, a behemoth of construction. When we talk about ‘fleet build’ and economies of scale, this what we mean, I explained. As the

workers repeat tasks and apply lessons from previous jobs, the quality goes up, the time goes down, and costs fall.

For that to happen on an even bigger scale, at sites up and down the country perfect for large-scale nuclear developments like Wylfa, Bradwell and Moorside, we of course need action.

Promising a green industrial revolution is one thing, delivering on that promise is another.

With the climate talks on the horizon, it’s clear our politicians are taking things seriously, especially after the Government’s decision to adopt the Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget in full, thereby setting a new target to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035.

It’s an almighty challenge, but one where failure is not an option, if by 2050 we want to get to net zero. One thing is for certain, we won’t do it without renewed investment in firm sources of power like nuclear. Like the IEA said in its landmark net zero roadmap last month, nuclear power is an ‘essential foundation’ to the energy transition.

A failure to fully utilise all the proven technologies we know can make a difference could have very damaging consequences.

An eventuality that some countries attending the Glasgow talks will be acutely aware of, even if they do not want to admit it.

Here in the UK, we know what we need to do, and how to get there. Let’s make sure that when November comes, no promises have been broken.

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Image by James Glen from https://pixabay.com

COP26 IS WHERE THE TALKING WILL TAKE PLACE, BUT THE DELIVERY IS IN PLACES LIKE BRIDGWATER

MEDIA WATCH NEWS

BY. IOLO JAMES / MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

As part of the media coverage marking the tenth anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi accident in March, Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the NIA appeared live on the BBC News Channel.

In a measured interview, he spoke about the events that led up to the accident, the aftermath, and the consequences of the country’s decision to shut down its reactors, which led to a significant rise in fossil fuel use and emissions. He also detailed how such an accident could not happen in the UK because of strict regulatory oversight.

In another BBC interview, this time on Radio Somerset, Tom gave the NIA’s official rection to the announcement of more jobs at Hinkley Point C and the project’s socio-economic impacts report. He told listeners that the jobs mean more opportunities for local people to develop and learn new skills, as well as the wider supply chain. He said the project is vitally important for the UK’s clean energy needs and called on the Government to keep its promise of building new nuclear capacity in order to meet ambitious climate targets.

After some analysis of National Grid data, the NIA issued a media release in April detailing how the South West’s electricity grid went 100% green thanks to nuclear power from Hinkley Point B and strong solar output. The carbon intensity of electricity dropped to 0 gCO2/kWh, the lowest figure in at least fifteen months. Of the impressive performance Tom Greatrex said, it “shows that nuclear power, in partnership with renewables, is essential to reaching net zero. To do that, we need to build new nuclear power stations urgently alongside renewable capacity.”

In a first for the industry, we joined forces with RenewableUK and Solar Energy UK, representing Britain’s three leading zero-carbon power generators, in calling for urgent action to build new wind, nuclear and solar capacity and for a binding target of 100% grid decarbonisation by 2035. Analysis by the NIA showed that with less than six months to go until the COP26 summit, Britain’s grid is dirtier now than it was a year ago, with heavy reliance on fossil fuels. You may have seen the story picked up in several trade publications, including Edie and Business Green.

Industry was yet again featured on the BBC in June, this time in a brand new new series, ‘Building Britain’s Biggest Nuclear Power Station’. The four-part BBC Two series goes behind the scenes at Hinkley Point C, telling the stories of the engineers, technicians, steel-fixers, welders, crane drivers, tunnellers and support teams all working to meet the challenge of building Britain’s first nuclear power station in a generation. It’s an impressive, watch even for those of us with industry familiarity, and offers unique insight into the construction of what will become the UK’s single largest source of low carbon electricity.

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Peterson broadening reach in nuclear industry BY. STEVEN SMITH ⁄ COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, PETERSON UK LTD

P

eterson recently celebrated a five year milestone as operator of the Control Tower and the Security & Distribution Centre (S&DC) at Lillyhall on behalf of Sellafield Ltd. Here Peterson manage inbound logistics and secure distribution of goods in accordance with stringent key performance indicators.

The Control Tower and S&DC at Lillyhall stand out as exemplars of best practice, supported by dedicated nuclear professionals who share the desire to improve, innovate and deliver to customers’ expectations and vision.

By applying lean principles to materials management and making effective use of technology, Peterson has reduced the number of trucks that deliver direct to main site on a ratio of 8 to 1—for every eight trucks

that would have gone to the main site previously, there is now only one.

This has contributed to significant emissions reductions, with the equivalent of over 600,000kg of CO2 emissions being saved within the supply chain since 2016.

During five years’ of operating the Control Tower and S&DC, Peterson has continued to drive effective change and strive for operational excellence. This has been recognised through several Sellafield awards including, the Sellafield Management of Contractor’s Health and Safety Award 2019 and 2020, and the Sellafield Chief Executive’s Award for Overall Contractor Performance 2020.

Having successfully transferred its logistics experience and safety standards, gained from working in the highly regulated oil and gas industry, to Sellafield, Peterson is now focused

on delivering benefits to the wider nuclear industry.

The company recently joined the Sizewell C Consortium and is proud to be part of a community of leading companies working together to create jobs, while also supporting the drive to net zero, in Suffolk.

Peterson already has a strong footprint in the region, being established at the Port of Lowestoft for almost three years and in East Anglia for over 10 years. Whilst providing a full range of logistics support services to energy companies operating in the Southern North Sea, the site has undergone major improvements in the past year, with the addition of a new fuel facility with the capability and capacity to service any vessel that comes into the port.

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Report highlights economic benefits of Canadian SMR Transforming Canada’s energy future: The socio-economic impact of GE Hitachi SMRs estimates the potential economic benefits that would result from job creation, local supply chain development, manufacturing, construction, operation and tax revenue generated by the deployment of BWRX-300 in Canada.

Each subsequent BWRX-300 deployed in Ontario and other provinces is expected to generate over CAD1.1 billion in GDP and CAD300 million in tax revenue.

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Tianwan 6 enters commercial operation Unit 6 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China has entered commercial operation, having completed a 100-hour continuous operation test run at full power. Tianwan 6 becomes CNNC’s 24th reactor in commercial operation, increasing the company’s installed generating capacity from 21.391 GWe to 22.509 GWe. The 1080 MWe domestically-designed ACPR1000 pressurised water reactor was connected to the electricity grid on 11

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May. Since then, the unit was tested at 30%, 50% and 100% of its generating capacity before entering a full-power demonstration operating assessment.

According to CNNC, the output from units 5 and 6 will avoid the burning of 5.17 million tonnes of coal per year, cutting CO2 emissions by 13.6 million tonnes, equivalent to planting 34,000 hectares of trees.

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Norwegian research reactor fuel to be recycled in UK Norway’s Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) signed a contract with Westinghouse subsidiary Springfields Fuels Ltd for the transfer of three tonnes of un-irradiated research reactor fuel to the UK for processing into new fuel for use in commercial nuclear power plants.

IFE said the contract forms part of the clean-up after 70 years of nuclear activities in Norway and contributes to significantly reduce the amount of nuclear waste left in the country.

Prior to the transport of the first batch of fuel, necessary approval is required from the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. In addition, permission from the countries of origin for re-export needs to be obtained

through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“These are time-consuming processes, and we therefore do not expect that we will be able to commence transport until 2022,” IFE said.

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Isotope-based project aims to curb poaching A new international project to use nuclear science-based techniques to drastically reduce rhinoceros poaching has been launched in South Africa.

The Rhisotope Project was initiated by the University of Witwatersrand in collaboration with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Colorado State University, Rosatom and the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa as well as scientists, researchers, rhino owners and veterinary surgeon and rhino expert William Fowlds.

The project will investigate introducing harmless amounts of radioactive isotopes into the horn of a rhino with the aim of decreasing the demand for rhino horn on the international market as well as making it more detectable when crossing international borders.

Once a proof of concept has been demonstrated, the technique will be offered to both state and private rhino owners across the African continent and globally.

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

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A Tale of Two Mondays BY. TOM BROOK ⁄ PUBLIC AFFAIRS EXECUTIVE

GB GRID 5 APRIL 2021

GB GRID 12 APRIL 2021

Easter Monday this year saw another new record set on the UK’s road to net zero. At 1pm, windy but sunny weather, a firm base load of nuclear, and low demand due to the Bank Holiday, led Great Britain’s electricity to be the greenest it had ever been, at 39 gCO2 emitted per kWh. The average carbon intensity for the whole day was 75 gCO2 / kWh. The UK’s target for 2030 is for our electricity to emit between 100 and 50 gCO2 /kWh. So, by that count, we’re already there 9 years early. Success!

Sadly though, this only tells half the story. Fast forward a week, and the grid was a very different picture. The weather had changed, people had returned to work, and fossil fuels were back powering the nation. The grid’s average carbon intensity for that day was 249 gCO2/kWh, with individual regions getting as high as 400 gCO2/kWh. It gets worse. Not only was the Monday after Easter bad, but so was that entire week. And the next Monday after that was worse still. In fact, all of 2021 so far has been worse than 2020—a clear setback on the path to net zero.

Why the lack of improvement? Whilst differing weather conditions are a factor, there is a bigger underlying problem— there has been little decarbonisation of Great Britain’s grid in more than a year. Compared to January 2020, wind still hovers around 20% of generation, nuclear 17% and solar 4%.

And whilst coal is being squeezed out, the difference is being absorbed by dirty gas.

Whilst it is right to celebrate the good days like Easter Monday, we cannot afford to ignore the bad days, or indeed the bad months. There’s a long way to go to decarbonise the electricity we use now, never mind a future grid where electricity demand is set to skyrocket as other industries decarbonise.

base load. By making use of both the weather and the nuclear fleet, these regions are a model for our net zero future.

THE BLUEPRINT FOR NET ZERO

→ Annual solar contract for difference auctions until 2030.

But there is hope. Regions of the UK are already performing much better than the national average: Southern Scotland, North East England and North West England are all consistently less than 100 gCO2/kWh. Other regions are also doing well. South West England reaches zero carbon emissions at times in spring and summer, and East Anglia performs below the national average too.

What’s their secret? These are all regions where renewables, namely wind and solar, are complementing a strong nuclear

The UK has made good progress in decarbonising the grid, but we cannot afford to be complacent, as 2021 has shown.

Whilst we are right to celebrate the good days, we must refrain from turning a blind eye when the bad days come around.

The steps set out above are the bare minimum if we are serious about fully decarbonising the grid. To that end, the UK’s low-carbon power sectors—nuclear and renewables—are already working together to achieve it. But as a nation we need to do more.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED NOW There is an issue, however. In less than 10 years’ time, the last of the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs), will have shut down for good. It will mark the end of an era for the British nuclear industry, but it’s also a setback to our net zero blueprint.

And it’s not just the AGRs that will need replacing. Barring Sizewell B, all large-scale low carbon generation, whether nuclear, wind or solar, that is operating today will need to be replaced by 2050.

We must also remember that the rate of improvement on the road to 2050 is currently inadequate. Therefore, it’s imperative that renewables are rolled out at a faster pace, and that new nuclear is built, not only to replace the AGRs, but to go beyond that. After all, the challenge doesn’t stop in 2050; we will need clean power well into the future.

The scale of the challenge is immense, and that’s why the NIA has joined forces with RenewableUK and Solar Energy UK to call for urgent action to jumpstart grid decarbonisation. The associations are calling for a rise in the carbon price consistent with delivering grid decarbonisation by 2035, as well as: → A financing model this year for new nuclear. → A plan to restore nuclear capacity to existing levels by the

early 2030s.

→ 2030 deployment targets for renewables incorporating over

110 GW total capacity.

→ 5 GW green hydrogen electrolyser capacity by 2030. → Funding and tax reform for domestic and business solar roofs.

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A STEP in the right direction BY. NICK HOLLOWAY / MEDIA MANAGER, UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY

Fusion energy is a step closer to the electricity grid after UK scientists reported a breakthrough in one of the main challenges on the road to commercial power plants.

Plasma test in the MAST tokamak ©UKAEA

Simulation of MAST Upgrade with see-through wall ©UKAEA

The MAST Upgrade team ©UKAEA

Exterior view of the MAST Upgrade machine ©EUROfusion

In May, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), which runs the national fusion research programme at Culham, near Oxford, announced promising first results from its new MAST Upgrade experiment.

The device has been built to test an innovative exhaust system which could be scaled up to the compact fusion power plants the UK is planning to develop. The early signs show that the exhaust concept is working as planned—a huge boost for the STEP prototype power plant that UKAEA is designing with a target date of 2040.

Fusion’s potential to help decarbonise the world’s electricity— with no greenhouse gas emissions, abundant fuels and inherent safety features—has long been known. Fusing hydrogen particles into helium unlocks massive amounts of energy; ten million times more than the equivalent amount of coal.

Turning this into a practical source of electricity, though, is not easy. It requires creating conditions ten times hotter than the core of the Sun inside a fusion device and that’s just for starters.

However, researchers have shown that a machine called a tokamak—essentially a magnetic bottle which holds a hot gas, or plasma, of fuel—can produce large amounts of fusion energy and could offer a route to future power plants. Experiments such as the European JET tokamak, based at Culham, have provided the proof of principle, and the first industrial-scale fusion experiment, ITER, will go online in the mid 2020s.

Around the world, attention is turning to the race to get fusion power plants up and running. Private fusion firms are joining the fray alongside Government-backed programmes, bringing billions of investment and an injection of new thinking.

The focus of research is therefore shifting from science to the practical questions of how to build large fusion devices that can provide reliable, affordable electricity. Materials, magnet technology, engineering design and robotic maintenance systems are all part of the mix. One issue that must be overcome is that

of ‘plasma exhaust’; it is this area that the UK’s MAST Upgrade machine is studying.

A tokamak produces excess heat that needs to be removed to keep the fusion process going. This has to be done in a way that does not damage material surfaces. Researchers have developed an exhaust system known as a ‘divertor’ to do this.

The heat is magnetically steered, or diverted, away from the plasma fuel into a toughened trench, akin to the tokamak’s ashtray, before being pumped out of the machine.

This is manageable in today’s experiments; but in future power plants, materials in the exhaust will face greater power loads and existing divertor designs are not suitable. The heat would damage the divertor and require frequent intervention to replace components. This in turn would limit the plant’s availability and make electricity too expensive to compete with other sources.

The challenge is to produce an exhaust system that reduces power loads on surfaces from the level of an arc welder to that of a car engine. In the compact fusion plant design the UK is pursuing—the ‘spherical tokamak’—the problem is even harder.

MAST Upgrade is trialling a novel concept, the Super-X divertor, to solve this headache. If a tokamak’s exhaust were compared to a car exhaust pipe, Super-X is essentially a longer exhaust pipe. The hot particles travel a further distance before hitting the divertor, and this, combined with an injection of gas to spread the heat out over a larger area, allows them to cool down to a level that materials can tolerate.

So far, results from MAST Upgrade show a tenfold reduction of power loads on components using the Super-X divertor.

This matches the predictions from computer simulations and indicates the exhaust in a power plant would last for years rather than months, clearing a big obstacle for commercial viability.

Hurdles remain, but the success of Super-X is a major advance towards bringing fusion’s vast potential to reality by the middle of the century.

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Images courtesy of UKAEA www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority and EUROfusion www.euro-fusion.org

I llustration of MAST Upgrade during a fusion test ©UKAEA

Celebrating Earth Day 2021:

Creating a more connected, sustainable world

BY. VANESSA MOURANT / E XTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, JACOBS

E

arth Day on 22 April marked a year to the day since we launched our Climate Action Plan. The plan captured the shared passion, pride and drive of #OurJacobs family as we work to preserve our planet for future generations.

We committed to 100% renewable energy for our operations in 2020, net zero carbon for our operations and business travel in 2020, and carbon negative for our operations and business travel by 2030 in our Climate Action Plan. By the end of the year, we’d fulfilled the commitments we set out to achieve in 2020—but we didn’t stop there.

We developed science-based carbon-reduction targets for our direct and indirect emissions, that were approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative, and joined the World Economic Forum Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders.

And, we became a founding member of the United Nations Global Compact’s Chief Financial Officer Taskforce for the Sustainable Development Goals to help reshape the future of corporate finance and investment as a catalyst for growth, value creation and social impact.

In the UK, we’ve become involved with Business in the Community’s net zero carbon taskforce, inf luencing how the country will move towards becoming a net zero economy.

And recently we signed a public letter organized by We Mean Business and Ceres calling on the ambitious and deliverable target of cutting US greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030.

The way we operate our business is also enabling us to better support our clients to integrate sustainable, lowcarbon solutions into their own operations—helping projects

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Kick-start your own climate change conversation...

Download our Climate Change Conversation Starter (https://bit.ly/3wVcixw) and our Climate Action Plan (https://bit.ly/3inSRJT)

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of all sizes, at every step of the project lifecycle, identify, implement and track solutions to build a better, more sustainable tomorrow.

Celebrating Earth Day 2021 Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world to demonstrate support for environmental protection. And with our purpose at Jacobs of creating a more connected, sustainable world, you’d be right in thinking that we had some celebrations planned to mark the occasion.

With a global network of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) ambassadors and many parents, uncles, aunts and other types of carers in our midst, we saw an opportunity to spark meaningful conversations about the climate crisis with the leaders of tomorrow.

Sometimes it can be difficult articulating the momentous challenge we face with climate change to children and young people, but for an individual to take action against climate change they first have to understand it.

To help, we’ve developed the Climate Change Conversation Starter—a free, downloadable pack of STEAM activities that equips grown-ups with the tools they need to start that all important conversation around climate change with children.

And as STEAM education benefits everyone, we’ve made it available not only to our employees, but to the public as well.

Why not take a peek and kick-start your own conversation?

As we countdown to COP26 in November this year, our employees are also making a difference through the Climate

Countdown Challenge, a year-long initiative run through our global giving and volunteering platform CollectivelySM. Each month has a different theme with new activities, ranging from adopting food habits that lower emissions, to saving water, to changing heating and cooling habits.

And that’s not all our employees did to celebrate. Our global Latino Employee Network Enlace (Spanish for “link”) hosted a social hour for members to discuss this year’s Earth Day theme Restoring our Earth. They have also launched activities on our Collectively platform to engage co-workers around this theme.

Speaking of Collectively, Jacobs matched employee donations by 100% to 164 charities around the world fighting to save our planet from climate change and environmental destruction, when they donated through our giving and volunteering platform. We’re excited to see #OurJacobs co-workers pool together to support causes around the world!

It seems fitting that Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders’ Earthrise image helped to inspire the first Earth Day back in 1970—as our environmental team at Kennedy Space Center had a whole month of festivities this April for staff to participate in and have a positive impact on the planet (our planet, that is!). From watching movies about the environment to learning about shoreline dune restoration and even how to make your own cleaning products, there was something for everyone in the team’s jam-packed events calendar.

We know business plays a vital role in helping to achieve the transition to a net zero carbon economy and are proud to be part of the global movement of leading companies taking climate action in our operations, working with our clients and partners to help in the fight against climate change.

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

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

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

* Please note you MUST book your space with NDA separately

For further information, contact: uksales@mirion.com

14 — SUMMER | 2021

IN VIEW

Ansaldo aiding in development of advanced Leadcooled Fast Reactor Ansaldo Nucleare SpA and Ansaldo Nuclear Ltd, jointly operating as Ansaldo Nuclear, are working with Westinghouse Electric Company to aid in the continued development of the Westinghouse Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) programme.

The Westinghouse LFR is one of three projects which successfully progressed to Phase 2 of the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) Feasibility and Development project. Following a £10 million investment by BEIS, Westinghouse will now undertake applied research and development activities to demonstrate the feasibility of key LFR’s materials, systems and components.

As a central part of these activities, Ansaldo Nuclear has been subcontracted to deliver the design, installation and operation of two experimental facilities, on account of the company’s extensive experience and knowledge of LFR technology. Specifically, Ansaldo Nuclear will test prototypical high-priority components at the Versatile lead Loop Facility (VLF) and will demonstrate and validate a Passive Heat Removal System (PHRS) through a second, dedicated facility referred to as PHRF. Both the VLF and the PHRF will be designed and installed at Ansaldo Nuclear’s site in Wolverhampton, UK.

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The VLF is conceived as a loop-type test facility circulating molten lead and will play a crucial role in the successful development of the Westinghouse LFR. Even though it will contain no actual nuclear material, the VLF will test a fuel pin bundle simulator, a compact heat exchanger and a coolant pump, resembling those that will be installed in the reactor coolant system.

Testing equipment at a relevant industrial scale and representative LFR conditions will ensure that all the experimental data collected through the facility will be representative of the commercial reactor.

While the operating temperature of similar testing facilities does not typically exceed 480°C, the VLF will be designed to reach 650°C. The facility will also be extremely versatile, capable of testing a range of components, and aims at providing prototypical conditions for innovative secondary coolant system technologies based on a supercritical cycle—a first of its kind for similar facilities.

The PHRF facility will characterize the passive decay heat removal system of the Westinghouse LFR, producing experimental data for the qualification of computer codes devoted to performance assessment. The application of stringent

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nuclear quality assurance standards will enable the use of these data in support of reactor licensing.

Michele Frignani, Nuclear Engineer at Ansaldo Nucleare, has been involved in the programme from an early stage.

Having devoted the last seven years of his professional experience to LFR technology, he underlines the importance of collaboration towards a common vision: “Due to our ongoing collaboration with our historical partner in Italy, ENEA, Ansaldo Nucleare has accumulated a large knowledge of Generation IV and LFR technology, which is why we are confident we can deliver the testing and demonstration of high priority components and systems with the utmost fidelity.

“The four main objectives of Generation IV technologies are safety, economic viability, reliability and the improvement of the overall fuel cycle.

Ansaldo Nucleare shares these goals, which is why we have a history of investing in Generation IV technology and believe the LFR represents a credible opportunity to make those goals a reality.”

Marco Caramello, Nuclear engineer at Ansaldo Nucleare, has worked on

design and research projects for liquid metal cooled reactors for more than five years and is aware of the prospects but also of the challenges presented by the innovative nature of the LFR: “The main challenge will be to ensure the VLF and PHRF are as representative as possible of the real reactor, and to meet the necessary level of quality assurance requirements that will be expected for a nuclear application.

“Advanced Modular Reactors are an opportunity to ensure reliable clean energy production while playing a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions, thus fully supporting internationally-shared efforts in the fight against climate change”.

With a power level of approximately 450 MWe and thanks to the combination between the favourable properties of liquid lead as a coolant and the adoption of novel technology solutions, the Westinghouse LFR has the potential to achieve a step-change in the cost and market flexibility of new nuclear.

As a leading organisation in the development of LFR technology, and thanks to over 20 years of accumulated experience in partnership with ENEA, Ansaldo Nuclear will be instrumental in achieving this goal.

Nuclear robotics contract is first tranche in LongOps UK-Japan deal The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) awarded Veolia Nuclear Solutions (UK) and Wälischmiller Engineering GmbH separate contracts totalling £3 million to supply robotic manipulator arms to its RACE research facility.

The contract stems from the £12 million UKJapanese robotics deal for fusion energy and nuclear decommissioning research, called “LongOps”, announced in January this year.

LongOps will support the delivery of faster and safer decommissioning at the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi site in Japan and at Sellafield in the UK. Veolia Nuclear Solutions (UK) and Wälischmiller Engineering GmbH will each provide a twinarm haptic manipulator—a form of kinaesthetic communications technology, complete with electrical and control systems—to deliver key aspects of the LongOps project. The manipulators will also be used by UKAEA to train operators that are based at both Sellafield and Fukushima.

In addition, developments from LongOps will be applied to upgrading, maintenance and dismantling of fusion devices, such as the Joint European Torus (JET).

The four-year LongOps collaboration is led

by UKAEA’s Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) robotics test facility at Culham Science Centre near Oxford. LongOps is funded equally by UK Research and Innovation, the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and TEPCO.

2021 | SUMMER — 17

Elections 2021: Labour green with envy over blue nuclear seats

C

ome election time, it’s always a bit dull when none of the candidates are particularly inspiring, nor is it fun when party leaders drone on for weeks about something which they mistakenly believe resonates with the public. The icing on the boring cake is when it turns out the pollsters had it pretty much right from the start.

“Super Thursday”—because now apparently everything must be prefixed as such—for me wasn’t particularly interesting. As predicted, affection for incumbents due to the success of the Covid vaccine rollout saw both Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon returned as First Ministers, and the Tories did as well as expected in England. Turnout for the London Mayoral Election was as low as always, though Sadiq Khan must have been a bit disappointed that he didn’t win on the first round of counting.

While a lot of attention was on the by-election in Hartlepool, Labour’s loss was, for me, simply a deferred result from the 2019 General Election, given this time nobody was splitting the Conservative vote. If the Brexit Party hadn’t stood previously, it would have been an easy win for the Government.

The impact of this Tory gain, however, is the Labour Party no longer represents any generating nuclear constituencies.

Which, when you think about it, is quite remarkable.

Yet as someone who used to work in Parliament for a Labour MP, while disheartening, it’s not really a surprise that the party has lost so many nuclear seats. Since 2010 Labour has lost Morecambe & Lunesdale, East Lothian, North Ayreshire & Arran, Copeland, Ynys Môn, Barrow & Furness, Workington and now Hartlepool. With the potential exception of the Scottish seats, these are not coincidental losses, and the rap sheet is pretty damning.

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For nearly five years, the post of Shadow Energy Minister has been held by someone who is vocally anti-nuclear, believes that tidal lagoons can provide baseload power to the grid, and doesn’t seem to recognise quite how much electricity demand is set to increase by.

Then there was the moment when Jeremy Corbyn delivered a lukewarm (I’m being generous) mention of nuclear during the 2017 Copeland by-election – with its 13,000+ nuclear jobs—and then acted all surprised when it turned blue, the first ever Government gain at a by-election. This in turn has probably contributed to neighbouring seats doing the same.

Meanwhile, Keir Starmer, having visited Hartlepool power plant, is yet to bring himself to say the word “nuclear”, and instead went into the campaign talking about the Prime Minister’s f lat getting some new furniture, thinking it would stir the hearts and minds of voters.

The only thing vaguely keeping the party on the straight and narrow on nuclear are the Unions, but if they falter, it’s game over.

What’s impressive is how, after 11 years in Government, the Conversative Party is still able to instil the hope that they will deliver the major projects these communities so desperately need. The big question is how much patience does the electorate have left? Even if they do find themselves tired of waiting, will there be an opposition to present a brighter alternative?

There have been more gripping days at the ballot box, that much is clear, but a lot needs to happen in a short space of time for this Government to follow through on some big promises, which I am sure will lead to a very interesting political period indeed.

Image by Element5 from www.pexels.com

BY. IEUAN WILLIAMS / HEAD OF POLICY & PUBLIC AFFAIRS

SNAPSHOT

TSP Engineering named finalist in two categories in Made in the North West awards TSP Engineering are thrilled to announce we have received notification that we have been shortlisted for not just one, but two categories at this years ‘Made in the North West’ Awards!

Our first success is in the category for ‘Manufacturing Apprenticeship/ Training Scheme Award’, which is such a special category to be recognised in due to our on-going passion in supporting the next generation and future face of engineering. The second, which we are extremely proud of, is our very own Amee Flynn who has been shortlisted in the ‘Apprentice of the year’ category.

TSP Engineering Chief Executive, John Coughlan, stated; “We are extremely pleased to be shortlisted for these two categories as it evidences the investment we make in

not just putting skills into the plant, but the passing on of these skills to the next generation. This doesn’t only support the requirements of our business, but also supports the skills which will be necessary to support the UK’s challenges of the future.

It’s extremely gratifying to see Amee, a Mechanical Design Apprentice, be shortlisted from TSP Engineering. In the past we have had a history of craft apprentices receiving awards, but this shows the skill of the people we have throughout the whole business and the successful future which lies ahead”.

Amee Flynn, who is in her final year of her apprenticeship said; “As cheesy as it is, I feel lucky to be able to say I work in a sector and business I love, so to receive this level of recognition

in addition to this so early in my career is breath taking.

“I work amongst some of the best, most experienced, engineers in the region, so I guess I owe a lot to them for taking me under their wing and supporting me in my growth and journey”.

As always the competition will be tough, but we have everything crossed that both Amee and TSP Engineering will take the crown at the awards ceremony later this year at the black-tie event at The Lowery in Manchester on the 28th July.

In all honesty, we feel like we’ve already won, being recognised as finalists in a time which has been so negative, uncertain, and challenging for everyone. Thank you to Amee and the wider team for all your hard work, let’s keep striving to be the best!

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2021 | SUMMER — 19

20 — SUMMER | 2021

IN CONVERSATION ...

SETH KYBIRD

E

arlier this year the UK’s leading nuclear transport companies came together into a single organisation —Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS)—with a bold ambition to use its nuclear transport expertise to make the world safer and more sustainable.

NTS aims to be a centre of excellence for nuclear transport both at home and abroad, with its number one mission to help its owner, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), complete the largest restoration programme in Europe.

Speaking to Industry Link, NTS CEO Seth Kybird talks about the new organisation and its plans for the future.

WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE CREATION OF NTS, AND HOW WILL IT HELP THE UK NUCLEAR INDUSTRY? The UK already leads the way in nuclear transport, but by uniting International Nuclear Services (INS) and its subsidiary Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd (PNTL) with Direct Rail Services (DRS), we’re now greater than the sum of our parts. Our ambition is to be a centre of excellence for nuclear transport and cement our position as a vital UK and international capability.

As part of the NDA group, we provide vital transport solutions to support the NDA’s mission to clean-up the UK’s earliest sites.

That includes transporting spent fuel from UK power stations to Sellafield, the return of reprocessing products to customers overseas, and packaging and licensing solutions to the NDA group. We’re also taking on responsibility for developing a strategic overview of all nuclear movements across NDA’s 17 sites with a view to making transport operations more efficient and sustainable.

As well as safely transporting materials to, from and between NDA sites, there is a market for our specialist nuclear transport capabilities among a range of UK and international customers. In recent years we’ve provided complex end-to-end transport solutions for materials including plutonium, highlyenriched uranium, MOX fuel, high-level waste and spent fuel to a number of partners and customers around the world.

TELL US ABOUT THE ORGANISATION AND YOUR TRANSPORT CAPABILITY… We are specialists in the operational, commercial, engineering, legal, and regulatory skills that underpin nuclear transport and logistics operations. We employ 750 people at locations throughout the UK, as well as in Japan and France.

We operate DRS and PNTL, which continue to deliver rail and shipping activities, building on decades of experience of providing safe, secure and reliable transport solutions.

DRS has a flexible and efficient fleet of over 100 locomotives and rolling stock allowing us to continue to deliver industryleading rail services across the UK network. The fleet includes the Class-88 locomotive, which can cover electrified and non-electrified areas of the rail network, using electricity as a clean, renewable source of energy and delivering the highest standards of efficiency and emissions in the industry.

PNTL operates three purpose-built ships dedicated to the transport of nuclear materials—Pacific Egret, Pacific Heron and Pacific Grebe. These specialist vessels are classified by

the International Maritime Organisation at its highest level of INF3, which means they can carry all types and categories of nuclear cargoes. We’re the only organisation in the world that can offer a Category 1, high-security shipping capability.

As well as rail and shipping we provide a range of integrated solutions and specialist advice to customers—from consultancy and complex assessments to nuclear package design and licensing.

NTS IS A COMMERCIAL-DRIVEN ORGANISATION, SO WHAT WILL YOU BE ABLE TO OFFER YOUR CUSTOMERS? Our focus will always be on supporting nuclear clean-up in the UK and serving our long-standing customers like the Japanese utility companies, but we will use our skills and expertise to expand our work with overseas governments and customers.

Safe and secure transport of radioactive materials is essential to support a range of work—whether it’s decommissioning programmes, nuclear energy generation, or on behalf of a range of other industries like medicine, agriculture, research, manufacturing, and minerals. We must ensure we’re flexible and adaptable enough to evolve with—and be ahead of – emerging trends in all these industries.

The potential for NTS is great...we want to invest in our business, to innovate, and expand into new markets, whilst remaining committed to delivering safe, secure and reliable solutions to our existing customers and partners.

WHAT ARE THE WIDER BENEFITS OF NTS? We’re proud of how we use our expertise to make the world safer and more sustainable. Whether that’s by supporting the clean-up of the UK’s nuclear legacy, using our high-security shipping capabilities to support global security goals, or providing low-carbon rail freight solutions that takes more lorries of our roads.

Thousands of consignments of radioactive materials are transported by rail, road, sea or air each day. The UK has been at the forefront of nuclear transportation and packaging for decades—travelling millions of miles and moving thousands of flasks of material, all the while maintaining a flawless nuclear safety record.

We know we have a responsibility to use the expertise and experience that is strewn to advance the quality and technology of nuclear transportation for the benefit of everyone in the UK and global nuclear community.

We already work closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS), World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) and other international partners to further our aim, and this collaborative way of working is something I’m passionate about. As an industry, we have a duty to be excellent at what we do—so if we can help others increase the capacity for safe, secure and sustainable nuclear transport, then we will.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NTS VISIT NUCLEARTRANSPORTSOLUTIONS.COM

2021 | SUMMER — 21

A refreshed identity for the Nuclear Sector Deal BY. JAY BHART / NUCLEAR SECTOR DEAL PMO DIRECTOR

What’s changed?

For 60 years and more, the nuclear sector in this country has been a key partner of government in providing opportunity and prosperity for the UK. Our sector has adapted to the challenges of economic and geopolitical transformation to deliver consistently for our country and our communities.

Today, faced with a climate crisis and the unprecedented demands of decarbonising our whole economy, we are raising our common ambition through a refreshed Nuclear Sector Deal as Nuclear 2050.

Although it is just three years since we launched the Nuclear Sector Deal in June 2018, we live in a different world.

We all know what the pandemic has done to our economy and our society, but the changes have not stopped there. The UK has formally left the European Union.

Climate change has only accelerated. In response, the UK has formally committed to hitting net zero by 2050.

What is more, the Government has finally and clearly given explicit backing for nuclear power in the Energy White Paper and 10 Point Plan. They have committed to increasing nuclear power capacity and supporting the whole range of nuclear technologies. At the same time, the lack of a financing model has meant that large-scale nuclear projects

at Moorside in Cumbria and Wylfa on Anglesey have been unable to go ahead.

Despite all these changes, the four principal commitments we made in 2018 still hold: we need to cut new build costs by 30%, decommissioning costs by 20%, transform our workforce so it is 40% women by 2030, and win billions of pounds of new work around the world.

The sector, throughout all the challenges thrown our way, has proven it can deliver. Construction at Hinkley Point C, from concrete pours to containment ring lifts, has borne out our promise that fleet builds, repeating tasks and applying lessons from past work, would cut costs and deployment times.

The NDA and its SLCs are implementing a One NDA approach, phasing out the PBO model. UK companies continue to innovate in modular reactor design, with UKSMR looking to enter GDA this year, and UBattery receiving Government support. Overall, the original sector deal has 82 commitments and targets out to 2030, of which 27 commitments have been delivered today.

We have done well, but we need to do more. That is why our team has engaged the whole sector on replacing the sector deal with Nuclear 2050.

We are taking the opportunity to think again about our mission, to help drive

the UK’s economic recovery and future sustainable growth through innovative approaches to decarbonisation, project delivery, and skills, including defence, which is not promoted by the NIA but falls within the sector deal remit. We want to be bolder, braver and more ambitious.

Over the last 3 months, our team has engaged with the nuclear sector to drive out their key areas of focus and potential joint commitments between Government and Industry to address the challenges we face. We have had over 160 ideas submitted, which were grouped into 8 key theme areas, ran 10 deep dive workshops and involved over 300 people in and out of our sector.

To bring these ideas to a consensus we ran our own “dragons’ den” (panel review) to obtain feedback from 15 key Government and Industry champions who provided constructive challenge and feedback to now start to build Nuclear 2050 to be delivered in July 2021.

With their help, we will introduce new commitments that embody our role in delivering net zero, security and prosperity across the UK. We will simplify and strengthen our approach to face the future effectively, and renew our partnership with Government as we cooperate in support of these great national endeavours.

Sizewell C and partners awarded Direct Air Capture funding BY. EDF ENERGY

A consortium led by Sizewell C has been awarded £250,000 by the Government to develop plans for Direct Air Capture (DAC) which could be powered by the new power station proposed for Suffolk.

The funds have been provided under Government’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio which supports the development of low-carbon technologies.

Leading engineers and carbon capture experts at the University of Nottingham, Strata Technology, Atkins, and Doosan Babcock are working with Sizewell C on a design study for a unique DAC system which runs on low carbon heat.

Direct Air Capture involves removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which is then stored so that it cannot contribute to climate change. Some Carbon Dioxide (CO2) can also be ‘recycled’ for other purposes such as conversion into synthetic fuels.

The DAC system being proposed by the consortium will be more efficient than

other models as it will require little to no electricity and will be able to use heat at a wide range of temperatures. Nuclear is the cheapest way to produce low carbon heat and its use could significantly drive down the cost of this new technology.

A small-scale demonstrator DAC system would be capable of capturing 100 tonnes of CO2 a year. A scaled-up version powered by Sizewell C with heat pumped to a suitable location would have little impact on the power station’s electricity output and could one day capture 1.5m tonnes of CO2 a year.

That’s enough to almost offset the annual emissions of the UK’s rail network and would make Sizewell C carbon negative.

Proposals for the pilot project were submitted by the consortium as part of the Government’s Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) competition, which is aimed at accelerating the development of carbon capture systems.

GGR technologies are crucial for helping the UK achieve net zero emissions as they will help to offset the CO2 produced by industries which are difficult to decarbonise, like agriculture and aviation.

All engineering and design activities for the pilot will be carried out in the UK to develop a British DAC technology.

Sizewell C’s Finance Director, Julia Pyke, said: “Finding a way to bring down the cost of direct air capture is important to our transition to net zero, and powering DAC with heat from Sizewell C has the potential to make the power station carbon negative.

“This has exciting potential for our fight against climate change and shows how nuclear can bring even more value to our energy system.”

Sizewell C is already developing plans for hydrogen production to lower carbon emissions during construction of the power station and to provide fuel for local transport and industry.

2021 | SUMMER — 23

NEWS IN BRIEF

NDL consortium partners win multi million pound design contract within Prototype Fast Reactor Facility The NDL multi-discipline design team, made up of James Fisher Nuclear (JFN), React Engineering, Shepley Engineering and Tetra Tech, will be developing the detail scheme designs to allow DSRL to safely package and transport IF from the PFR for long term storage. This is part of the DSRL strategic plan to help accelerate Scotland’s largest decommissioning project situated on the north Caithness coast.

JFN will be playing a key role in all aspects of engineering, project and commercial management for the programme, working alongside its NDL consortium partners, together with NDL’s influential partners, RPS Consulting and nominated subcontract partners, Risktec and Rapid Rail. The main objectives of the project include: → The development of the scheme design for a facility, within

the PFR reactor hall containment building, that will safely load individual IF containers into approved, shielded transport flasks ready for transfer to the storage site. The facility will ensure that all radiological aspects are assessed and proven to be ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practical). → To produce a developed scheme design to enable a detailed

HAZOP 2 (Hazard and operability) study to be completed and accepted.

The world’s largest land-based crane, Big Carl, lifted the second of three massive containment rings from the bunker it was constructed in to a lay-down area close by.

Now being prepared for the final lift into the first reactor building, the 17mtall ring with a diameter of 47m was built 36% faster than the first by teams using the experience gained during the construction of the first ring.

The prefabricated steel ring, which forms part of the reinforced cylinder around the nuclear reactor, was lifted out of a bunker where it was constructed in factory conditions— one of the innovations to improve quality on the project. Prefabrication inside these bunkers reduces the need to work at height or in bad weather and the work can be completed and checked in a controlled setting.

Big Carl will lift more than 500 prefabricated steel and concrete elements weighing up to 1,600 tonnes.

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→ Prepare the scheme design for all plant items, equipment,

systems and proposed techniques, including coordinated and updated proposals for structural, mechanical, process, electrical, control and instrumentation disciplines.

The PFR was a Fast Breeder reactor that was primarily used to test various designs of fuel assemblies. It also supplied power to the National Grid from 1975 and generated over 9,250 gigawatts of power before it was taken offline in 1994.

It was was highly fuel-efficient compared to standard reactor designs and was even considered as a possible commercial design. Ultimately, as uranium was found to be much more plentiful and being more expensive to run than light water reactors, the PFR design did not enter widespread service.

The NDL consortium will be calling on its extensive decommissioning experience in projects of a similar size and complexity to ensure effective delivery of this important undertaking.

Adhering to the fundamental principles of the DSF for stakeholder engagement throughout the project delivery process, NDL will collaborate with DSRL to deliver a solution that will enable the safe and efficient loading and export of irradiated fuel from PFR into flasks for onward transportation.

Efficiency improvements drive progress at Hinkley

Orano wins contract on PPP’s RAP AED Project Orano is pleased to announce that it has won one of the three bundles of instrumentation packages on the Sellafield Ltd Replacement Analytical Project (RAP) Analytical Equipment Development (AED) being delivered as part of the nuclear site’s Programme and Project Partners (PPP) model. The PPP model was formed in 2019 to transform major project delivery at Sellafield and create a lasting legacy through long-term partnerships.

As successful bidder for bundle 6, ‘Thermal AnalysisFocussed Modifications’, Orano will play an important role on RAP, which will modify and refit the National Nuclear Laboratory’s Central Laboratory at Sellafield to provide continued analytical services to the site. Sellafield’s analytical services 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. The scope of Orano’s work will be to modify instrumentation for use in containment at the NNLCL facility, test and install, then commission and deliver training to operators, working in collaboration with supply chain partners.

This multi-million-pound contract brings together Orano’s teams from across the UK and France, combining its experience as an owner-operator with its international expertise in engineering and technical consultancy.

Kloeckner wins multi-million nuclear contract for Hinkley Point C

Eighth successive Golden Whistle Award for Direct Rail Services Direct Rail Services (DRS) has been named ‘The Best Performing Rail Freight Operator’ for the eighth year running at the Golden Whistle Awards.

Now in its 12th year, the awards, organised by the Institute of Railway Operators and in conjunction with Modern Railways Magazine, celebrate operational excellence across the rail industry in the UK. The prestigious Golden Whistles are awarded on the basis of operating statistics and DRS has been, yet again, recognised as the UK’s most reliable freight operator.

In April this year, DRS joined forces with their fellow Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) transport subsidiaries, International Nuclear Services and Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd, to create Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) bringing together its transport expertise and capabilities into a single transport division.

Chris Connelly, NTS Deputy CEO and Rail Director, said: “DRS has received another well-earned Golden Whistle Award which is only made possible by the huge commitment to customer service across the whole business, a real team effort, week on week, month on month and something we never take for granted.

“DRS continues to maintain a track record of delivering commercial freight services arriving on time, at a level above any other freight operator. This is no easy feat and reflects the professionalism and ethos of everyone at NTS.” Seth Kybird, NTS CEO, added: “This award is even more significant as the last 12 months have been challenging for everyone but the team have really gone above and beyond to ensure we deliver for our customers.

“Our aim in NTS is to be the leading global provider of specialist transport to make the world a safer and more sustainable place and this award demonstrates we are on the right track.”

Kloeckner Metals UK is pleased to announce the award of a multi-million pound contract by BYLOR to produce embedment sleeves for the Hinkley Point C power station.

Part of the global Klöckner & Co Group, Kloeckner Metals UK is a leading multi-metals processing supplier in the UK. It has recently been certified with Fit 4 Nuclear status (F4N) which is a testament to its commitment to continuously improve operational standards in line with nuclear requirements.

This newly awarded contract will see Kloeckner Metals UK supply processed and coated embedment sleeves to Tier 1 Contractor BYLOR—a Laing O’Rourke and Bouygues TP joint venture. Two local South West businesses will assist Kloeckner Metals UK with the coating of the embedment sleeves.

2021 | SUMMER — 25

Webinars and Business Groups update BY. STEPHANIE MCKENNA / MEMBER RELATIONS MANAGER

It’s been sixteen months since our last face to face business group back in February 2020, and it already feels like a distant memory. Well over 50 NIA webinars later, on a whole host of topics and we are excited that in person events are due to happen very soon.

We have enjoyed delivering key messages through our webinars and we hope members have found these valuable, so much so that we will continue to deliver them, but of course, we can’t wait for the return of in person meetings and gatherings. If you have missed any of our webinars though, they are all available to view on our website.

We have a great line up of events coming up for members and remember all our business groups are ‘free’ to attend as part of your membership so do come along to listen, learn, and participate with your industry colleagues. If you cannot make them, don’t fret, you have access to all the presentations through the members side of the website to view at your leisure.

Our Legal and Financial Affairs group is the first to meet in London on Tuesday 29 June. Following this we will hold our

26 — SUMMER | 2021

Business group Summit in Bristol on Wednesday 14 July, this event is combining our fusion, international, new build and decommissioning and existing generation groups together to provide members with an update from across the industry.

We will have a break for the summer (hopefully many can jet off on their holidays or at the very least have a staycation) and kick off again in September on the wonderful island of Anglesey for our joint New Build and International group on Thursday 16 September.

Later that month on Thursday 23 September we will hold our Decommissioning and Existing Generation group in Birchwood, which will follow the Nu-Tech Exhibition.

We are continuing to develop business group plans and will make these all available to members through our communications and website.

Should you have any questions, or wish to speak at or sponsor one of our business group meetings, get in touch by emailing stephanie.mckenna@niauk.org. We can’t wait to see you at our next event.

Core Skills Sessions These short, bite-sized sessions are designed to provide you with vital insights and techniques in a time-efficient manner

Tea Break Talks

A series of short sessions delivered by business leaders to focus on commercial aspects of future nuclear markets For more information contact:

NIA Business Group Summit

Supported by

21 July 2021

niauk.org/events 2021 | SUMMER — 27

NEW NIA MEMBERS

NOT A MEMBER? To find out about the work of NIA and benefits of membership visit www.niauk.org/about-us/ membership-benefits.

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

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

JOIN NIA TODAY

A Severfield Group Company

Harry Peers Steelwork Limited peers.co.uk Harry Peers Steelwork Limited (Peers) is part of the Severfield plc group and is a full service structural steelwork company that specialises in projects within the petrochemical, process, pharmaceutical and nuclear industries.

Established in 1933 and based in Bolton, Peers design and fabricate steel structures for the nuclear sector. It specialises in off-site and on-site modular solutions, working to demanding quality specifications for critical structures.

Hilti GB Ltd hilti.co.uk Davies Nuclear Associates (DNA) dna-energy.co.uk Set up in 2013, DNA is a nuclear management consultancy, which provides commercial, company secretarial and strategy development and advisory services to the domestic and international nuclear sectors.

Hilti designs and manufactures leading-edge technology, software and services, which power the professional construction industry.

A global company, based in over 120 countries, Hilti has a workforce of more than 30,000 employees.

It offers a 360 degree service for your build – from design software, products and tools tensions to training, repairs, testing and consultancy. It is a one-stop shop for building, worldwide.

LTi Metaltech Ltd lti-metaltech.com LTi Metaltech specialises in precision fabrication and welding for highlyregulated industries.

As an innovative specialist with more than 40 years’ experience, it combines the talents of its highly skilled workforce with the latest technologies and practices, to deliver high quality products.

Mactech Engineering and Inspection mactech.co.uk Mactech Engineering and Inspection is a specialist provider of sub-contract personnel and services to the nuclear sector—covering the full life-cycle of new build, generating plant and decommissioning for construction and project management, inspection, supervision and in-scope blue-collar disciplines.

It prides itself on establishing longterm, value-added relationships by being your dedicated resource partner. Trust, honesty, integrity and professionalism will always be at the heart of its core values.

Trent Construction Services Ltd trentcs.com Energy Impact Center (EIC) energyimpactcenter.org The EIC spearheads research and engineering projects that break down barriers for new nuclear project development, enabling near-term, commercial growth of the industry.

EIC is well placed to support the UK to achieve its net zero target and is seeking to accelerate the transition through two initiatives: OPEN100, an open-source reference plant for a 100MW PWR, and Last Energy, a commercial developer focused on financing and licensing.

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InSite Technical Services Limited insitetechnical.com lnSite provide technical consultancy built on a foundation of extensive operational and design experience.

It has expertise in process operations, process technology, process safety, safety instrumented systems, control, integrity management, concept development, design and project management.

Established in 2012 Trent Construction Services operates delivering projects in three main industry sectors: Industrial & Commercial Insitu Concrete Flooring, in which it has considerable industry experience; Modular, a market sector where it is typically installing concrete, screed and steel decking; and Nuclear, with experience in delivering projects requiring concrete, screed and grout.

Based out of Burton on Trent the company operates nationwide delivering projects valued from around £20k to in excess of £1m using a workforce based around the UK.

BY. LINCOLN HILL / DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

“NO FURTHER INVESTMENT MEANS JOB LOSSES, LOST CAPABILITIES IN FUEL, AND HIGHER EMISSION AS OUR CLEAN, FIRM POWER BASE WITHERS” Dedicated readers of this column and this publication will (we hope) know at least two things: one, that the UK faces an imminent crunch of clean power capacity from the retirement of AGRs, and two, that financing is the Gordian Knot we need to cut to unlock investment in new capacity.

We got a welcome signal from the Secretary of State Kwasi Kwarteng on both fronts in May. After he had given a statement on the six-month anniversary of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan.

Both Charlotte Nichols, Labour MP for Warrington South, and Simon Fell, Conservative MP for Barrow-in-Furness, asked about the Government’s plans to resolve the issue of nuclear financing.

Both MPs had been briefed in advance by our excellent public affairs team led

by Ieuan Williams.

In response, the Secretary of State announced the Government “will bring forward in this Parliament legislation that will further commit us to creating more nuclear power in this country.” He added that the Government has an “ongoing commitment to increasing, not decreasing, capacity in nuclear power” in the UK. The clear implication of his remarks was the legislation will address financing, and that is the same understanding we have been given in other discussions.

Government legislation on nuclear financing is critical because it would help us cut back on the largest source of cost for the industry. It is the familiar challenge of how to pay for a project that requires a substantial construction expense over years before the revenue stream for electricity generation comes online.

As many of you will know, financing costs account for the majority of the strike price agreed for Hinkley Point C. Government backing for a new financing

model, such as the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model, or other government guarantees, would limit the risk investors perceive in projects, and reduce the cost of capital.

The NIA estimated in its Roadmap that reducing the cost of capital by 1% cuts the strike price £8-9/MWh. Knock of a few points, and nuclear rapidly gains competitiveness for governments and investors alike.

If a new model is applied to Sizewell C and to subsequent projects, the UK nuclear sector will be able to hold up to Government, to capital markets, and to the world an example of successful nuclear cost reduction. That is vital for the future of the industry here in the UK, and around the world.

Many of you may have read about the IEA’s roadmap to net zero, published in mid-May. While it did forecast a doubling of nuclear generation by 2050 in gross terms, in relative terms, it forecast nuclear’s share of global generation falling from 10% to 8.5%, and from 18% to 10% in the developed world.

Why? The IEA assumed financing rate for nuclear projects in the EU and US, similar markets to the UK, of 8%. That 8% is the same as coal and gas, heavy polluters, and much more than the 3-4.5% forecast for wind and solar. If the UK can hold up a successfully financing solution that comes in well under that 8% mark, the nuclear industry will put down a major marker for future expansion.

What of the Secretary of State’s second commitment to “increasing, not decreasing, capacity in nuclear power”?

This again is vital, because the looming AGR retirements are at last upon us.

Within months, Hunterston B will retire.

In a year or so, Hinkley Point B will join it.

In less than three years, two more stations go, and by 2030, all 14 AGR reactors will be offline permanently. These are the most productive low-carbon assets in British history: they have saved 1.2 billion tonnes of emissions, the equivalent of all UK emissions from 2018 through 2020, by producing 1700 TWh of clean power.

Together, they represent 7.7 GW of capacity. Hinkley Point C brings back 3.2 GW. So “increasing, not decreasing, capacity” means adding not just Sizewell C (3.2 GW) but further projects after that.

It means continuing to build more new reactors, creating more jobs, protecting our UK capabilities, and saving emissions. It means opening up the GDA, as the Government did in May, to modular reactor technologies.

We at the NIA are urging the Government to get a financing model sorted this year, and to lay out a plan for replacing existing capacity within this Parliament. These steps are not in themselves enough to meet our net zero requirements, but they are an essential foundation for new investment.

We are putting before the Government and before MPs and peers of all parties the choice they face. No further investment means job losses, lost capabilities in fuel, and higher emission as our clean, firm power base withers.

Acting now, in this Parliament, means better jobs right across the country, helping to level up regions that have been starved for investment. It means a reliable base of UK power to serve as the backbone of our net zero grid and the bastion of our advanced manufacturing, engineering and scientific capabilities.

Now is the time to act and make the right choices.

2021 | SUMMER — 29

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

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

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

Details on registration, sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are available on the website.