STEM Special: focusing on the steps industry and Government are taking to encourage young people to consider a career in nuclear science and engineering. Industry needs an additional 100,000 new STEM graduates every year until 2020. what more can be done?
Magazine of the UK nuclear industry association autumn / 2013
NIA.ORG
What Nuclear Rennaisance? on the road: nia visit nuclear sites across uk UK Nuclear Jobs Map 2013
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case study: life as a nuclear graduate 23
Welcome to IndustryLink
FRAZER– NASH SKILLS RESonATE WITH FUSION EXPERTS SNAPSHOT
In the UK some 23,000 engineers are graduating every year. But India is producing eight times as many and China 20 times as many. It is vital that Government and industry do everything they can to encourage the next generation of graduates and school leaves. There are a breadth of opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) open to the engineers of the future, and they must be promoted. Jasbir Sidhu argues persuasively on page 14 that more needs to be done if we are to recruit the 100,000 new graduates needed to maintain the status quo. The nucleargraduates scheme is a fantastic initiative, drawing people into our industry and in this edition Will Sampson tells us about his time at Rolls-Royce and the NIA. Liz Smith, a civil engineer with the scheme tells us about the recent graduate nuclear conference which brought together 150 young people and a great list of speakers. Schemes like this allow young people to learn a great deal about this diverse industry before settling and specialising. The Government have reaffirmed their commitment to STEM initiatives through the Nuclear Industrial Strategy, to address the skills gap and to enable the UK to compete globally. This is imperative if we are to increase the number of nuclear workers in the UK which currently stands at 62,872.
Alastair Evans Alastair.Evans@niauk.org
This magazine is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable based inks.
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VISIT NIAUK.ORG
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IN VIEW
helping the public get to grips with nuclear... MAIN FEATURE
The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) is the trade association and representative voice of the UK’s civil nuclear industry. We represent 63,000 UK nuclear workers across more than 260 member companies. Nuclear Industry Association is a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 2804518 Registered Office Carlton House 22A St James’s Square London SW1Y 4JH TEL +44(0)20 7766 6640 FAX +44(0)20 7839 1523 EMAIL info@niauk.org Contributors Alastair Evans, Dan Powney, Rupert Lewis, Peter Haslam, Keith Parker, Hannah Randle, Stephanie McKenna, Will Sampson, Vicky Plane – Dalton Nuclear Institute, Jasbir Sidhu – Corporate Risk Associates, Alan Raymant – Horizon Nuclear Power, Liz Smith – nucleargraduates, with additional thanks to World Nuclear News
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Press Enquiries Kirsty.Alexander@niauk.org TEL 07952 545 355 Alastair.Evans@niauk.org 07894 595 718
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OPINION
“ ...progress in addressing industry’s gender imbalance appears to have stalled.”
PAGE 14 Design and Creative Direction thomasmatthews.com
Helping the Public Get to Grips with Nuclear Science and Engineering by. Vicky plane ⁄ dalton nuclear institute
→→ Describing nuclear fuel sources to members of the public attending the Cheltenham Science Festival →→ Explaining nuclear technologies to school pupils and teachers at The Big Bang Fair in London →→ Deepening understanding of radiation science for families attending the Science Spectacular event at the Manchester Science Festival
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cross the UK, we’re on a mission to inform the public about nuclear energy production, demystifying the subject, increasing understanding and demolishing myths in a way that is both educational and fun. Visitors to our stands cover the entire spectrum from strong advocate to ardent objector, and vary widely in their existing knowledge about the nuclear industry. You can be sure we’re kept on our toes with the vast range of interesting, topical and at times challenging questions to field at any event.
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There is an acknowledgement within our industry that work needs to be done to tackle the more negative public perceptions associated with nuclear power. The University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute has been working hard to develop a successful outreach programme for just such a time as this, leveraging the opportunities that our research programmes offer. This includes most recently our ‘So you think you know about nuclear energy?’ programme, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Dalton Nuclear Institute aims to impart to the public a better understanding of nuclear energy production in the context of a need for low carbon, sustainable and affordable energy sources. The Institute also provides information on recent developments within nuclear research and development, and gives reassurance on the inherent safety of modern nuclear reactors to those who are undecided, wary or outright suspicious. In such situations it is recognised that the public perceive academics as being more trustworthy than industry communicators.
We therefore see it as our duty to talk to the public and provide expert opinion in the media to educate, demystify and dismantle misinformed perceptions, especially during times of high profile coverage of the industry, such as that which followed the Fukushima incident in March 2011. To further equip us in this vital work Dalton has an ongoing programme to develop an educational toolkit to provide a concrete, tangible way of broadening our outreach activities, enabling us to better serve a range of learning styles. This toolkit is available to science teachers looking for innovative classroom resources to more effectively educate young minds about the principles of energy and energy production, with an aim of inspiring interested students and for some maybe even sparking an interest in a future career in the industry. The latest addition to our toolkit is a hands-on computer simulation game, where participants take control of a modern nuclear reactor and make decisions on how to make it run as efficiently as possible to meet energy demand. This incorporates educational ‘did you know?’ facts to explain inaccessible language the various components that make up a Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR). The scale of these components is brought to life with real-life analogies (such as the fact that the four coolant pumps could empty an Olympic-sized swimming pool in as little as 1 minute 20 seconds). Early feedback has been so positive that we are in the process of planning a new upgrade to the game, which will also allow anyone to access it through their web browser. The public can also learn more about the need for a mix of low-carbon, secure and affordable energy sources, such as nuclear, by playing our energy database card game. This ‘top trumps’ style of game covers a wide range of energy sources from fossil fuels and renewables through to nuclear fission and fusion, and gives comparable measures for energy density, reliability, sustainability and cost efficiency. Alongside participation in external events, such as science fairs and museum outreaches, we
open up our doors to budding young nuclear scientists and future engineers to visit us here. At the University they can engage in a variety of activities, such as design-andmake projects on our annual Smallpeice Trust residential course, or tours of our nuclear industry focussed Manufacturing Technology Research Laboratory to see our equipment first-hand. Sixth form students in Cumbria have the opportunity to design and deliver their own technical research project at our Dalton Cumbrian Facility through the Nuffield Foundation Science Bursaries. Opportunities such as these give students a chance to experience academic life and become better informed of career opportunities. Both University staff and students are committed to public nuclear outreach. Professor Andrew Sherry, Director of the Dalton Nuclear Institute gives regular lectures to various audiences, from GCSE school pupils and physics teachers through to members of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society. Other academics are involved in our ‘Teach the Teacher’ initiatives and public talks and lectures. Our own students are also on hand at exhibitions to talk with school pupils about their individual experiences. Benjamin Carter, a student studying for an MSc in Nuclear Science and Technology, said recently: “The Big Bang event was a thoroughly rewarding experience for me. I had an opportunity to share my knowledge and enthusiasm for nuclear technology whilst inspiring the minds of tomorrow, and informing people how the University’s Dalton Nuclear Institute provides a great opportunity for further nuclear education.” On our path to inform the public, Dalton’s outreach programme is indeed a two-way street. For more information about Dalton Nuclear Institute’s outreach activities visit http://www.dalton.manchester. ac.uk/engage/community/
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How a Nuclear Reactor Works In a Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) water is heated from energy released by splitting atoms during the process of nuclear fission; the process found at the heart of every nuclear power reactor worldwide. The core of a PWR contains rods of Uranium fuel, control rods to control the fission reaction and pressurised water, along with other structural components. The Uranium-235 atoms of the fuel undergo fission when a slow neutron hits the atoms, causing the atom to split and release a large amount of heat, as well as additional delayed neutrons that produce a stable chain reaction. This process occurs millions of times each second. The neutrons produced are slowed down (or moderated) by the pressurised water flowing between the fuel rods.
CONTROL RODS
PRESSURISER
Young school visitors learn that using kettles to boil water (so we can have a nice brew) is not unlike how the vast majority of energy power plants operate all over the world, where the pressurised steam produced from boiling water is used to rotate a turbine in order to generate electricity. An elegantly simple concept, yet one which requires a vast array of scientists, engineers and highly qualified persons to carry it out in practise. Visitors to our stand at events can take control of our simulated Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) to meet the required energy demand and also learn how a reactor operates whilst focussing on playing the game.
The high pressure of the water (around 155 bar or 155 times higher than atmospheric pressure) within the reactor circuit prevents it from boiling, so that the water remains in a liquid state even at over 300oC and acts as the primary coolant that removes the heat from the fuel rods. This heat is then transferred to a secondary water circuit via a pump and pipe system - the primary and secondary circuits are separated, preventing any potential radioactive contamination of water in the secondary circuit. This transfer of heat boils the water of the secondary circuit to form high pressure steam. This steam then powers steam turbines, which turn a generator to produce electricity.
The control rods in the core are used to control the amount of fission reactions taking place. They can be lowered into the core, where they absorb neutrons produced and prevent these from interacting with Uranium-235 atoms in the fuel. The higher the control rods are raised, the higher the amount of fission reactions taking place. In a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR), the water is at a lower pressure than a PWR and is allowed to boil — the resulting steam is sent directly to the turbine to generate electricity.
STEAM GENERATOR
TURBINE
GENERATOR
FUEL ELEMENTS
REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL
PRIMARY COOLANT PUMP
PUMP
PUMP CONTAINMENT STRUCTURE
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CONDENSER
Nuclear Institute
& Nuclear Industry Association
Annual Dinner 2013
Thursday 5 December 2013 The Great Room Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London W1K 7TN
After dinner speaker announced:
Jeremy Vine
Table bookings are now being taken
Contact events@nuclearinst.com for further information
Sponsorship opportunities available
Contact veronica.lekavicius@niauk.org for further information
BO OK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT 2013 | Autumn — 5
In the News
Industrial Strategy Conference
With an energy crisis looming, a credit crunch to pay for and CO2 emissions to cut, nuclear is never far from the headlines.
By. Keith Parker
The Daily Telegraph’s Energy and Utilities reporter, Emily Gosden reported earlier this Summer that the “Sellafield clean up could be taken into state hands.” She explained that the nationalisation of the Cumbrian site is being considered when the contract with the consortium currently delivering the clean up programme, Nuclear Management Partners (NMP – made up of Amec, Areva and URS) comes up for renewal in March 2014. The article goes onto explain that the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is in talks with the consortium over possible terms for renewing the contract, while another option would be to re-run the tendering process. In July, the NIA’s Chief Executive, Keith Parker wrote an article for Public Service Europe’s website entitled, “Will the 21st Century be built on nuclear power?” Keith argues for the expansion of nuclear energy as a power for economic growth and an integral part of the worlds low carbon energy transition. He discusses global climate change targets, energy security, geological disposal facilities and long term storage and the major socio-economic gains to be made from the low carbon transition - concluding that, “to calculate the real economic benefit of delivering the low carbon transition means taking into account the benefits to society from cleaner air, long term price stability, jobs and secure energy supplies.” Author, journalist and environmentalist, Mark Lynas has written an ebook inspired by the soon to be released film Pandora’s Promise (www.pandoraspromise.com). In ‘Nuclear 2.0 - Why a Green Future Needs Nuclear Power’ Lynas dispels misconceptions surrounding the industry and in particular nuclear waste and radiation. He discusses the impacts of the three major nuclear power station accidents, detailing the cause and effects of the events at each station. His ebook is available to download at www.amazon.co.uk It was reported by the Daily Telegraph in July that Chancellor, George Osbourne had written to the board of EDF Energy to express his commitment to the UK’s nuclear programme. The letter was intended to further the ‘strike price’ negotiations between EDF Energy and Whitehall and although talks remain ongoing they have been described by both sides as “positive”. According to the German Institute for Economic Research DIW Berlin, Germany’s air pollution is set to worsen for the second year running for the first time since the 1980s. A direct consequence of Chancellor Merkel’s decision to shut down the country’s nuclear capability, and the subsequent increased use of coal fired power. The institute who advise the German Government have calculated a projected 1.5% increase in green house emissions from 2012 and Claudia Kemfert, who heads the energy unit at DIW said “the trend of rising German CO2 emissions is alarming.”
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On 11 September I attended the Industrial Strategy Conference organised by Government and the CBI at Warwick University. The theme of the conference was securing jobs and a stronger economy and achieving strong and sustainable economic growth. The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, and CBI Director General, John Cridland, delivered keynote speeches on the importance and value of strong government/industry partnership to deliver those objectives. There were also strongly supportive video messages from the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Frances O’Grady, the General Secretary of the TUC. The nuclear industry is one of eleven industrial sectors included within the overall industrial strategy. The vision of the Nuclear Industrial Strategy shared by both Government and industry, is to develop “a vibrant UK nuclear industry that is an area of economic and strategic national strength, providing the UK with a safe, reliable and affordable supply of low carbon electricity.” The vehicle for implementing that vision is the Nuclear Industry Council, chaired jointly by Government and the NIA. In his speech to the conference Dr Cable emphasised the need for the Industrial Strategy to enjoy cross-party support and to endure into the long term to provide the confidence and stability that industry requires to invest and compete in a global economy. His initiative in launching the strategy a year ago was in recognition of the important role for government in creating the supportive environment in which industry could flourish, and the failure of the market on its own to deliver the desired outcomes, as demonstrated by the economic crisis of 2008 and its aftermath. In addition to the keynote addresses there were breakout sessions on commercialising technology, trade and international competitiveness, skills, and supply chain development, all of which are directly relevant to the nuclear sector. The session on supply chain development chaired by the Energy Minister, Michael Fallon that I attended, explored what could be done to capture more value in the UK. It was striking how much commonality there was about the issues and challenges facing industry in respect of skills shortages, R&D support, opening up commercial opportunities and access to finance particularly for SMEs, and improving the UK’s competitive position internationally. While it is clearly incumbent on UK industry to take the measures to demonstrate capability and competitiveness in an increasingly global economy, there was a consensus that an important role for government is in using its influence and its rhetoric to support and promote British companies to restore and engender confidence and pride in UK industry.
2013 | Autumn — 7
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Fukushima zone fully redesignated
France to train Saudi nuclear workers
It was announced in early August that residents can begin to return to the town of Kawamata near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant. The redesignation of the area will allow for decontamination work to begin and for essential infrastructure and services to be reconstructed. The residents of the town are permitted to return to visit and work without the use of protective equipment - the only restriction is that they may not stay there overnight. Speaking at a meeting of the Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, “Taking this opportunity of the completion of the revisions of the areas, I would like to ask all ministers to once again listen carefully to the opinions of the people in the area. Based on this, I would like specific measures to be examined with urgency for the restoration of Fukushima.” However, Abe noted that decontamination and interim storage remain “especially critical” issues. He said, “Together with strengthening the system for accelerating these measures, I would like to ask that the progress of the decontamination program be fully reviewed and that decontamination work is advanced in coordination with the reconstruction efforts.”
Areva and EDF will help train workers for Saudi Arabia’s planned new nuclear programme. The companies signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s National Institute of Technology with the aim of contributing to the development of technical nuclear skills in Saudi Arabia. The training will incorporate a variety of nuclear specialities including welding, electrical installation, mechanics and electromechanics. Areva and EDF have already welcomed representatives from a number of Saudi higher education establishments to their sites in France to show them fuel cycle activities, operation of nuclear plants and reactor construction. Saudi Arabia plan to construct 16 nuclear reactors over the next 20 years with the first due to go online in 2022.
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AP1000 closer to licensing in Canada Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactor has passed the second phase of a three-stage licensing review process by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The review is an optional process provided at the request of vendors to verify that a plan design would be acceptable with
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respect to Canadian nuclear regulatory requirements and expectations. For Phase 3 of the review, a vendor can choose to follow up on specific aspects of Phase 2 findings by asking the CNSC to check activities it has taken towards readiness of the reactor design for licensing.
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Go-ahead for Jordanian research reactor Permission has been granted to begin construction of Jordan’s first nuclear reactor. Operating from 2016, the research reactor is set to become a focal point for the country’s education and training. The Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) will be a 5 MWt version of the Korea Atomic Energy Institute’s 30 MWt Hanaro design (High-flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor). The fuel will be supplied by Areva and the cost of the reactor is approximately $130 million, with $70 million of this financed by a soft loan from South Korea to the Jordanian government. Daewoo Engineering Construction are leading the project, with involvement from the Korea Nuclear Energy Promotion Agency. Jordan currently imports over 95% of their energy needs and demand for electricity is expected to double by 2030. It is hoped that nuclear power will provide greater energy security as well as lower electricity prices.
For more details on these and other stories please visit www.world-nuclear-news.org
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What Nuclear Renaissance? by. Liz Smith ⁄ Horizon Nuclear power
150 graduates including talent from Sellafield, Magnox and Rolls Royce descended on Energus in June this year to take part in the annual Graduate Nuclear Conference. Organised by a team of graduates from Sellafield and nucleargraduates, the conference questioned, “What Nuclear Renaissance?” with speakers from GE Hitachi, Horizon Nuclear Power and Sellafield Ltd joining Politicians and Policy Makers to address the youthful delegation.
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eing new graduates to the nuclear industry, many of the delegates and organising committee have heard the term ‘renaissance’ being used with gusto to describe a revival of the nuclear industry. In Europe, new reactors in France and Finland were supposedly the initiators for a nuclear revival; however delays and cost rises, as well as the reaction to Fukushima have seemingly caused the renaissance to falter, with a variety of commentators warning of its imminent collapse. With this in mind, the 2013 Graduate Nuclear Conference asked the question ‘What Nuclear Renaissance?’ looking to explore where the industry currently stands in the UK and what the future can deliver for its young professionals. The conference provides a networking opportunity for likeminded graduates across the industry and serves to highlight the importance of making contacts in what was described
in a talk by Horizon Nuclear Power’s Amanda MacMillan as a ‘family-like industry’. Six high profile professionals from industry including Baroness Bryony Worthington, the Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change (or ‘Thorium Lord’), Jamie Reed, Member of Parliament for Copeland and Dave Wilson, Trawsfynydd Site Director were invited to share their experiences and expertise with delegates in answer to the conference question. The event was also joined by Paul Foster, Chief Operating Officer of Sellafield Ltd and David Powell, Vice President European Sales for GE Hitachi Nuclear Power Plants, the former opening proceedings with an in depth presentation outlying the challenges Sellafield Ltd faces in getting to its stable, passive end state by 2120. The organising committee were on standby in the weeks leading up to C-day (conference day), with mitigation strategies and risk registers at the ready to cope with any
2013 | Autumn — 9
“Based on all we’ve heard today, it’s clear that as young professionals in the nuclear industry we have a lot of opportunity available to us in our future careers, which we should be very excited about” Jack Metcalfe Sellafield Graduate on the organising committee possible scenario. Learning from the experience of previous organising teams, particular attention was paid to the chance of a speaker becoming unavailable and as if tempting fate, the on-going demands of the Energy Bill meant that Baroness Bryony Worthington didn’t have the time to make the long journey up to West Cumbria from London. Making the most of the excellent facilities at Energus and seemingly demonstrating a consideration for the conference’s carbon footprint (particularly apt considering Bryony’s role as an architect of the UK’s Climate Change Act), the decision was made to attempt an industry first by ‘Skyping’ Lady Worthington to share with delegates her strong belief in and support of a thorium fuel powered future nuclear industry, a topic proving controversy amongst delegates. A stand-out talk was given by Jamie Reed MP, who upon arriving marginally
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late for his slot blamed his delay on being held up at the bank attempting to secure a loan to build a MOX plant in his back garden (the only way it was going to materialise). Jamie went on to speak frankly about the problem of incoherent government which, despite there being cross-party support for the nuclear industry, is both blocking progress in not committing to a level of future support for new build whilst warning that not building new nuclear will result in a much harder path towards meeting climate change targets. After a morning dedicated to highlighting challenges relating to the UK’s nuclear industry of the past and present, the conference looked to explore nuclear power generation in the future. Updates were given on the Horizon Nuclear Power Project, including a particularly informative video demonstrating the modular way in which the ABWR is to be constructed
and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s PRISM (Power Reactor Innovative Small Modular), a next generation sodiumcooled reactor which could help solve the UK’s plutonium problem. Demonstration of ABWR modular construction struck a particular chord amongst a number of Sellafield graduates who are working on projects looking to employ similar techniques. The value of the networking opportunity was obvious in break-out sessions and enthusiasm for topics being discussed evident. Given the wide range of sub-sectors of the nuclear industry represented by delegates, from defence to decommissioning to new build, graduates had the chance to learn about opportunities available whilst debating the nuances of the nuclear revival over coffee. For more information on nucleargraduates please visit www.nucleargraduates.com
The UK’s nuclear industry is facing its biggest challenge in decades. Existing power stations at the end of their working lives are being decommissioned, while a new wave of plants are planned for the early 2020’s. Nuclear is back on the agenda. The need for suitably skilled graduates from the UK is greater than ever. Engineers and scientists will all be essential to the future of this sector. That’s why leading organisations have come together to create a comprehensive graduate training programme; nucleargraduates.
Looking for a graduate scheme? Three simple steps allow you to achieve expertise in one of the most talked about and least understood industries; 1 2 3
Choose one of our sponsors; Rolls-Royce, Magnox, Sellafield, the NDA, International Nuclear Services or Environment Agency Experience a world class twenty four month long development programme through three industrial secondments and world class training Join your sponsor for a career based on professional excellence and opportunity.
Visit www.nucleargraduates.com to find out more about opportunities currently available.
Looking to recruit a graduate? nucleargraduates has been established by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to bring together organisations from across the industry to attract the next generation of graduates in a strategic yet cost effective manner. Recruitment, employment, development and delivery of the graduates are all carried out on behalf of their sponsoring organisations. The key challenge for nucleargraduates when delivering the programme is to make the programme adaptable and bespoke to a wide variety of companies. For more information on nucleargraduates and how to apply the model to your company please contact questions@nucleargraduates.com or call 01900 609 171.
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sa It cover me program
The nuclear indu stry is so complex, so fast-m oving. So how can we trai n the next generation to come?
Explore the exceptional It covers SCIENC E, BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT +more There’s over 20 hu gely influential organisations invo lved
K+ across the U ts en em c la P ally too Internation ing about a - We’re talk ramme global prog
2013 | Autumn — 11
The Retirement of Dr Mike Weightman
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t was announced on 31st May 2013 that Dr Mike Weightman would be stepping down from his position as Chief Nuclear Inspector, after 8 years in the job. Dr Weightman was Head of the Office for Nuclear Regulation, an agency of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the UK’s independent nuclear safety and security regulator. He played a pivotal role in the wake of the Japanese Fukushima accident. Dr Weightman was called upon to compile a thorough report on the implications of the nuclear accident for the UK. The robust report concluded that the UK regulatory regime was sound, and
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that our nuclear facilities had no fundamental weaknesses, but that there were important lessons to be learnt. The report set out 17 conclusions and 38 recommendations to be implemented by industry. In May 2011 Dr Weightman led an IAEA fact-finding mission to Japan to make a preliminary assessment of the safety issues linked with the accident at Fukushima. His role there has led to a significant bolstering of the standing of the UK regulators around the world. NIA Chairman Lord Hutton recently commented, “I believe that one of the principal reasons for the revival in public support and the maintenance of
political support for nuclear following the Fukushima accident was the pivotal and high profile role of the UK nuclear regulator, and in particular the Chief Nuclear Inspector, Dr Mike Weightman, in assessing and explaining the facts about Fukushima to the public.” Prior to working as the Chief Nuclear Inspector Dr Weightman spent 13 years working in the nuclear industry fulfilling a number of management roles involved in research, operations and engineering projects. For further information on ONR please visit www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear
SNAPSHOT
FRAZER-NASH SKILLS RESONATE WITH FUSION EXPERTS NIA Member company Frazer-Nash has competitively secured a contract with the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) to provide them with a thermal and structural analysis package, in support of the planned nuclear fusion reactor. In order to initiate and maintain fusion, the plasma within the reactor is heated to very high temperatures. A proportion of the energy required to heat the plasma is delivered via the Ion Cyclotron Resonant Heating (ICRH) System. The ICRH antenna emits radio frequency which resonate with ions within the plasma, in a similar way to how a microwave oven works, but the ICRH provides 20,000 times more power inside the extreme environment of the reactor vessel. The antenna is the last part of a large system delivering power to the plasma, and comprises complex, internally water
cooled, stainless steel and titanium components. It is of vital importance for the safe and reliable operation of the reactor that the antenna components can safely withstand the extreme operating conditions generated within the reactor. Frazer-Nash were appointed to undertake a structural analysis study on the antenna components due to the consultancy’s technical expertise in structural analysis and familiarity with design codes in the nuclear sector. Frazer-Nash have used their analysis capabilities to model both static and dynamic component stresses under thermal pressure and electro-magnetic loads. This process will help CCFE to better understand the antenna’s performance against key load cases at the preliminary design stage and to therefore progress forward to the detailed design phase.
2013 | Autumn — 13
Technical Skills Shortages: Are girls’ technical skills shortages disadvantaging UK plc?
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eing the managing director of a specialist technical risk-analysis consultancy, offering integrated risk and safety analysis services primarily to the energy sector, I am in the fortunate position of developing the skills of our next generation of young professionals. Many of the consultants at Corporate Risk Associates (CRA) are young graduates with an educational background in science, technology, engineering and maths. We provide an excellent training ground for our newly qualified graduates. The work is interesting, stimulating and in great abundance, especially in the nuclear industry. However, we have the opportunity to undertake more work than we can deliver with our current team. Expansion plans for the company are being held back, not because of a poor balance sheet or a lack of work but because of a lack of high-calibre recruits (with the correct skills). We have forged excellent links with top universities to help find suitable candidates to develop into the next generation of technical risk analysts. However, despite these links, the number of applicants only trickle through and hardly any are female. So, where are the girls? What are they up to? A new report has outlined the scale of the UK’s engineering skills shortage and called for a government industrial strategy to focus on training. The study, commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering, found that British industry will need 100,000 new graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects every year until 2020 just to maintain current employment numbers. However, the UK currently produces only 90,000 STEM graduates a year and a quarter of these students choose jobs in non-engineering sectors. So we have
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a pool of only 67,500 STEM graduates able to work in technical, science and engineering related fields. The UK Council for International Student Affairs states that 32 per cent of engineering and technology students are international students. Depressingly, this means that our graduate pool in the UK eligible to work for us (because of UK security restrictions in the defence and nuclear sectors) is down to only 45,900 graduates and, even more depressingly, not many of these are women. According to the annual workforce survey of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), despite a raft of initiatives designed to engage women (including the IET’s own Young Woman Engineer of the Year competition), progress in addressing industry’s gender imbalance appears to have stalled. Not only does the UK have the lowest proportion of female engineering professionals in the EU (just 8.7 per cent) but the IET also highlights the decline in the number of female engineering technicians from 5 per cent to 3 per cent since 2008. Girls are doing better educationally than ever before and are outperforming boys at A-levels and at university. Girls studying biology are now in greater numbers than ever before. The medical schools are seeing an increased intake of females, and within eight years there will be more women than men in the profession. The same is also true for veterinary science and pharmacy. However, when we move to physics or engineering: →→ A staggering 49 per cent of state co-ed
schools have no girls taking physics A-level (2011). →→ Girls in single-sex schools are 2.5 times more likely to be studying physics than those in co-ed schools.
So where is the UK going wrong with the girls? We need to do much more to give all our girls genuine equality of opportunity at school; that includes ensuring that no subject is conveyed as being inappropriate. Today, at Corporate Risk Associates, we have a total of 26 technical professionals of which only one is a female engineer. Dr Catherine Aerts relates her childhood as being surrounded by older brothers and tells of how her Barbie was regularly tied to the toy railway line. Having strong female role models also made a big difference. During Catherine’s school years her mother ran her own engineering business. Seeing women in science and in important roles can influence how girls see themselves and the options open to them for study and careers. As a diverse SME, I do not care what colour, sex, shape or size people are. My only question is: ‘Can they do the job?’ The statistics prove that boys are not better than girls and also that the girls are not coming through the UK education system in STEM subjects. I am certain that if universities had the same number of female applicants as male then we would be on target for filling the vacancies which are holding back economic growth and job creation in the UK.
Jasbir Sidhu Corporate Risk Associates www.c-risk-a.co.uk
“Equal numbers of girls & boys studying STEM subjects at University would benefit UK plc and put Great back into Britain.” what are we doing to help? Many of the staff at Corporate Risk Associates are young science, technology, engineering or maths graduates. CRA’s in-house mentoring and its dedication to professional development aims to deliver the next generation of highcalibre risk analysts. Our graduates have provided a STEM service for local schools by visiting and helping with maths and physics in the classrooms in the hope of inspiring future scientists and engineers. The company sponsors a number of doctoral students at Imperial College, and CRA staff occasionally lecture there on nuclear risk analysis. CRA additionally provides a mentoring service to masters’ students at various Universities. Through the service students are offered industrial placements for their research and are
regularly offered positions in the company. CRA also stages a two-day conference each year in the specialist fields of probabilistic safety analysis and human factors assessments for all interested individuals and companies. Speakers of world-wide repute are invited to the conference to share the latest knowledge, develop best practice and discuss how the safety and reliability of our mission-critical industries can be improved. The conference is organised and hosted solely at CRA’s cost — why? It makes sense to do so for the company as the leading PSA/HFA consultancy in the UK and for the wider risk analysis community.
Visit www.c-risk-a.co.uk
2013 | Autumn — 15
On the Road: NIA Visit Nuclear Sites Across UK by. Stephanie McKenna
Although I have now worked in the nuclear industry at the NIA for over six years, visiting a nuclear site still surprises and amazes me. The complexity of the UK nuclear civil industry and the scale of the projects taking place in the decommissioning sector are vast. I was lucky enough to visit Sellafield, Sizewell B and Dounreay over the summer, to see for myself the complex and one of a kind projects that are taking place in our country. I visited Sellafield when I started working for the NIA and have heard countless presentations on the work that is ongoing there. But visiting really brought home to me, the challenges we face as an industry when I was shown around thorp and given a tour of the site. Not only are we as an industry under immense pressure to decommission, we are continually looking to the future as to what will be done with the used fuel and how best to reduce the amount we store. It is essential the work at Sellafield is done safely and securely and they are under continuous pressure to make best use of the billions of pounds they have to decommission legacy waste. It is a difficult job but it appears progress is being made. EDF Energy kindly opened their doors to the NIA for a team visit to the Sizewell visitors centre. We meandered around the site heads gazing continually up as a tourist would in New York. The sun shone down on the site and the dome beamed, still looking brand new (especially compared to Sizewell A!). We vibrated our way around the enormous turbine hall which we seemed to have all to ourselves. The safety measures the site have to adhere to are vast (so much so I nearly didn’t make it in) and there is always a plan B and C which is nothing but reassuring. We enthusiastically looked upon the area where Sizewell C is planned and imagined another 60 years of low carbon generated electricity for the UK. Lastly but by no means least I flew up, bright and early one Monday morning to the most northern point of Scotland to the beautiful surroundings of the Dounreay Site. The Dounreay team welcomed me on site and we discussed the challenges that face a closing site. The site will hopefully prove to be Europe’s reference site for decommissioning, which in itself will provide companies with many opportunities to widen their remits. I was told of the difficulties DSRL face with companies and individuals committing to a job in such a remote area, but there are plenty of opportunities there for the industry with around ten years of decommissioning still to be done. I would like to extend my thanks to all those that made my trips possible. Meeting people on site who are passionate about this industry was a great experience. It is vital that we at the NIA try and convey all that passion to the widest possible audience, and we will keep doing our best to do that!
16 — autumn | 2013
Dounreay
Sellafield
Sizewell B
WORKING GROUP UPDATE
And the Results Are In! New Chair for NIA New Build Group
Following a record ‘turnout’ and extremely tough competition, the NIA are delighted to announce that Dr. Brian McConnell has been elected the new Chairman of the NIA New Build Group. Brian is the Managing Director and founder of Hydrock, a leading provider of consultancy and specialist contracting services for construction, infrastructure and the environment. His appointment comes at a pivotal time in the UK’s new nuclear programme with strike price negotiations ongoing between EDF and government, the ABWR undergoing the Generic Design Assessment process and NuGeneration preparing to begin phase two of on-site assessment works.
We would like to thank all of the candidates who put themselves forward in what was an extremely close race amongst a hugely competitive field. We would of course like to thank the outgoing Chairman, Bill Bryce who has expertly guided the group since its inception. The new build group is part of the NIA’s wider working group structure. The groups provide an excellent forum for networking whilst being updated on work being undertaken by government and industry leaders. For more information about the NIA’s various working groups visit www.niauk. org/nia-working-groups and contact the group secretary.
2013 | Autumn — 17
95% 46%
civil engineering work completed Electrical and Mechanical installation work completed First electrical tests have taken place Scheduled to start producing electricity
© EDF Energy — www.edfenergy.com
2013 2016
18 — autumn | 2013
IN VIEW
Spectacular Dome Installation EDF has completed the installation of the dome on the reactor building of the Flamanville EPR. A handling operation on such an exceptional scale required one of the most powerful cranes in the world. At 200 metres high (twice the height of the Statue of Liberty), “Big Benny” has the power to lift the dome of the Flamanville EPR reactor building, which weighs in at 260 metric tons and has a diameter of 43 metres. The structure will be guaranteed leaktight by welding around the entire circumference of the dome, which will then be clad with 7,000 metric tons of concrete to boost its strength.
2013 | Autumn — 19
C CHOI ENERGY CHOICES ES
2013
ThuRsdAy 5 decembeR 2013 - ceNTRAl hAll wesTmINsTeR
The 2013 Energy Choices conference will take place at a pivotal time for the new build and decommissioning supply chains. Nuclear new build has been at the top of the energy agenda this year and will provide a vital boost for UK GDP, regional employment and national engineering suppliers. Energy Choices 2013 will ask the experts how contractors can enter the supply chain, what Government is doing to support them, and how Nuclear AMRC can help. We will ask the regional business bodies to tell us about the challenges and opportunities in their area, and how companies can become involved in different areas of the country and in diverse areas of work.
2013
We will have updates from Government on the revitalised revitalised plans for a geological disposal facility, the management of radioactive waste at Sellafield, and what the NDA is doing to entice SME’s into the supply chain. NIA Chairman Lord Hutton will chair the day and the event will be opened by the Energy Minister Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP. We hope you can join us at this key time for our industry.
Confirmed Speakers Rt Hon. Michael Fallon MP Energy Minister, DECC Vincent De Rivaz Chief Executive, EDF Energy Mike Tynan Chief Executive, Nuclear AMRC Chris Pook Deputy Director, Green Economy, BIS
Sean Balmer Commercial Director, NDA Bruce McKirdy Managing Director, NDA Radioactive Waste Management Directorate Professor Andrew Sherry Director, Dalton Nuclear Institute, The University of Manchester
RegIsTeR TOdAy AT - www.NIAuk.ORg/RegIsTRATION-fORm
20 — autumn | 2013
Nuclear Industry Association is a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 2804518 Registered Office Carlton House, 22A St James’s Square, London SW1Y 4JH TEL +44(0)20 7766 6640
FAX
+44(0)20 7839 1523 EMAIL info@niauk.org
CASE STUDY: Life as a nucleargraduate
I am writing this article 11 months into my time as a nucleargraduate, roughly half way through the scheme. I also write this article 11 months into my professional working life. Both aspects have provided challenges but moreover they have provided opportunities, insight and experiences. I chose to apply for the programme with nucleargraduates due to an interest in energy generation and a desire to work in a problem solving environment. The problem I chose was rather a large one; how do we fill the expected energy gap expected to occur towards the end of this decade. I hope that over the course of my first two secondments I have come somewhat closer to knowing how we should tackle this problem and hopefully I am playing a small part in contributing to the solution. Every nucleargraduate is taken on by a sponsor company at the start of the scheme. For me that company is RollsRoyce Civil Nuclear. I am particularly pleased that Rolls-Royce are my sponsor because of the heritage of the business and their increasing involvement in nuclear new build. Rolls-Royce not only have a rich history in more traditionally recognisable business such as aerospace but have also successfully supplied the nuclear propelled submarine fleet for the last 50 years. My first secondment with nucleargraduates, as is the same for all grads was undertaken with my sponsor
company. I was based in Derby, working with the Advanced Concepts Team on research and development projects. My first piece of work was in partnership with the Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission of France, working on concept design solutions for the ASTRID sodium cooled fast reactor which will hopefully be deployed in the next 30 years. During this project I had some fantastic opportunities – such as visiting the Phénix reactor in Marcoulle and presenting my work to our French partners. The second project at Rolls-Royce took me into an area of engineering I never thought I would work in – waste treatment. I was tasked with looking at novel design approaches to liquid waste treatment systems and found it to be a great, if challenging experience. The scheme offers real freedom and autonomy in the choice of secondments. With this in mind I pursued a different style of work for my second placement, less technical with more focus on public perception and the relationships between industry, government and the public. I found all of this during my first 7 weeks with the NIA. I have been lucky enough to gain an insight into public perception work, think of ways to encourage young people in STEM subjects and learn a great deal about the need to communicate to government the importance of the UK nuclear supply chain. I will be continuing in a similar line of work when I start a six
month secondment with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in October. Nucleargraduates also provides fantastic opportunities outside of the work place. I have been fortunate to partake in some unique and genuinely exciting activities outside of the office. I have attended a European wide Young Generation conference in Stockholm, visited a fast reactor under decommissioning in France and attended a panel session with leading politicians in the House of Commons. Along with some fellow grads I will be starting a business in September which aims to achieve the triple bottom line of business success – profit, people and planet. Soup Troop (our business) will be selling fresh, locally sourced soup and using a one-for-one model to provide soup to vulnerable people in Manchester and Bristol. The first half of my experience with nucleargraduates has been great. Let’s hope the second half is just as good if not better!
Will Sampson Communications Executive NIA will.sampson@niauk.org
2013 | Autumn — 21
in conversation ... horizon nuclear power 22 — autumn | 2013
Alan Raymant is Chief Operating Officer of Horizon Nuclear Power, the Gloucester based new build developer acquired last year by Hitachi. Alan took the reins at Horizon when the company was formed back in 2009. He successfully steered the company through the uncertainty of its sale last year, and has spent recent months taking Horizon forward following its acquisition by Hitachi. He talks exclusively to the NIA.
Eight months on from acquisition by Hitachi – how have things changed at Horizon Nuclear Power? We have renewed energy and optimism for our future. We now know the technology we’ll be using and are shaping our development programme and organisation accordingly. We are building on the foundations we’d already put it place – two good sites, a strong team and established processes – and gaining forward momentum. We’re recruiting, gearing up the organisation to manage a major infrastructure programme and become a new nuclear utility.
So Horizon will continue to operate separately within Hitachi? Yes, Horizon will be the long-term owner and operator of our stations. Hitachi is our shareholder and Hitachi GE Nuclear Energy (HGNE) is our technology provider and delivery partner for the power plants. Our focus over the next 4 - 5 years is to develop the detailed design, secure the licences and permits, conclude the key commercial agreements and prepare the site for construction so we are in a position to make a Final Investment Decision.
And of course the technology will now go through the Generic Design Assessment. What does this mean for Horizon’s timetable? HGNE is our technology provider and is leading the process to take the ABWR technology through GDA, with Horizon in close support. We have made a good start to the process and expect to move to Step 2 of the process around the turn of the year.
NIA’s members are obviously keen to see maximum opportunities from this project. What will it mean for UK businesses? We’re ambitious about the opportunities our project can bring to UK firms and workers – we anticipate that up to 60% of the content can be delivered by UK companies. Horizon and HGNE have launched a supplier engagement programme, to communicate our timelines and expectations early, giving UK suppliers the best possible opportunity to win work on the project. We’re looking at a peak construction workforce of up to 6,000 on site – leaving 1,000 permanent jobs, with an array of supply chain partners. Our projects represent an investment of some £20billion in the UK, so this is a real economic opportunity.
It’s interesting that you focus on the economics – what will this mean for consumer bills? Consumer bills are clearly in the public eye at the moment and we are very conscious of the need to demonstrate that our projects represent value for money. Nuclear energy is the only large-scale low carbon generation technology that is currently available commercially. Although it has a high up-front capital cost, the operating costs are relatively low and predictable as they are not subject to the volatility seen with some other fuels. Nuclear has been repeatedly shown to be one of the lowest-cost low-carbon options for electricity.
So Horizon is an Independent Power Producer? Yes. We are building a generation business, not a vertically integrated utility including retail. This means we have to make sure we have a reliable and predictable route to market for our output, that satisfies investors. Electricity Market Reform is critical in this respect and we will continue to engage with DECC as the detail on the EMR is published over the coming months.
And for you personally, this must be an exciting time? Absolutely. I’ve had a number of exciting and challenging roles throughout my career in the power sector, including development and construction, generation, renewables and distribution. However, Horizon tops them all – it is a privilege to lead a business that will bring such a huge benefit to our energy infrastructure and to the UK economy more broadly, whether it’s creating jobs or securing energy supplies.
And particularly so for North Wales I’d imagine? Yes, our lead site is Wylfa on the Isle of Anglesey where we enjoy fantastic public and political support. We’ll be an integrated part of the local community for around 100 years, covering construction, operation and decommissioning. Our clear aim is to build on the nuclear heritage established at the existing sites at Wylfa and Trawsfynydd and bring sustainable socio-economic benefits to the local communities and North Wales region, that recognises its unique culture and history.
Finally, it’s been quite a year for Horizon. How would you sum it up? The decision of our former shareholders to sell Horizon was a blow. But the resilience shown by the Horizon team and our supporters, particularly in our local communities, was astounding and demonstrated the collective belief in the importance of the business and determination to succeed. This was further underlined by Hitachi’s decision to purchase Horizon in November last year, ending a 7 month period of uncertainty. We have a fantastic platform on which to build. We’ve completed the transition to new ownership and are now focussed on the journey ahead and building a new business.
The Twittersphere The question we have been asking ourselves at the NIA this month is how can we best connect with the public and members through Twitter? We use twitter as a portal to educate our followers and the wider-reaching twitter community about the merits of nuclear power and the important industry news stories from NIA members and the government. Initiatives over the past few months have highlighted and promoted facts and figures related to the nuclear industry. Each day we have tweeted the percentage of electricity being generated by nuclear power via ‘green electricity’ provider - @ecotricity. This has generated an enormous amount of interest, with daily re-tweets and favourites from a number of twitter users. The NIA account is also a brilliant platform to broaden the outreach of the UK’s media coverage on nuclear power. By quoting and linking news stories from local and national media outlets we promote the UK’s industry to our followers at home and abroad. The NIA has recently Who to follow? expanded its social media Want information on nuclear platform – launching a LinkedIn profile. This will and other relevant topics? be another effective way This issue we recommend you of connecting with the follow: public by broadcasting the industry’s news, stories and events. @fusionenergy @emilygosden Twitter Count @ErnestMoniz @Nuke_Hitchhiker Followers: 1,292 @EnergyLiveNews Tweets: 1,270 @JohnMcNuclear
#Nuclear is currently generating 24% of the UK's #electricity according to @ecotricity #greentech #lowcarbon pic. twitter.com/05P73QCoqn
@NIAUK
@SellafieldLtd – 'Sellafield Ltd to take on 121 new apprentices as part of record intake' http://bit. ly/1cCgfsh #nuclearfuture
2013 | Autumn — 23
NEWS IN BRIEF
2013 UK Energy Statistics Published
Nuclear
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) published their 2013 Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) in July. It provides a comprehensive analysis of production, transformation and consumption of energy in 2012. According to the DUKES statistics, nuclear power’s share of electricity generation remained the same at 19% while coal (39%) overtook gas (28%) as the main source of electricity generation. Renewable generation grew to 11.3%, up from 9.4% in 2011. Primary energy production (energy contained in raw fuels) Gas fell by 10.7%, on a year earlier, with further declines in oil and gas production. However energy consumption rose by 1.7%, with the colder weather in 2012 responsible. However, on a temperature adjusted basis, energy consumption was down 0.7% continuing a downward trend seen over the last eight years.
© Magnox Limited — www.magnoxsites.com
Trawsfynydd decom crosses halfway point
24 — autumn | 2013
19%
Renewables 1.5% Hydro 1.6% Other 9.8%
28%
39% Coal
Oil 0.9%
DECC, 2013 Digest of UK Energy Statistics DECC, 2013 Digest of UK Energy Statistics
The decommissioning programme of the Trawsfynydd site, Wales’ first nuclear power station has crossed the halfway point. Work to deliver the site into Care and Maintenance (C&M) by 2016 is more than 50 per cent complete. During the C&M phase, radiation levels will slowly decline naturally, allowing the two reactors and remaining building structures to be decommissioned safely and more efficiently from 2074 onwards. Dave Wilson, Site Director explained, “The team across the whole of Magnox has made excellent progress in taking the site closer towards our C&M goal. Key to this success is our framework contractor, ACTUS, and an effective local supply chain. We’ve also built strong relationships with local stakeholders who are a vital part of all our activities on the site.”
© Sellafield Limited — www.sellafieldsites.com
NNL Space Batteries Triumph Following 2 years and £1million worth of work, the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) have presented the final results of their ‘Space Batteries’ project to the European Space Agency (ESA). The work was set up to determine the technical feasibility and cost of separating americium from plutonium so that it can potentially be used to power space batteries. Splitting the work into two phases, NNL developed the chemical flowsheet required to process plutonium to produce americium, then calculated the design and costing of the plant that could deliver the programme to the scale required by ESA. The second phase was to prove the process using the NNL’s facilities in Cumbria. Following this work, americium was successfully separated using the flowsheet developed and because of the success of the process, a reduced cost estimate for the final plant was produced. The success of the project has led ESA to declare their intention to award further work to NNL, expected to be worth around €2 million for at least the next 2 years. NNL’s Managing Director, Paul Howarth said, “I'm pleased that we were able to exceed ESA's expectations by proving the technical feasibility of using americium in space batteries and being able to show potential cost reductions in doing so. This is another example of NNL's combination of people, facilities and expertise coming together to deliver a great outcome for one of our customers.”
NSAN begin search for Nuclear stars of the future
Sellafield take on record number of new apprentices
S
The National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN) have launched their 2013 search to find the industry stars of the future. Nominations are welcomed for the following categories; Apprentice of the Year, Supply Chain Apprentice of the Year, Foundation Degree/HND Student of the Year and Graduate of the Year. Cogent, the skills council for science based industries are also launching a campaign to find the winner of their Outstanding Leadership in Skills Award. The chosen finalists will be invited to attend the high profile UK Nuclear Skills Awards Dinner on 20th March 2014 in Manchester where the winners will be announced. The dinner is now a staple in the industry’s calendar and is once again expected to be completely sold out. Launching the search, Jean Llewellyn OBE, Chief Executive of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear said, “Apprenticeships, Foundation Degrees/HNDs and Graduates are key avenues for replenishing and building skills for the nuclear sector. It is extremely important to highlight the real and tangible contributions which they make to their organisations on a daily basis.” Award application forms, criteria and further information on the awards are available to download from the National Skills Academy for Nuclear’s website www.nuclear.nsacademy.co.uk and all completed forms must be sent to the Academy by the 25th October 2013
ellafield has taken on a record number of new apprentices. 121 new employees, aged between 16 and 18 have begun their training at the site, with a job in the industry guaranteed for those who complete the three and a half year course. The company who are under contract to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) run a variety of apprenticeships involving a broad range of skills, including electrical, mechanical, business administration and for the first time this year, project management and health physics. The vast majority of the posts are based at the Sellafield site in West Cumbria, with eight other apprentices working in Warrington. Matthew Hancock MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for further education, skills and lifelong learning said, “Britain's nuclear industry is very important, which is why it is great news that Sellafield will be taking on more than 100 new apprentices. As set out in our nuclear industrial strategy, we are committed to addressing skills gaps so the UK is best placed to compete globally and supply energy. Apprenticeship programmes like this will help us to build a skilled workforce while also providing young people with the opportunity to forge a career in a growing sector.” Managing Director of Sellafield, Tony Price added, “Young people see the opportunity that exists, and that is not just in completing our existing mission of decommissioning the site – the industry itself is enjoying something of a renaissance with new reactors planned for sites around the country. When you also consider that the skills these young people are learning are transferable across the energy sector, a Sellafield apprentice in 2013 really does have the world at his or her feet.”
2013 | Autumn — 25
“For too many young people the word manufacturing is a turn off. A worrying poll found that only one out of ten children aged 11 to 14 thought that engineering was an important job and even ranked being a politician as a better choice of career! We are determined to shake up old fashioned views of manufacturing. Through the Government’s See Inside Manufacturing campaign we will give young people the chance to see the exciting face of modern manufacturing which is highly skilled, high tech and highly paid.” Rt Hon. Vince Cable MP Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills
manufacturing See Inside Manufacturing (SIM) is a partnership programme between the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Industry. It was created to transform the perception of manufacturing to students and teachers throughout the country. By working with the automotive, aerospace and food & drinks sectors, this exciting initiative has brought the work of UK manufactures into schools, and taken children and teachers out of the classroom. In June more than 35 companies invited teachers, careers advisors and young people to visit their manufacturing facilities at nearly 100 events across the country, reaching 1000 people.
26 — autumn | 2013
The NIA are working with Government to bring this initiative to the nuclear sector. There are over 60,000 workers in the nuclear sector and thousands of offices and factories that could open the eyes of young people to a career in the nuclear sector. This initiative will help manufacturers ensure they have access to the skills they need to remain at the forefront of advanced manufacturing. If you would like more information about this scheme please contact alastair.evans@niauk.org
Nuclear Jobs Map 2013 by. Hannah Randle Dounreay Thurso, Caithness
Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross 33 75 117 118 120 191 211 274 343 363 460 469 510 547 571 587 588 682 753
62,872 Jobs throughout the nuclear industry in the UK in 2013
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey 220 454
Aberdeen South 581 615
Ochil & South Perthshire
Argyll & Bute Glasgow Central Glasgow North 707
Edinburgh South West
765
4 36 82 105 248 362 423 451 531 618 696
93 266 370 617
Edinburgh West
Edinburgh North & Leith 3 35 218
81 720
Edinburgh East 262
Glasgow North East 219
VISIT niauk.org /nia-industrymaps
162
Paisley & 284 Renfrewshire North
East Lothian
Airdrie & Shotts 177
127 143 157 236 281 282 309 327 338 504 551 591 661
34
Linlithgow & East Falkirk
472
Glasgow South West
37 141
Glasgow South
226
385
657
Kilmarnock & Loudoun
15 133 146 160 287 318 337
Livingston Midlothian 438
Hunterston A&B Power Stations West Kilbride, Ayrshire
North Ayrshire & Arran
Torness Power Station Dunbar, East Lothian
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East
Glasgow East
152 301 344 769
Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk 742 East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow
North Tyneside
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale
494
Newcastle upon Tyne Central
477 500 511 654
Tynemouth
50 87 260 480 613 680
51
Gateshead 276 669 713
Hexham 610
Chapelcross Power Station Annan, Dumfriesshire Copeland
368
Belfast North
14 80 137 179 285 431 476 526 560 584 670 703
29 100 144 193 333 440 483 534 566 585 672 714
54 108 147 196 335 458 485 537 572 606 674 754
60 130 165 239 364 464 488 538 577 607 690 761
61 131 169 241 379 467 515 543 580 609 694 774
Houghton & 299 Sunderland South
627
358 544 545 602 717 727
39 123 153 181 277 305 452
245 441 668 770
Darlington 30 31 461 513 709
Seascale, Cumbria Calder Hall Power Station Seascale, Cumbria
Westmorland & Lonsdale
13 41 125 139 140 154 155 182 183 278 279 306 307 453 658
74
Barrow & Furness
Thirsk & Malton 468
Leeds Central 9 45 83 95 188 249 267 348 555 619 636 721
Skipton & Rippon 554
Heysham 1&2 Power Stations Morecambe, Lancashire 23 76 223 357 463 576 596 691 760
24 107 231 365 536 593 634 698
25 138 342 403 541 594 677 732
59 195 346 432 567 595 683 758
Fylde
Salwick, Preston, Lancashire
84 250 257 268
Calder Valley
Morley & Outwood
764
Rotherham 290 743
173 411 517
Tatton
43 52 705
399 465 622
Alyn & Deeside
115 186 336 378 442 529 553 751
489
Wrexham
90 114 234 332 393 501 546 712 771
415
97 586
West Bromwich East
55
444
265 616 635 673 779
Tewkesbury Forest of Dean
1 187 199 390 391
767
Cardiff Newport East 178 North
27
419
Cardiff Central Cardiff South & Penarth
216 651 687
North 122 Somerset 273 449
79 247 405 719
Hinkley Point A&B Power Stations Bridgewater, Somerset
42 126 142 150 156 161 184 200 280 308 310 326 334 426 475 495 503 509 549 625 644 645 659 660
Exeter 302 311 450
Plymouth, Moor View 254 410
Wells 737
78 185 246 256 404 528 579 611 626 648 718 752
Taunton Deane 6 416
Yeovil 630
East Devon
380 647 699
North Warwickshire
44
Warwick & Leamington
77 341 367
413
South Cambridgeshire
524
421
Ipswich 383
744
72 73 253 729
Oxford West & Abingdon
725
Oxford East
Suffolk Coastal
Cambridge
92
Meriden
Stratford-on-Avon The Cotswolds
56 69 132 145 159 286 315 339 506 646 662 663
South East Cambridgeshire
434
Daventry
Sizewell A&B Power Stations Near Leiston, Suffolk
South West Bedfordshire 759
Stevenage 731
Colchester 628
Wantage
228
Pontypridd
486
695
711
135
Rugby
Witham Culham Science Centre Harlow Hemel 28 704 Hempstead Abingdon, Oxfordshire 201 Bradwell Power Station Henley South West Southminster, Essex 113 242 Hertfordshire 763 South Swindon Watford 394 700 706 222 330 26 70 Maldon 745 Wycombe Harwell International 102 109 233 272 397 412 Filton & 747 Business Centre 324 376 686 London Bradley Stoke Harwell, Oxfordshire Maidenhead 369 750 499 642 653 62 Runnymede 237 381 Thurrock 738 & Weybridge Newbury 389 329 505 Thornbury Windsor 20 57 121 Dartford 484 & Yate 207 263 Esher & 197 375 471 425 474 Walton 478 562 632 459 Kingswood 53 676 716 Wokingham Sevenoaks 164 96 516 316 639 424 417 Woking Basingstoke 552 Faversham & Mid Kent 104 735 210 493 Chippenham Reading West 163 Bristol Mole Valley Epsom & Ewell 733 261 East 353 229 455 Bath Reading 608 345 291 Aldershot 514 Ashford Bristol Maidstone & 408 East 650 19 312 21 West The Weald 359 South West 614 Guildford 623 Winchester Folkestone & Hythe Crawley 684 Surrey 65 Horsham 119 151 275 736 Somerset 631 300 396 502 Southampton 255 643 655 656 & Frome Test 726 Meon 352 Valley 481 Mid Sussex New Forest West 600 Chichester 491 Dungeness A&B Power Stations 217 Hove Mid Dorset & Romney Marsh, Kent 321 314 North Poole Christchurch East Worthing 482 128 601 & Shoreham 749 Fareham 40 64 124 192 209 213 490 539 575 589 590 689
Berkeley Power Station Berkeley, Gloucestershire Oldbury Power Station Thornbury, Gloucestershire
Bridgend 693
Great Yarmouth
South Norfolk
North East Cambridgeshire
South Leicestershire
215
Birmingham, Edgbaston
38 110 149 293 395 525 573 629 679
652
101 533 724
448
18 523 692
Mid Worcestershire 167 Gloucester
12 111 175 202 206 232 323 325 407 498 542 565 582 640 641
Norwich South
Bosworth
433
180
Halesowen & Rowley Regis Stroud
373 Rushcliffe
North West 17 Leicestershire
94
Wyre Forest
Carmarthen East & Dinefwr
Mid Derbyshire 88 Nottingham South
Birmingham Erdington
568
Dudley North Birmingham Ladywood
176 189 212
355
Wolverhampton South East
205
Derby North
South 174 Derbyshire 730 Birmingham, Perry Barr Tamworth 741
Shrewsbury & Atcham
298 319
603 701
Central
2 103 243 401 678 681
198
Montgomeryshire
106
89 271
Derby South Stafford
Trawsfynydd Power Station Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd
Rother Valley Bassetlaw
Warrington South
Weaver Vale Stoke-on-Trent Central
City of Chester
Bridgwater & West Somerset
Cleethorpes 382 766
Halton
235 435 437 439
194
Cardiff West
398
371
671
768
190
Capenhurst Chester, Cheshire Delyn 49
58 240 331 462 507 512 561 592 665
728 York Central
Selby & Ainsty Haltemprice & Howden
322
Clwyd West
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
781
Leeds West 685
91 624
Manchester
Ellesmere Port & Neston
288 392 508 550 599 666
York Outer
Leeds North West 221
Blackburn
224 400 Chorley 466 557 559
564 773
South Ribble
Birkenhead
Ynys Môn
98 563 715
748
Preston 775
Liverpool Riverside Wylfa Cemaes, Anglesey
Ribble Valley
Wyre & Preston North
171 427 540 664 675 710 772
Stockton North
Stockton South
Morecambe & Lunesdale
22 430
Warrington North
Hartlepool
Hartlepool Power Station Hartlepool, Cleveland
Windscale Seascale, Cumbria
For more than a decade the Nuclear Industry Association has released an annual jobs map showing how many people are currently employed in the civil nuclear industry and where in the country they are based. With this year’s figures showing 62,872 people employed across the civil nuclear sector – broadly similar to last year’s figures – the importance of the industry as an employer is evident. The British nuclear industry provides long-term, stable and high quality careers and is currently thriving, with expertise spanning across the supply chain – including the decommissioning sector which is world class, highly skilled and generates more than £1billion of business per annum for UK GDP. Looking to the future, a major nuclear new build programme will lead to substantial industrial and employment benefits, considerable opportunities for the UK nuclear supply chain as well as a boost for UK manufacturing, engineering and construction.
Sunderland Central
99
Carlisle
Workington
68 134 170 283 384 470 520 556 583 667 697
406 436
739
Poole
Winfrith Technology Centre Dorchester, Dorset 63 136 446 574 597 598
South Dorset 32 116 313 633 757
Plymouth, Sutton & Devonport
2013 | Autumn — 27
Design: thomasmatthews.com
519
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Anglesey Energy Island The Anglesey Energy Island Programme is a collective effort between several stakeholders within the public and private sector working in partnership to put Anglesey at the forefront of energy research and development, production and servicing, bringing with it potentially huge economic rewards.
acQuire Technology Solutions The acQuire technology project aims to contribute to the efficient management of Earth’s natural resources by innovating and delivering a sustainable Geoscientific Information Management System (GIMS). They provide solutions to the nuclear industry for site investigation, monitoring, contaminated land, hydrogeological and geotechnical information to assist with decommissioning, waste disposal and nuclear new build.
Candu Energy Inc Candu Energy Inc. is a leading fullservice nuclear technology company providing nuclear power reactors and nuclear products and services to customers worldwide. Their 1,400 highly skilled employees design and deliver state-of-the-art CANDU® reactors, CANMOX™ reactor solutions, MACSTOR® passive dry storage solutions, carry out life extension projects, offer operations, maintenance and plant life management services for existing nuclear power stations.
28 — autumn | 2013
Equipos Nucleares (ENSA) ENSA specialises in manufacturing high quality heavy components for nuclear plants and industrial facilities, the design and manufacture of components for storage and transport of spent fuel assemblies and the design, supply and installation of equipment for radioactive waste treatment. ENSA is active in decommissioning and maintenance of nuclear plants. Their Advanced Technology Center, develops procedures to improve productivity and quality of operations, and provides technical support for manufacturing.
Nuclear Management Consultancy NMCL is a unique organisation that works with operators and regulators in the nuclear industry in all areas of safety management with first-hand experience of working with existing and new operators as well as nuclear and environmental regulatory bodies. They specialise in providing ways of demonstrating compliance with legal and regulatory expectations that respond to the individual needs of the business. Work areas are varied and span nuclear safety management, organisational capability and many technical aspects of nuclear safety advice.
welcome
ERA Technology ERA Technology provides engineering consultancy services that ensure the safety and reliability of high-value equipment and systems. They work with clients to minimise risks, improve operational performance and keep assets running cost-efficiently and for longer. Building on ERA’s research foundations that stretch back to 1920, their engineers have a deep knowledge of industry-specific issues, challenges and regulatory requirements.
Goodwin Steel Castings Ltd Goodwin Steel Castings is a long established ASME NCA3800 material organisation proficient in the supply of finished machined and pressure tested steel and nickel alloy castings. The foundry and its sister machine shop have invested in new a linear accelerator X-ray facility and 100T machining facility to meet the requirements of civil nuclear.
Shepley Engineers Ltd Shepley are a major multi disciplined contractor and project manager specialising in term contract works predominantly within the nuclear and chemical process plant environments. Their work involves high integrity site and workshop activity with a workforce of over 450 people delivering ME&I projects across Sellafield, Springfields and other nuclear sites. Shepley have mechanical fabrication capability which is accredited by Sellafield Ltd to their highest standards. They carry out all aspects of ME&I installation work in new build plants at Sellafield, such as EVAP D and EPS3.
STS Defence STS Defence are a Gosport-based SME providing contract manufacturing and through-life system engineering services; engaging with customers through experience, expertise and a commitment to quality. Part of the Key Technologies group, STS Defence focus on nuclear safety management, training and consultant support.
OPINION
PowerPolitics “I believe agreement is inevitable – it is in the interests of the Government, the consumer and the company.”
The dog days of summer seldom result in important political developments, and so far, the Syrian crisis apart, this year has been no exception. Significantly there has been no agreement on the Hinkley Point C strike price. I believe agreement is inevitable – it is in the interests of the Government, the consumer and the company – but the prolonged delay is unsettling. Something needs to happen soon – not only to allow the Hinkley project to proceed, but to reenergise the nuclear programme. Strike price apart there have been some important developments. In relation to Hinkley, the Treasury published a policy paper ‘Investing in Britain’s future’ that confirms the project has prequalified for the UK guarantee scheme. It also announced a community benefits package, bringing nuclear into line with renewables. Both of these are good news stories, but taken together with the Government’s earlier initiatives - for example the nuclear supply chain action plan - confirm Government is very keen for nuclear new build to proceed. Importantly the Government are also continuing to progress Electricity Market Reform – the prerequisite for new nuclear (and renewables) plant. The Energy Bill is progressing through the House of Lords, passing its committee stage on 30th July. The two remaining Lords steps – Report and Third Reading – are likely to take place in mid October, meaning the Bill is
still on track for Royal Assent by the end of the year. In parallel – presumably with their summer holidays cancelled – DECC officials have been working hard on the practical implementation of EMR. This has included a collaborative development process to help draft the relevant regulations, and a series of key announcements on such things as generic CfD contracts. Interestingly the latter included indicative strike prices for renewables, including onshore wind at £100 reducing to £95 in 2017/18, and offshore wind at £155 reducing to £135 in 2018/19, which on the face of it should make the (media speculated) £100 price for (non intermittent) nuclear pretty attractive. Of course, quite contrary to what I said in my first paragraph, there has been one energy story that has been almost continually in the news - the Battle for Balcombe. This has involved the largest numbers of environmental activists since the great days of Swampy, and importantly attracted the support of the likes of Bianca Jagger, Viviene Westwood and Natalie Hynde (daughter of the singer Chrissie Hynde). There are very strong feelings on both sides of the debate. Supporters argue that shale gas could be a game changer for the UK, as it has been in the US, with cheaper energy bills for millions, tens of thousands of jobs, and windfalls for communities. Conversely, opponents
argue fracking could poison our water supplies and lead to damaging earthquakes, as well as potentially adding massively to the greenhouse effect through the production of methane. In this context it has even been alleged some people in the US have been able to ‘light their taps’ – which was not seen as useful additional illumination. Without wanting to wade in to this debate, I wanted to focus on just one point. This is that there seems to have been a perception that the Balcombe work involved the fracking process itself, whereas the reality was that it was simply exploratory drilling to investigate the geology. There is a potential nuclear parallel here with the discussions earlier this year on the GDF process. In that case the decision to move to stage 4 of the MRWS process was seen by some as permission to begin actual construction of the facility, rather than simply to begin studies to elicit the scientific and engineering evidence for a reasoned debate. In both cases it might have helped if this had been more widely understood. Peter Haslam Head of Policy NIA peter.haslam@niauk.org
2013 | Autumn — 29
30 — autumn | 2013