THE NIA IS IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGE AND THE FUTURE

LOOKS BRIGHT. THE INDUSTRY STANDS ON THE CUSP OF A

VAST NEW BUILD PROGRAMME, IMPROVING OPERATING FIGURES AND VISIBLE DECOMMISSIONING

PROGRESS. THE INDUSTRY IS ENERGISED AND READY TO

CAPITALISE ON A WAVE OF OPPORTUNITY.

MAGAZINE OF THE UK NUCLEAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

NIA.ORG SPRING / 2016

SPRING IS THE TIME OF PLANS AND PROJECTS

FLAMANVILLE VISIT

Reflections of Keith Parker

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Editor - Rupert Lewis Art Editor - Dan Powney

Contributors - Tom Greatrex, Sara Crane, Peter Haslam, Keith Parker, Alexander Bending, Rachel Dowling, Amanda MacMillan – Horizon Nuclear Power, Stephen Bray – NuGeneration Ltd, Adrian Bull – National Nuclear Laboratory, Ivan Stone – Radioactive Waste Management, Dr Paul Howarth – National Nuclear Laboratory, Gareth Davies – Davies Nuclear Associates, with additional thanks to World Nuclear News

2016 has started off as a year of change at the NIA. After 12 years as Chief Executive, Keith Parker is now enjoying a well earnt retirement and in this edition of Industry Link, he reflects on his time in charge and Peter Haslam evaluates the important role Keith played in getting the industry back on the agenda. His successor, Tom Greatrex sets out his vision for the NIA and his ambitions for a sector on the verge of a significant new build programme to add to a fleet of operational stations and an extensive decommissioning programme. Tom has already been on the airwaves in support of new build, in particular Hinkley Point C, but in this issue we focus on the UK’s other new developers. NuGeneration discuss its Bright Sparks programme and Horizon Nuclear Power bring us up-to-date with its programme of work. NNL's Adrian Bull has a written a fascinating account of his trip to Fukushima, assessing the unintended consequences of our understanding of radiation. The All Party Parliamentary Group’s trip to Flamanville gave MPs the chance to assess lessons learnt for Hinkley Point C and I write about what communications teams can learn from Donald Trump’s overbearing Presidential campaign in the Twittersphere. Finally, I would like to introduce myself as the new Editor of Industry Link and thank Alastair Evans. Under his leadership the magazine evolved into a modern, must-read publication for the nuclear sector and I look forward to continuing this work.

Welcome to IndustryLink

Rupert Lewis Rupert.Lewis@niauk.org

This magazine is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable based inks.

Nuclear Industry Association is a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 2804518

Registered Office5th FloorTower House 10 Southampton Street London WC2E 7HATEL +44(0)20 7766 6640EMAIL info@niauk.org

Press EnquiriesSara.Crane@niauk.orgTEL 07803 696 786

Advertisement EnquiriesRupert.Lewis@niauk.orgTEL 020 7766 6642

Membership EnquiriesNikki.Powney@niauk.orgTEL 020 7766 6651

Follow us: @NIAUK

The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) is the trade association and representative voice of the UK’s civil nuclear industry. We represent over 60,000 UK nuclear workers across more than 260 member companies.

NUCLEAR AMRC RE–ENERGISING CIVIL NUCLEAR

NUGEN CONNECTS WITH 200 BRIGHT SPARKS

“ Coats, over-trousers, over-shoes, gloves (three different pairs), facemasks and hair covers. Plus a dosimeter each. This must be a pretty dangerous place we’re going, right?”

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FEATURE

SNAPSHOT

IN VIEW

VISITNIAUK.ORG

FUKUSHIMA FIVE YEARS ON

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2 — SPRING | 2016

olstoy wrote that ‘spring is the time of plans and projects’ and the start of 2016 has certainly seen exciting and continued progress here at Horizon Nuclear Power.

With the year not much more than three months old, we’ve already opened a new headquarters, launched a new apprenticeship programme, delivered another phase of consultation and announced a £1 million investment in our site office on Anglesey.

New beginnings February saw us launch our first technical apprenticeship

scheme; offering young people as well as aspirants of all ages, the opportunity to secure a place on our new three year training programme. This builds on the support given to Coleg Menai’s Cwmni Prentis Menai engineering apprenticeship training scheme over the past four years. Launched in partnership with Coleg Menai on Anglesey, our Technical Apprenticeship Scheme will bring in the first cohort of trainees, who will start working with us in September. In the first couple of years our successful candidates will be training at Coleg Menai’s campuses at Llangefni and Bangor, working towards a Level 2 NVQ in Performing Engineering Operations (PEO) and a BTEC Level 2. From year 3 onwards candidates will move on to a BTEC Level 3 Diploma and an NVQ Level 3 in a chosen engineering discipline. By then, the apprentices will also be undertaking extensive on-the-job training at nuclear sites. These appointments will be our first of some 700 we anticipate will be brought into the project before the first unit is operational and we believe this is a really exciting opportunity for people wanting to start their career in the nuclear industry.

T

Spring is the time of plans and projects BY. AMANDA MACMILLAN / HORIZON NUCLEAR POWER

2016 | SPRING — 3

ENERGY W

ORKIN

G FOR BRITAIN

Wylfa Newydd needs you! Are you passionate about engineering, motivated and keen to be a part of one of Europe’s largest energy projects? Are you looking to kick-start your career and earn money while gaining more qualifications?

Our proposed new nuclear power station on Anglesey, Wylfa Newydd, will create up to 850 permanent jobs. From nuclear specialists and maintenance workers, to engineers, technical and support staff, we’ll offer a wide variety of jobs – and we want to support the next generation of workers who might join the team in years to come.

If you’ve got the drive, enthusiasm and are looking for a challenge, we want you to apply for our Technical Apprenticeship Scheme.

WhAT cAN YOu ExpEcT?

• Develop your skills, confidence and experience in engineering

• Gain new qualifications (see opposite)

• Earn a salary and holiday allowance that’s competitive with other power and nuclear industry apprenticeship schemes

YEAR WhAT quAlIFIcATIONs WIll I GAIN?

WhERE WIll I BE BAsEd?

Year 1 Foundation year to build Level 1 and 2 qualifications, and basic training skills and knowledge to prepare you for Level 2 training

Coleg Menai (Bangor and Llangefni)

Year 2 Level 2 NVQ in Performing Engineering Operations (PEO) and BTEC Level 2

Mainly Coleg Menai (Bangor and Llangefni)

Years 3 and 4

BTEC Level 3 Diploma and NVQ Level 3 in a chosen engineering discipline and extensive on-the-job learning, with some training at Coleg Menai sites and nuclear sites

North Wales, Coleg Menai (Bangor and Llangefni) and some travel / stay outside of Wales

Visit our website www.horizonnuclearpower.com for more information on how to apply.

ThINK YOu’vE GOT WhAT IT TAKEs TO jOIN ThE WYlFA NEWYdd TEAm?

New surroundings

The first quarter of 2016 has seen us embrace new surroundings - both at our Gloucester headquarters and our Wylfa Newydd site office. In Gloucester, our team – which now numbers more than 350 – has recently moved into Sunrise House, our new purpose-built head office building. Having grown quickly over recent years, we’d become spread across several different sites in Gloucester – so it’s great for all our head office staff to now be working in the same place. Similarly, our Wylfa Newydd site office is also being expanded after we were awarded planning permission for an extension. The bigger site office will allow us to base up to 80 staff on site, on top of the 100 + site workers we have there most days. Work has already started on the construction and we’re hoping to have the new office up and running in the summer, tripling the size of our site office on Anglesey.

New consultation

Finally, January and February saw us deliver another phase of focused consultation on our plans for Wylfa Newydd. A series of public events held across the Island - and also at two venues in mainland North Wales – have seen us share our latest proposals in a number of important areas. As well as our plans for accommodating our construction workforce, we’ve been able to tell local people more about our proposals for a park and ride facility, logistics hub and several other pieces of critical infrastructure that will help us deliver Wylfa Newydd. We’re now focussing on analysing feedback and putting even more detail into our proposals ahead of our next consultation later this year.

THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR IN

WALES WAS DISCUSSED BY THE WELSH AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

WATCH FULL SESSIONS AT WWW.PARLIAMENT.UK AND TOM

GREATREX HIGHLIGHTS AT WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/

NUCLEARINDUSTRYUK

4 — SPRING | 2016

Media Watch

Tom Greatrex has been across the airwaves and in print media arguing the case for Hinkley Point C and the wider new nuclear programme. Tom has been interviewed by Channel 4 News, BBC World News, China Central Television and several others and on Radio 4 debated the economics of new nuclear with Nick Butler and on Share Radio outlined the socio economic benefits of Hinkley. Watch some of Tom’s interviews on our YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/NuclearIndustryUK

The BBC and a number of other media outlets followed the story of the closure of Wylfa 1 with articles and interviews with the site Director and local residents. Many of the articles in the press highlighted the economic impact the industry has had over the years in North Wales and how Horizon’s Wylfa Newydd project will help secure jobs in the region. On the flip side, the shutdown of the reactor raised the debate about the UK’s capacity margin.

Following the devastating floods in Cumbria, the nuclear industry in the area, headed up by Sellafield Ltd donated £500,000 to support affected communities. Covered by local media, the financial and project management support helped enormously and a number of local organisations were thanked including; Sellafield Ltd, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Nuclear Management Partners, National Nuclear Laboratory, Low Level Waste Repository and Britain’s Energy Coast.

Tom Greatrex wrote articles on the economic importance of the decision to extend the lives of four of the UK’s Advanced Gas Reactors in Heysham, Hartlepool and Torness. In a piece published in Utility Week, Tom focused on the benefit to local communities across the sites and the wider role nuclear plays as part of a balanced energy mix. Focusing on Torness in an article printed in the Scotsman, Tom argued nuclear is an energy source for the future and not the past.

Energy has entered the EU referendum debate. An area where there is consensus is that leaving the EU is unlikely to change the UK’s commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions which are legally binding and self-imposed. Secretary of State Amber Rudd MP claimed consumers could face an “electric shock” of at least £500m in extra bills a year if the UK leaves the EU. But others argued that leaving the EU will give the UK more flexibility to pursue its policy of supporting nuclear energy and shale gas, which are controversial in Europe.

The BBC’s Roger Harrabin discussed small modular reactors (SMRs) on the Today Programme and online. Comparing them to conventional large scale nuclear power stations he suggested they would be cheaper and more efficient. The article quoted a Greenpeace representative who said nuclear energy has been over taken by wind and solar which are ‘much safer, reliable and cheaper’, while Dame Sue Ion was featured on Today.

NEWSNEWSNEWS

Nuclear sector employers have created a new model for the development and delivery of the UK nuclear skills strategy. With a new UK wide partnership between Government, industry, training providers and the various skills bodies the sector can address the skills challenge it faces. A key feature of the new model is a Nuclear Skills Strategy Group (NSSG), consisting of the Government and the employers who have both the plans and expenditure to drive the major developments in the sector. The NSSG will become the UK’s lead strategic skills forum for the sector, taking over responsibility from the Nuclear Industry Council’s Skills Workstream. It represents both the civil and defence nuclear sectors and will be accountable for developing a nuclear skills strategy, addressing the skills infrastructure, processes and training provision needed to secure the required supply of qualified and competent personnel. In support of the new NSSG will be a Programme Delivery Board (PDB), that will co-ordinate and integrate an overall delivery plan for the sector. This body will provide a mechanism for aligning to the NSSG strategy all existing and future actions, products and services developed by both private and public bodies. The PDB will also commission Labour Market Intelligence and endorse solutions from appropriate bodies and ensure their quality. Fiona Rayment, Director for Fuel Cycle Solutions within the National Nuclear Laboratory, is to be the NSSG’s new Chair. Alan Coley, Programme Director - Skills Development at Cavendish Nuclear will Chair the Programme Delivery Board.

Announcing a new nuclear skills operating model

l-r NSSG Chair Fiona Rayment, Programme Delivery Board Chair Alan Coley

2016 | SPRING — 5

Taking forward the nuclear baseTom Greatrex joined the NIA as its new CEO on 1 February 2016. As a former shadow Energy Minister, and MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, he has a longstanding interest in the nuclear industry. Here, he writes for Industry Link setting out his main priorities for the NIA.

“WE NEED TO WORK WITH OTHERS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT DIFFERENT LOW CARBON ENERGY SOURCES

ARE COMPLEMENTARY TO, RATHER THAN IN CONTRADICTION OF, EACH OTHER.”

The prospects and potential for the UK nuclear industry have come a long way in a relatively short period of time, to the extent that nuclear is now widely viewed as an integral part of our future energy mix and not the past. This provides great opportunities for the UK supply chain, both at home and abroad. While in Parliament, I was impressed with the NIA’s Capability Guide, used as the basis to underpin the UK supply chain contribution to nuclear new build and the Essential Guide to helping the supply chain understand how to access contracts. The NIA, representing and working closely with its members, has played a crucial role in securing, maintaining and promoting the broad political and industrial support for new build, while also making the case for maintaining vital work on decommissioning. Underpinning this has been a determination to ensure the UK supply chain is well placed to take advantage of the significant economic opportunities which will exist as a result of a rejuvenated sector. I hope to be able to build on this, to ensure that the UK further builds a

strong, capable and active supply chain which is able to realise the available opportunities. This is going to be important as new nuclear develops around the world. We need to be in a strong position to show UK expertise is able to be exported, so there is an added economic value. The work of the NIA with UKTI and the annual Civil Nuclear Showcase is an example of how we are actively trying to put UK companies in the forefront of the minds of overseas firms. This also extends to decommissioning. As a pioneer of nuclear energy, efforts in decommissioning in the UK are far more advanced than other countries. We have a highly complex nuclear legacy to manage and as a result, have world-class expertise which can help other countries in their decommissioning programmes. Within my first few months at the helm of the nuclear sector, I’ve been impressed by the progress I have seen at Sellafield. I visited early in my tenure and was able to hear about the progress made in one of the most toxic ponds on the site. Just a week after my visit Sellafield reached its most significant clean-up

milestone as workers removed the entire bulk stocks of historic nuclear fuel from the Pile Fuel Storage Pond. The work means radioactivity levels at the 68-year-old pond have been cut by 70%, vastly reducing the risk it poses to people and environment. While promoting UK capability remains the bedrock of NIA activities, we will continue to make the case for nuclear well known to the public and the media. I want to see a wider appreciation of the energy requirements we have as a country and to get away from the circular debate about different technologies. I want to see an understanding that we need to make the most of all the technologies available – new nuclear, renewables, energy storage, demand management. We are going to need all of those tools to meet our objectives, and that is what I hope to bring to the debate. Nuclear’s ability to generate secure, reliable, low carbon baseload power is an important part of meeting that challenge, and we need to work with others to demonstrate different low carbon energy sources are complementary to, rather than in contradiction of, each other.

6 — SPRING | 2016

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Disposal in AustraliaA Royal Commission investigation, in Australia, has found the storage and disposal of used nuclear fuel from abroad has the potential to “deliver substantial economic benefit.” The report focused on civil nuclear opportunities for South Australia and concluded fuel cycle development could be beneficial but waste disposal offers the most significant economic opportunity. If developed, Australia would import nuclear waste for storage and disposal, from countries without a final disposal solution or a closed fuel cycle. The report says an Australian facility could dispose of 138,000 tonnes of heavy metals and 390,000 cubic metres of intermediate-level waste. The Commission also suggests the enterprise could generate $80billion in profit over 120 years. These volumes represent about 13% of the projected global fuel inventory.

Taishan EPR completes cold tests

Cold functional tests have been completed on Unit 1 of the Taishan nuclear power plant in China, 140km West of Hong Kong.

The tests include the initial start-up of fluid systems and support systems. The unit is expected to start up in the first half of next year and will be the first EPR to begin generating electricity. Taishan will be home to the first two reactors based on Areva's EPR design to be built in China.

Obama seeks to close MOX plant

US President Barack Obama wants to scrap the Department of Energy's (DOE) project at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina that was designed to take plutonium no longer needed for nuclear weapons and turn it into fuel for commercial nuclear reactors. The MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) - built as part of a long-standing agreement with Russia whereby each country would dispose of 34 tonnes of weapons-grade plutonium - has been in a cold standby for two years. Obama's 2017 budget proposal calls for the termination of the MOX project, which includes the MFFF. Instead of transforming plutonium into nuclear fuel, the Savannah River Site facility would be used to dilute plutonium and dispose of it at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, in New Mexico.

Although based on France's Melox facility, the US project has presented many first-of-a-kind challenges and has seen progressive cuts to its funding. The project was placed on cold standby after being effectively cut out of the DOE's Fiscal Year 2015 budget request.

Fukushima ice wall equipment in place

The installation of equipment required for forming a wall of frozen soil at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been completed. Approval has been granted by the Japanese regulator to activate 95% of the wall. By freezing the ground TEPCO hope to reduce the amount of ground water mixing with contaminated cooling water. Currently 400 tonnes of ground water is irradiated daily. If successful, it will be the largest ground freezing project ever attempted. In total, 1550 pipes have been placed in the ground to create a 1.5km-long ice wall around units 1 to 4. The Japanese government agreed to pay for construction of the ice wall, estimated to cost some JPY32 billion ($278 million). Other strategies have already reduced water inflow by 150 tonnes per day.

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2016 | SPRING — 7

ne of only a handful of new nuclear construction sites in Europe. More importantly it is also home to the foundations of a European Pressurised Reactor

(EPR), the chosen reactor design for Hinkley Point C - the site for the UK’s first nuclear power station in a generation. Organised by EDF and EDF Energy, the cross-party delegation from both the House of Commons and Lords heard from local dignitaries and representatives working on site, to understand the full scale of the project and answer any questions. Political support is a crucial element of any large-scale infra-structure project and events such as these offer the opportunity for decision makers to see first-hand the complexity as well as understand the importance of projects like Flamanville. Construction of the EPR at Flamanville began in 2007 but has been plagued by delays. Construction was originally projected to be around 60 months with the station being commissioned in 2012 - that is now scheduled for 2019. As a final investment decision for Hinkley Point C draws closer, the visit came at the perfect time for members of the APPG to question the difficulties which EDF have encountered and why they won’t reoccur in Somerset at Hinkley Point. The first issue, and one which has garnered much media scrutiny, is the design of the EPR reactor. EDF made it very clear it is proven PWR technology but changes to its design during construction led to delays. Changes which were implemented following a comprehensive review into nuclear safety after Fukushima. These have already been incorporated into the Hinkley design and no amendments to an existing build will have to be made.

Flamanville lessons positive for Hinkley

Flamanville has also come across technical issues with its reactor pressure vessel. In the UK, each reactor has to go through an extensive regulatory process, a Generic Design Assessment, to ensure all issues with the reactor are addressed before construction. Cost and scheduling is perhaps the main issue with all infrastructure projects. Unlike Flamanville, Hinkley has been de-risked up front. Major contracts for the project have been agreed, groundwork is virtually complete and contractors have practiced some of the most difficult construction tasks to prepare for one of the largest construction sites in Europe. Flamanville also provides a taste of what is to come for the local economy in Somerset. The project has provided a huge boost with thousands of new jobs as well as a commitment to support local infrastructure. EDF has injected €123 million, over 58 programmes, which were decided by committees to support the local community – including schools, community centres, roads and even a new harbour. Job growth has helped the long term unemployed, young and old, learn new skills and gain qualifications to support the breadth of work needed at Flamanville. This framework, which saw EDF work closely with the supply chain, has been so successful it has been replicated across France. May should see the final approval for Hinkley Point C and the successes of Flamanville combined with the lessons learned show what we can expect in the UK. A vast programme of work to support local economies in the South West with the ultimate goal of supplying millions of homes with sustainable low-carbon electricity for generations.

In March, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on nuclear energy travelled to France to visit Flamanville 3

O

BY. RACHEL DOWLING

8 — SPRING | 2016

NuGen’s first formal engagement with West Cumbrian schools began in January as two hundred students from Whitehaven Academy, St Benedict’s and Millom schools lit up an inspiring launch conference to learn about low-carbon electricity generation. The Year 9 and 10 students from the three schools close to the Moorside site discovered how electricity is made, how it’s used - and explored opportunities for a career in the electricity-generation industry. NuGen’s Bright Sparks is a three-year programme which provides visits to power stations, educational resources and the opportunity to participate in an end-of-year schools’ energy conference, for which the students will complete projects and compete in one of three Bright Sparks Challenges.

Tom Samson, NuGen CEO, said: “The Moorside Project is a 100-year commitment to the region and NuGen’s Bright Sparks is at the start of it, helping today’s students understand the issues and opportunities surrounding low-carbon electricity production. “It’s not just about careers, although we will want to employ as many local people as possible on the project. It’s about helping people understand how we make electricity, the challenges of climate change, how we use electricity and the importance of low-carbon tech-nology in providing electricity now and in the future.” Science presenter, Ross Exton, joined the team to perform a series of experiments – helped by the students – bringing the science of electricity generation to life.

John Male, NuGen’s Head of Training and Qualifications, said: “The Bright Sparks launch was an excellent start to a year of events and activities with these local schools - the level of excitement, engagement and positivity for the initiative was fantastic.” Since the launch event, NuGen, in partnership with EDF Energy, organised for the students to visit Heysham 2 Power Station to find out more about what nuclear power is, the importance of electricity generation in our modern world and careers. The Bright Sparks from West Cumbria have also been learning about the pros and cons of siting energy infrastructure using some cutting edge software in sessions presented by 3D Web Technologies – one of NuGen’s consultation partners.

NuGen connects with 200 Bright SparksBY. STEPHEN BRAY / NUGENERATION LTD

2016 | SPRING — 9

SCHOOLSHOP

10 — SPRING | 2016

nyone who has been to Japan will know that it’s a very neat country. Everything is clean, precise and in its place. Everyone is immaculately dressed. Trains run

on time and taxi drivers wear white gloves and remove every speck of dust from their cars. Which makes it all the more surreal to be in a Japanese town where the roads are cracked, houses and shops are neglected and there are four-foot high weeds everywhere. Yet Ohkuma is such a town which sits within the Fukushima exclusion zone. After the accident, Ohkuma residents were given 30 minutes notice of their compulsory evacuation. Some have never been back, and those that have are limited to a small number of trips per year, each of no more than a few hours. Yet despite being abandoned for so long, some things are still unchanged. The traffic lights at junctions are still flashing. The clock at the petrol station shows the correct time. And – most surreal of all – on the hour at 12 noon a cheesy musical jingle plays over the town’s tannoy system. I was there as part of a BBC TV visit to mark the fifth anniversary of the accident, along with Prof. Gerry Thomas from Imperial College – a world authority on the effects of radiation on human health.

Fukushima – five years onA case study in unintended consequences

As our car approaches the exclusion zone, there are real-time radiation monitoring signs by the side of the road to show the current ambient dose rates, at the edge of the zone we have to stop at a checkpoint to show details and to be given packs of Government-issue protective clothing. Coats, over-trousers, over-shoes, gloves (three different pairs), facemasks and hair covers. Plus a dosimeter each. This must be a pretty dangerous place we’re going, right? Wrong. The town is certainly more radioactive than it used to be. But when the levels of radiation are put into context there really doesn’t seem to be much to worry about. During a three hour visit (during which we are outdoors throughout) we each pick up around five microsieverts. Which equates to maybe 15 microsieverts each day for someone spending nine hours a day outside. Realistically, it’ll be less than that in the winter months. And indoors, as Gerry points out, the fabric of the buildings would block most of the radiation which is concentrated at ground level on the roads and pavements. So over a year, that’s an additional dose of perhaps five millisieverts (mSv). A full body CT scan is around 10 mSv. The legal annual limit for UK nuclear industry radiation workers is 20 mSv. Indeed, Gerry and I got 40 times more radiation on the return flight to Japan

A

BY. ADRIAN BULL ⁄ NATIONAL NUCLEAR LABORATORY

2016 | SPRING — 11

and back than we picked up during our time in the exclusion zone. Over a week of meetings with Government officials, industry, regulators, academics and media in Japan the “logic” of the illogical becomes slightly clearer. Firstly, the Japanese authorities are following the International Commission on Radiological Protection’s guidelines to the letter. Given the difficulty of setting a boundary between the doses which are allowable for returning residents and those those which are not, following international guidance is the simplest and safest thing for policy makers to do. Even when the guidance was not really set out with a situation such as this one in mind. Secondly, we learned all of that protective clothing is intended to make us, as visitors, feel reassured. To reassure us that if we should, by chance, pick up the smallest amount of contamination it will be on our coveralls and so we will remove it as we leave. Have a guess, though, whether the effects of putting on all that gear makes me feel reassured? No – it has exactly the opposite effect. A similar scenario applies to the remediation work being done in many of

the fields elsewhere in the exclusion zone. Soil and vegetation which has only the slightest level of increased contamination is being scooped up from the fields and placed into hundreds of big black bags.

However there is nowhere for the bags to go – so they are left piled up along the roadside as a visible example of the ‘problem’. Again – what is intended to be reassuring to the returning community becomes a much more visible sign of something ‘radioactive’ in their midst. The main reason I was over in Japan was to share the work we’ve been doing through the Nuclear Industry Council on communication and stakeholder engagement in the UK.

Whilst it is not rocket science, capturing the basic principles (being open and honest, building trust before trying to share information, establishing a two-way dialogue and consulting wherever possible) has been important in the UK and we can share this approach to an international audience. It is clear from our visit that the Japanese do want to do the right things, they do want to reassure the public and to re-start more of nuclear plants which have been offline for most of the past five years, depriving industry and consumers of vast amounts of power and placing more stress on the already suffering Japanese economy. Yet whilst heritage (Japan is of course the only country to have been on the wrong end of nuclear weapons), legislation, culture and politics are all playing a part in defining the road to recovery, there seems to be relatively little room for science in the mix. Neither the “hard” science of radiation effects on health, nor the softer science of human psychology, are being given the priority which is perhaps necessary to allow the beautiful region around Fukushima to be restored to some form of normality.

LISTEN TO PROF. GERRY THOMAS ON THE NIA'S

YOUTUBE CHANNEL WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NUCLEARINDUSTRYUK

12 — SPRING | 2016

anuary saw the fifth Civil Nuclear Showcase, organised by UKTI in partnership with the NIA, which to quote Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom MP is “rapidly establishing a

reputation as one of the key events in the nuclear calendar”. Such a broad programme meant there really was something for all. The net result was over 80 overseas delegates from 17 countries including not only the big players such as France, the USA, Japan and China, but new entrants such as Poland and Turkey. With regard to the latter, the NIA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Showcase with the newly formed Nuclear Industry Association of Turkey. This MOU should allow the two organisations to help each other, which could be important as Turkey’s nuclear ambitions develop. As in previous years the aim of the showcase was twofold; first to highlight the huge expertise and capability that exists within the UK supply chain to assist countries in developing nuclear programmes; and secondly to enable UK companies to learn about the situation overseas. The broader aim of course was to identify the potential scope for cooperation and partnership. The success of the Showcase will only emerge in the fullness of time, but judging from the animated discussions at the event a good start has been made. Congratulations are due to the Showcase Organising Committee – chaired by Terry Gilbert and comprising UKTI, NIA and NIA members – in putting together such a strong event.

J

Civil Nuclear Showcase

2016 | SPRING — 13

he Nuclear Industry Association hosted its 15th annual #Nuclear conference in December of last year. The event preceded the annual nuclear industry dinner held at the

Grosvenor Hotel in London. Nearly 300 attended the conference to listen to a distinguished set of speakers from the entire breadth of the civil nuclear industry. NIA's Chairman, Lord Hutton opened the event and praised the work the industry has done over the past 12 months and looked ahead to 2016 which promises to be a vital year for the sector. Energy Minister, Andrea Leadsom MP gave a detailed speech on the Governments energy policy and its vision for the nuclear sector up to 2020 and beyond. Continuing the political theme, David Mowet MP, Paul Monaghan MP and Jamie Reed MP voiced their opinion in a panel session chaired by the day’s host Dave Harvey from the BBC. John Clarke, NDA, and Tom Foster, Sellafield, spoke about the implications of the Chancellor’s Comprehensive Spending Review for the decommissioning sector. Moving onto new build, the Heads of NuGeneration and Horizon Nuclear Power updated the conference on progress at Wylfa Newydd and Moorside. EDF Energy’s CEO, Vincent de Rivaz spoke about the company’s priorities for 2016 and praised his team for its outstanding operational figures. The conference would not have been possible without its generous sponsors; NuGenereation, the Welsh Government, Horizon Nuclear Power, Nuvia, Urenco, Waldeck Consulting and the Centre of Nuclear Excellence. Plans for this year’s conference are already being drawn up and if you are interesting in sponsoring or exhibiting contact Veronica Lekavicius on 020 7766 6648 or veronica.lekavicius@niauk.org.

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14 — SPRING | 2016

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EDF Energy has announced new scheduled closure dates for four Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) nuclear power stations. Heysham 1 and Hartlepool have been extended by five years to 2024, with Heysham 2 and Torness extended by seven years to 2030. The four plants together supply electricity to around a quarter of the UK’s homes and employ 2000 permanent staff as well as 1000 contractors. The announcement followed life extensions at EDF Energy’s other AGR power stations. In total, the programme has the potential to avoid 80m tonnes of C02 emissions, equivalent to taking all the cars off the road in the UK for three and a half years.

EDF Energy extends lives of AGR plants

IN VIEW

16 — SPRING | 2016

adioactive Waste Management (RWM) provides radioactive waste management solutions and will deliver the UK geological

disposal facility (GDF). We expect to engage in discussion with communities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2017. We are committed to working in partnership with willing communities, on behalf of the Government, to realise the social and economic opportunities that could transform a community, and create long-term skilled employment, by hosting a GDF. A facility will of course only be built if we can satisfy ourselves and the independent regulators that it is safe to do so. No sites have yet been selected or are currently under consideration for a GDF, but in July 2014 Government set out a revised siting process for this multi-billion pound project in which details of three initial actions were given:

→ National geological screening → National land-use planning → Working with communities

National geological screening brings together and makes accessible existing information about UK geology relevant to the long-term safety of a GDF. A public consultation was held in the autumn of 2015 and Guidance (methodology) will be published and applied during the course of this year. The outputs, including narratives and maps, will help communities decide if they want to begin initial discussions with RWM about hosting a GDF in their area. Government is finalising details of the GDF planning process. In March 2015 Government amended the Planning Act 2008 so that in England a GDF now falls within the special planning regime for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. Government will run a public consultation on a draft National Policy Statement (NPS) later this year and has already carried out a technical consultation on the approach to the Appraisal of Sustainability and Habitats Regulations Assessment for the NPS. Government is also working on the mechanisms by which communities would be represented if they were interested in hosting a GDF. It will also make clear how early investment for such communities will be made available. A community representation working group has been set up to look at these issues, and, last summer, a call for evidence to support the work of this group was made and the information received in response is now being considered. This will be an exciting and challenging year for us as we move closer to engaging with communities, and we look forward to providing further information about our activities during the coming months.

Implementing geological disposal

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GEOLOGICAL-DISPOSAL

©Crown Copyright The Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) Illustrative perposes only

BY. IVAN STONE ⁄ RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

2016 | SPRING — 17

While the news following the budget was about resignations and U-turns, the day itself saw Jamie Oliver doing a rather embarrassing dance on BBC News in celebration of the sugar tax, but what does the 2016 Budget mean for nuclear? At the budget there was little of what the Nuclear Industry Association had asked of the Chancellor, although at least we did have a better day than the Soft Drinks Association. The Chancellor didn’t set out any policies designed to boost investor confidence in low carbon infrastructure such as the Levy Control Framework or Infrastructure UK guarantees. He also left a decision on the carbon price floor to later this year, with the red book confirming “government will set out the long-term direction for CPS rates and the Carbon Price Floor at Autumn Statement, taking into account the full range of factors affecting the energy market.” The Carbon Price Floor provides low carbon generators with an obvious incentive and will curb harmful carbon emissions as well as speed up the UK’s energy transition from polluting coal to cleaner forms of energy generation. It is unusual for me to quote Caroline Lucas MP, but she rather bluntly and rightly questioned the merit of ignoring the climate crisis in a budget which professed to be “doing the right thing for the next generation”. Despite this there was a commitment from government for small modular reactors (SMRs) to “identify the best value” reactor for the UK and “publish an SMR delivery roadmap”. DECC set out the details days later explaining Phase One of this competition will “gauge market interest among technology developers, utilities, potential investors and funders in developing, commercialising and financing SMRs in the UK.” The Conservatives have clearly identified SMRs as the next major low-carbon technology to enter the market and while they may have an important role to play, the primary focus must be on delivering the current new build programme. Communities across the country are anticipating new build and the jobs and growth they will bring. To take our eye of the ball now would be a costly mistake. Not just for energy security, but for economic prosperity across a number of regions in England and Wales. As the NIA’s Chief Executive, Tom Greatrex said “SMRs could potentially play a significant complimentary role to the UK’s existing new build programme” but they must not seek replace it with them.

Budget 2016BY. RUPERT LEWIS

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The second annual Women in Nuclear UK Conference took place on 2 February. More than 230 people from across the sector came together in London to hear about progress of WiN UK and the key work underway. Following morning plenary speeches including Energy Minister, Andrea Leadsom MP, Adrienne Kelbie, Chief Executive of the Office for Nuclear Regulation and a panel discussing the importance of the WiN UK industry charter, delegates were able to attend workshops on a range of issues including leadership, networking and unconscious bias. Opening with a pre-conference reception in the House of Commons, sponsored by Sellafield Ltd,delegates heard from Sue Hayman MP – the host of the event, Sellafield’s Donna Connor, Miranda Kirschel WiN UK President and John Warden, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Institute. The reception marked the official launch of WiN UK becoming a branch of the Nuclear Institute. Planning is already underway for the WiN UK Conference 2017. For more information visit www.womeninnuclear.org.

Second annual WiN UK conference

2016 | SPRING — 19

CoNE is made up of private and public sector organisations including Sellafield Ltd, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, NuGeneration Ltd and Allerdale and Copeland borough councils. Its aim is to make Cumbria officially the heart of UK nuclear expertise – a title it has arguably held unofficially since the beginning of the nuclear era in the late 1940s. Cumbria is already the Centre of Nuclear Excellence, we are not trying to build something new from scratch. The UK’s nuclear industry was created in Cumbria and today it is the epicentre of the country’s expertise. Within a very concentrated space we have the country’s nuclear clean-up priority at Sellafield, the centre of its nuclear research and development programme at NNL and the national low-level waste repository. The new nuclear reactors at Moorside site, next to Sellafield, will see the county once again contributing nuclear energy to the National Grid. Very few places in the world can match our skills and capabilities when it comes to nuclear. There are good reasons why the majority of Government departments and bodies are located in London. Yet the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority – the body responsible for the clean-up of the existing civil nuclear industry across England, Wales and Scotland – is based in Cumbria. The county is also home to the headquarters of Direct Rail Services, which manages all UK nuclear rail transports, and International Nuclear Services, which is responsible for international nuclear contracts and transports. Add to that the depth and breadth of our supply chain and we really are in an enviable position. This isn’t just about managing what we already have; Cumbria can lead on the UK’s desire to once again be a top table nuclear player. The country has recognised that nuclear

Cumbria can become the Silicon Valley of the nuclear industryBY. DR PAUL HOWARTH / NATIONAL NUCLEAR LABORATORY

Paul Howarth, the newly appointed chairman of the Centre of Nuclear Excellence (CoNE), believes the critical mass of nuclear expertise already gathered in Cumbria, plus the exciting new opportunities on the horizon, are presenting a once in a generation opportunity for the county.

has to be a key part of the UK’s future energy mix and I am delighted we are seeing plans to build the next generation of nuclear reactors gathering pace. But the industry needs more than just reactors. We have to think about what technology is needed to deploy nuclear spent fuel cycle. Where will fuel for the reactors be made? What will happen to it when it comes out of the reactor? Where will the nuclear waste be managed? When they get to the end of their operational lives, who will provide the expertise and experience that could help to decommission the reactors? When you look at what is needed for nuclear, Cumbria already ticks most of the boxes in terms of skills, experience and expertise and we must not lose the know-how of Sellafield. What I am really excited about now is seeing first hand that these organisations are ready and willing to align. We are operating our own organisations and delivering our own missions, while recognising that our issues are bigger than any single organisation can overcome and that the opportunities are bigger than any single organisation can capture.We can, and we are, standing together with a single voice in order to promote the UK’s nuclear capability on the global stage. The CoNE isn’t an exclusive club. The spectrum of organisations involved includes multi-million pound site operating companies, big supply chain players and small to medium sized enterprises. I want to see that participation stretch even further, from multi-nationals to local shopkeepers. We all have a part to play in making this area the go-to place for nuclear expertise. I want people to think of Cumbria when they think of nuclear, just as people think of Silicon Valley when they think about cutting edge technology.

20 — SPRING | 2016

From 16 to 19 March over 70,000 students, teachers and parents attended The Big Bang Fair at the NEC in Birmingham. The NIA and National Nuclear Laboratory had a joint stand for the last two days of the event and aimed to encourage students into the nuclear industry. The nuclear sector was punching above its weight at the event with brilliant stands from Sellafield and Urenco. It was amazing to see so many young people showing an interest in energy and nuclear science and more surprising how much they already knew about it. The Big Bang is also an opportunity to engage with the public and dispel some of the myths surrounding nuclear. Hopefully we changed some old minds and planted seeds of interest in young minds so they blossom into future nuclear workers.

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SNAPSHOT

The Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) was launched in May 2012, to help the UK nuclear supply chain win work both domestically and globally. Made up of a collaboration of academic and industrial partners from across the civil nuclear manufacturing supply chain, Nuclear AMRC’s initial remit was to focus on the gigawatt components for the new build programme. However its capability and capacity now reaches to all parts of the industry including decommissioning, and current operations. Two of the centre’s key achievements rest in its supply chain development programmes, Fit For Nuclear (F4N) and Sharing in Growth. The programmes have developed the supply chain and received financial backing from Government. They have created jobs, helped companies win work and increased overall opportunities in the sector.

Sharing in Growth is a programme of work which has focused on 10 companies, all but one of whom are NIA members, and it has already contributed £27.4 million to the UK economy. These companies have created 1,147 jobs and won £115 million worth of contracts - representing a huge success for the programme. Nuclear AMRC hope to continue the programme and expand to support a number of other UK companies. Its other programme of work, F4N is a comprehensive process which helps a company analyse their capabilities and develop their understanding of the requirements needed to win contracts in the industry. To date, the programme has attracted over 600 companies, with 450 applying to take part. While only 90 companies have completed F4N, it is a process which is carried out at the interested companies own pace.

These programmes are helping to restore the UK as a ‘top table nuclear nation’ – a vision set out by Government and supported by the NIA. Nuclear AMRC will help provide industry with a pipeline of high quality companies who can support current operation and decommissioning activities as well as future new build programmes. However, Nuclear AMRC offers a lot more than just supply chain development opportunities. Its facility is based around a production-scale workshop for collab-orative research into the manufacturing challenges facing civil nuclear, allowing companies to investigate and develop their technical capabilities to compete on cost, quality and delivery. Hubs like this are key to ensure the UK’s nuclear industry continues its upward trajectory and highlights how Government and industry can work together to create a manufacturing legacy which provides high quality, cost competitive, products.

How Nuclear AMRC is re-energising the UK civil nuclear industry

22 — SPRING | 2016

hen I was appointed Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) in 2003, political and public

support for nuclear energy was at a low ebb. The sector was facing a future dominated by decommissioning and the operation of existing stations, until they closed and started decommissioning. The 2003 energy white paper more or less dismissed any future role for nuclear because of concerns about waste and costs. Instead renewables, gas and energy efficiency were seen as the route towards a low carbon future. However the paper did say that government would review the situation in two to three years’ time. Despite the gloomy situation, my ambitions and objectives were very clear. I wanted the NIA to be a leading voice in repositioning nuclear as part of the solution to the nation’s energy challenges. I wanted to restore the reputation of the industry and re-build public and political trust, reversing the defensive attitude which characterised the sector in the face of relentless and mostly unjustified criticism. To do that we needed to raise our profile, debate the issues in public and highlight the benefits in clear language rather than making technical arguments which very rarely work. I wanted the NIA to become a trusted and respected partner to government, representing the collective views of the industry in efforts to reform and restructure the sector. One thing we did not lose sight of was the promise of a review of nuclear’s role in the energy mix. With members’ support and input, we developed a case for nuclear new build as a means of achieving secure, reliable low carbon electricity, at reasonable cost. The actions of Russia cutting off gas supplies to Ukraine in 2006 suddenly focused minds and security of supply became a real issue, which strengthened the case for nuclear to be re-evaluated. There was a distinct change of mood. Opinion polls started to show new and growing support for nuclear. So when Blair famously announced in May 2006, that nuclear power was “back on the agenda with a vengeance”, we were prepared. Following his speech government moved to create conditions to incentivise and remove barriers to private sector investment for new nuclear. The NIA lobbied hard on the need for streamlined planning, siting and licensing regimes, new market mecha- nisms including a meaningful carbon tax,

From gloom to glory; laying the foundations for a bright future

Wand continuity of political support for what would be very long-term and costly projects. These measures were embodied in the Nuclear White Paper of 2008, introduced by John Hutton, then Secretary of State for Business. He made it his mission to secure cross party political support, something the NIA and wider industry supported, so that all three major parties were eventu-ally united in their support for nuclear power, support which remains today. In 2008 EDF Energy acquired British Energy and announced plans to build new reactors at Hinkley and Sizewell. We are now on the brink of building up to 12 new reactors by 2030. An extraordinary programme of work when you think about the state of industry just over 10 years ago. Admittedly things have taken much longer than expected, but there are compelling reasons why. We have seen massive restructuring with companies leaving and joining new build consortia. The global financial crash meant support companies require and market mechanisms to attract investment have changed. Moreover, the awful events at Fukushima sent shockwaves through the entire global industry. A number of countries revaluated their nuclear capacity, furthering the argument of political risk and undermining investor confidence. Yet, here in the UK, despite a dip in public support, which quickly recovered, political support remained firm, and companies committed and confident. NIA’s membership, which can be seen as a barometer of confidence, stands at over 260 and the amount of interest in the UK market demonstrates Britain is one of the best places to do nuclear business. Of course we want to see as much of the work and the jobs created throughout the sector go to British companies and the NIA has devoted significant resources to help prepare companies to compete. Together with the government, we wish to see the UK reinstated as a major nuclear player internationally, capitalising on our strengths and capabilities built over 60 years. As I step down after 12 years as CEO, I have greatly enjoyed what has been a fascinating, certainly never dull, and often roller-coaster ride with the industry. It is a small sector, despite changes and restructuring which has taken place, the same very talented and knowledgeable individuals have remained loyal and committed to the nuclear cause, and have given me great encouragement, personal support, and friendship. Something I shall always value.

2016 | SPRING — 23

Twitter is essentially free media and today’s king of how to generate it is without doubt Donald Trump. The now, almost certain Republican candidate for President has earnt twice as much free media as Hillary Clinton and six times as much as his nearest rival for the Republican nomination, Ted Cruz - giving him a mammoth advantage in media driven politics. Trump’s campaign is pretty much the perfect case study in how to manipulate the media and create interest in someone who was initially written off as a joke. Now he’s practically an escalating email scandal away from the White House… So what can communications teams learn from his success? Print media is dying; The Independent has succumbed to the internet and it is certain others will sadly follow. In the world of instant media, news travels fast and it is hard to remain relevant, unless it is bad news. Trump’s, at best, questionable statements (not to be repeated here) create a story and spark comment meaning they run for days, weeks and even months. His messages are in no way applicable to a corporate but the principle remains - to garner attention you need to be punchy. He also does not shy away from the spotlight. One of the keys to Trump’s success is he will not only almost say any-thing but do almost any form of media. In fact when he did refuse to debate (it’s a long and unpleasant story) his poll ratings dipped. It seems obvious, but the key to communications is to do it. The nuclear industry is seen by the public as a closed, secretive industry and the only way to change that is to get out there and argue the case. When the industry was out of favour and staring into the sunset, the NIA, led by our recently retired boss, Keith Parker, took it upon themselves to trawl the airwaves, TV stations and public meetings to listen to others but firmly and clearly discuss the need for nuclear. Now the argument has been won and new build is back on the agenda the industry cannot be complacent and must continue to make the case. The hard part is to do it in 140 characters!

The Twittersphere

Who to follow?Want information on nuclear and other relevant topics? This issue we recommend you follow:

@tomjgreatrex @WorldNuclear @NEI @WorldNuclearUni

@greg_jenner: #DonaldTrump has received $1.9b worth of free media airtime in the USA. Hillary: $746m Sanders: $321m Cruz: $313m (NYT)

@NIAUKTwitter Count

Followers: 3,233Tweets: 4,705

BY. RUPERT LEWIS

Reflections of Keith Parker

Over his 12 years as Chief Executive Keith has led the NIA from strength-to-strength. But what qualities enabled Keith to achieve this? In this space I can only hope to scrape the surface – but here are one or two reflections. He is a great manager. Keith is open, generous and loyal to his friends and he treats his staff in a similar way, with a man-agementstyle that encourages them to perform at their best. This has worked well, creating a high performing team that is widely regarding as ‘punching well above its weight’. Less positively it has also led to our staff being coveted by others – with many being poached by our wealthier members! Keith has great judgement, is clear thinking and calm. Combined with his long experience – he has been involved in the energy industry since the early 1980s – he is cool under fire and able to produce the right response in the most difficult of circumstances. This has been particularly helpful in front of Select Committees. Their unanswerable questions have often left his colleagues (me) despairing all was lost, only for Keith to find the mot juste and save the day. He is a great lobbyist – a clear example is getting new nuclear build back on the table when we faced the real prospect of becoming a sunset industry. Now we are on the cusp of the biggest nuclear new build programme the UK has ever seen. Enough said. Keith’s love of the arts and literature has fostered excellent writing skills resulting in the creation of exquisitely crafted speeches and articles. These have been deployed from Lands’ End to John O’Groats, making a major contribution to the energy debate and, Scotland apart, bringing all the country into the nuclear fold. Finally Keith is able to deploy all these talents very quickly, for example producing written and other material in an astonishingly short timescale. This has invariably enabled the fat to be pulled out of the fire, resulting not in imminent annihilation but further enhancement of the NIA’s reputation, albeit at some cost to our collective blood pressure.

BY. PETER HASLAM

24 — SPRING | 2016

NEWS IN BRIEF

New CEO for Horizon Nuclear Power

Horizon Nuclear Power Limited (Horizon) has announced the appointment of Duncan Hawthorne as Chief Executive Officer, effective May 1 2016. Duncan will work alongside Horizon COO, Alan Raymant and commenting on his appointment he said, “I will be building on the strong progress made to date under Alan Raymant’s leadership and I look forward to working with him and the team, to ensure this success continues.” He is an internationally known and widely respected nuclear industry leader who joins Horizon following a 15 year period as President and CEO of Bruce Power L.P. in Canada which operates one of the world’s largest operating nuclear facilities. A Scottish born and educated engineer, he has held a wide range of leadership positions in the UK, US and Canada. He served as Chair of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) Atlanta Centre and until recently was President of WANO’s Governing Board. His contribution to the Canadian energy sector was also recognised when he was awarded Energy Person of the Year by the Energy Council of Canada. In addition, he has been on Horizon’s Board of Directors since 2013.

NuScale Power announced, on 20 January, the completion of a study commissioned by the National Nuclear Laboratory supporting the suitability of NuScale’s Small Modular Reactor technology for the disposition of plutonium. The study evaluated scenarios with partial and full-core loading of mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel and confirmed that MOX could be used in the NuScale core with minimal effect on the reactor’s design and operation. The study also demonstrated that a 12-module NuScale plant with 100% MOX cores could consume a 100 metric-ton stockpile of discharged plutonium in roughly 40 years, during which time it would generate approximately 200 million megawatt-hours of carbon free electricity. NuScale Chief Executive Officer, John Hopkins commented, “This is an important step in the continued development of additional f lexibility of the NuScale Power Module to operate on various fuel forms. This capability will help support the continued establishment of the NuScale Small Modular Reactor as the technology of choice for commercialization in worldwide markets.”

NuScale announces MOX capability

Moorside Moves Forward

The site characterisation work for NuGen’s Moorside site continues to make good progress as the first operational facility came online. The wastewater treatment facility, which will discharge groundwater arisings from drilling operations and Site Characterisation activities, started up on 18 February. The work is a key element of the project, informing the design and layout of Moorside and supporting planning applications, licensing, and other consents required to build the new nuclear power station in Cumbria. Matt Waddicor, NuGen’s project manager for the site characterisation work, said: “We’ve made some good progress on site, despite working in some challenging conditions during one of the wettest Cumbrian winters in recent years. “As the weather improves, we are looking towards starting the offshore element of the investigation work which will provide more valuable information for the development of NuGen’s proposals for the Moorside Project.”You can keep up to date with the project by visiting www.nugeneration.com.

2016 | SPRING — 25

The Office for Nuclear Regulation, with the approval of the Secretary of State, has appointmented Dr Richard Savage as its new Chief Nuclear Inspector (CNI) to lead ONR’s regulatory activity. Richard is a Chartered Engineer with an extensive back-ground in nuclear safety and regulation. He served as Head of Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator, Ministry of Defence before being appointed to ONR as a Deputy Chief Nuclear Inspector in 2013. He has been Acting CNI since Dr Andy Hall’s early retirement in November 2015. Richard was appointed following an open recruitment exercise. His appointment will commence immediately and will initially be for a fixed term of three years.

The Nuclear Industry held its eighth annual UK Nuclear Skills Awards in March. During the evening the nuclear stars of the present and future were announced. The event, organised by The National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN) and Cogent Skills, was hosted by TV presenter Simon Reeve and brought the nuclear industry together to celebrate the success and high achievement of learners nominated for awards in Apprentice, Foundation Degree/HND and Graduate disciplines. At the event sponsored by NuGen, 50% of the finalists were women and UK Nuclear Apprentice of the Year was Grace Draper from Rolls-Royce who also won the Design Apprentice of the Year award. Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive, Nuclear Industry Association, said “These awards showcase the talent in the industry and the future leaders of the sector. With all five of the Advanced Apprentice awards going to young women, it demonstrates how serious the nuclear industry is about addressing gender balance and provides the sector with great role models to show girls it is an environment they can work in.” Other winners on the night include Samantha McRae (AWE) who won the Maintenance Apprentice of the Year, Kerry Marie Burns (NNL) who won the Scientific Apprentice of the Year and Lucy Green (Doosan Babcock) who won the Support Apprentice of the Year. Flying the flag for males the title of Higher Apprentice of the Year went to Stanley Readyhoof (Rolls-Royce), UK Nuclear Graduate of the Year was awarded to Robert Wild (Sellafield Ltd), the Foundation Degree/HND Student of the Year was awarded to Jack Bowman (Sellafield Ltd) and the STEM Ambassador Award went to Richard Taffs (NIS Ltd).

EDF Energy is leading by example by signing-up to the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB) Skills Charter as part of its plans to build the first new nuclear power station in the UK for a generation at Hinkley Point C. Nigel Cann, Hinkley Point C’s Construction Director and Chris Claydon, Chief Executive Officer at the ECITB jointly signed the charter at the Hinkley Point C site in December. The Skills Charter recognises EDF Energy’s commitment to skills development to ensure the long-term competence and training of its workforce. It underpins EDF Energy and ECITB’s promise to develop new talent for the future of the nuclear industry in the UK and to help close a national skills gap. As part of its collaboration with the ECITB, EDF Energy is also working on a number of other initiatives with the board, including the accreditation of courses in advanced behavioural training for leaders and additional technical training and support. EDF Energy works collaboratively with a range of industry training boards through an innovative Employee Affairs Unit which ensures its workforce benefits from the best possible training and skills development.

Shining a Spotlight on Excellence in Skills for Nuclear

EDF Energy strengthens commitment to nuclear skills

l-r David Vineall from award sponsor NDA, UK Nuclear Apprentice of the Year Grace Draper, and host Simon Reeve

Nuclear regulator appoints new Chief Nuclear Inspector

26 — SPRING | 2016

New Build Group Thursday 14 April 2016 The next new build group meeting will take place at the MacMillan Theatre at Bridgwater College in Somerset on 14 April. The agenda focuses on the UK’s three new build developers with an array of other presentations on cyber-security, SMRs and the invaluable taster session devised for new members to ‘sell themselves’ to the group.

Contact rupert.lewis@niauk.org for more information.

Legal and Financial Affairs Group Tuesday 10 May 2016 The next meeting of the Legal and Finance Affairs working group will take place at Shearman & Sterling in London on Tuesday 10 May. Whilst the agenda is still being worked on it is likely to include important updates on EU policy, including the impact of Brexit; and presentations on the new nuclear build projects and international nuclear financing. There will also be presentations on other topical issues.

Contact peter.haslam@niauk.org for more information.

Decommissioning and Existing Generation GroupThursday 23 June 2016 The next meeting of the Decommissiong and Existing Generation group will take place at Arup's London office in June, on the same day as the NIA Summer Reception. The meeting will focus on opportunities within the decommissioning sector, speakers include John Clarke, CEO of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and representatives from Arup, Atkins and Costain.

Contact rachel.dowling@niauk.org for more information.

Nuclear Industry Association Summer Reception Thursday 23 June 2016 The annual NIA Summer Reception will be held in London on 23 June. Details of the venue and timings for the event will be announced shortly.

Contact veronica.lekavicius@niauk.org for more information.

Nuclear 2016 Thursday 1 December 2016 The Nuclear Industry Association will hold it's 16th annual conference in December. The event will cover all aspects of the nuclear sector from new build to decommissioning, focusing on specific areas of the industry including regulation, skills, public opinion and the political landscape.

For sponsorship and exhibition opportunities contact veronica.lekavicius@niauk.org, for more information on the programme contact sara.crane@niauk.org.

Nuclear Industry Annual Dinner Thursday 1 December 2016 The Nuclear Industry Annual Dinner is the premier event for the nuclear industry in the UK, bringing together key players from across the UK nuclear industry, political scene and academia. The dinner follows on from the Nuclear 2016 conference and exhibition which takes place earlier in the day and offers the chance to relax and meet friends and colleagues after an interesting and insightful day of presentations and events.

Contact veronica.lekavicius@niauk.org for more information.

2016 | SPRING — 27

GARETH DAVIES Davies Nuclear Associates Chair Decommissioning and Existing Generation Group gareth.davies@daviesnuclear.co.uk

At the beginning of March, the NIA’s Decommissioning and Existing Generation Group (DG) held its 59th meeting at the Birchwood Centre in Warrington. Our thanks must go to the hosts, Amec Foster Wheeler, and to James Fisher Nuclear who sponsored the ‘ice-breaker’ reception and lunch, as well as Turnell & Odell who sponsored the coffee breaks. It was first DG meeting of 2016 and more than 100 members registered to hear an excellent line up of speakers from Amec Foster Wheeler, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield Limited, James Fisher Nuclear, Kurion, GRAHAM Construction, Turner & Odell, Waldeck, Exova, Nuvia, National Nuclear Laboratory, and PacTec EPS Ltd. All presentations are available on the member side of the website – www.niauk.org. Themes for the day spanned commercial opportunities, nuclear waste, and the transition from operational to decommissioning. John Idris Jones from Magnox gave an insightful presentation sprinkled with anecdotes, on the closure of Wylfa and its history. John has been very supportive of the NIA and the DG over the years, and we wish him all the very best in his retirement. We were also very pleased to welcome the NIA’s new Chief Executive, Tom Greatrex who introduced himself to the group and briefly set out his vision for the role of the NIA in this resurgent sector. The NDA is an important participant in the DG, and Sam Dancy presented an overview of the NDA strategy, the importance NDA place on the supply chain for delivering the NDA mission, which is reflected in both the NDA’s strategy and approach to risk management, and a forward and current look at supply chain

spend before engaging the audience in a Q & A session. We look forward to hearing more from the NDA at future meetings. Sam’s presentation ‘The Value of Decommissioning’ is available on the NIA website and is well worth looking at. The night before, the ice-breaker reception was followed by the now familiar pay-your-own-way dinner, this time held at the Park Royal Hotel, which was at capacity with 50 DG attendees. It was a very good evening, with plenty of opportunity to catch up and make new contacts in a more informal setting. Whilst known as the DG, its remit actually covers waste and existing generation, as well as decommissioning, so over the next year we intend to cover all these areas. Plans for the next meetings are already underway, with a meeting at Arup in London on 23 June to coincide with the NIA Summer Reception. The final DG meeting of the year will take place in Oxford, hosted by Oxford Technologies Ltd, and will be held the same day as the Nuclear Institute Central Branch Dinner – details to follow. The DG is free and open to all NIA members. It meets three times a year across the UK. If you would like to sponsor, host or participate in a future meeting, or would be interested in hearing about a specific matter or company, then please contact rachel.dowling@niauk.org or myself.

Decommissioning and Existing Generation Group

This year Sellafield Ltd is going from strength to strength with a series of announcements including its “most significant stride ever”. Across its 100 year decommissioning mission there will be countless more to come but in March, workers removed the entire bulk of historic nuclear fuel from the Pile Fuel Storage Pond. Cutting the amount of radioactivity at the 68 year old pond by 70%. The pond is part of Sellafield’s history as the base for the development of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, and was used to cool nuclear fuel rods after they had been burned to create weapons grade material. It also played a significant role during the 1957 Windscale fire. According to Sellafield Ltd the “rods pushed through the core of the reactor by brave workers battling the blaze were later transferred to the pond for storage.” The decommissioning and demolishing programme for the pond

is now 21 years ahead of the original schedule date, with dewatering due to take place in 2019. Sellafield is also saving money with a new ‘f latpack’ approach to buying cranes. The new procurement model means it no longer has to buy one-off bespoke cranes which will speed up decommissioning and save £53 million for the taxpayer. Outlining the new approach, Robert Astall, Commercial Director said “Using category management principles, we have have developed one standard crane for the two major requirements on site (in cell and out cell) with nine possible variations. “That means we can provide timely and cost-effective cranes to support the Sellafield mission, accelerating progress... while saving millions of pounds.” Another project, which on the face of it sounds counter intuitive, has seen Sellafield build a new chimney so an old one can be knocked down.

The completion of its Separation Area Ventilation (SAV) project paves the way for the demolition of a stack on top of one of the site’s reprocessing plants. The ‘build it up to knock it down’ is a key element of the NDA’s programme of work and often new buildings have to be constructed to support the demolition of existing buildings. These announcements came as Sellafield Ltd completed its transition to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). Arrangements which have been developed to achieve more efficient and accelerated delivery of the overall decommissioning strategy. Commenting on the new structure, NDA CEO, John Clarke said: “Without a commercially driven contract, the NDA and Sellafield Ltd will be working to exactly the same goal, safely delivering the mission as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Already a year of progress at Sellafield

28 — SPRING | 2016

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2016 | SPRING — 29

“UNLESS WE TAKE URGENT ACTION TO BUILD NEW LOW CARBON GENERATING PLANT VERY SOON THE POSITION

COULD RAPIDLY BECOME VERY SERIOUS INDEED.”

PETER HASLAM Head of Policy, NIA peter.haslam@niauk.org

The big news since my last column is that the 21st annual UN Climate Change conference (COP21) in Paris resulted in an agreement to limit global temperature increases to well below 2oC, with an aim of keeping them below 1.5oC. In addition there is a long term goal to achieve net zero emissions by the end of the century. France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius hailed the agreement as an ‘historic turning point’, and UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon described it as ‘a monumental triumph for people and our planet’. Others called it ‘transformative’ and ‘momentous’. Whilst this might be slightly hyperbolic, it was no mean achievement to get 195 countries to agree to set themselves 2030 targets, and subsequently to review them every five years. And whilst sceptics might criticize the lack of binding agreements or enforcement measures, the important point is that a course has now been set, and both China and the US are on board. It is also important for the nuclear industry, not least because a significant new nuclear contribution will be crucial if the world is to make the necessary decisive shift to a low carbon world. In this context the Committee on Climate Change has written to Amber Rudd repeating its recommendation that the UK’s fifth carbon budget (for the period 2028-2032) should be legislated at 1,765 MtCO2e, limiting annual emissions to an average of 57% below 1990 levels.

Significantly the letter also notes that new policies and plans will be needed to achieve this, including extending the LCF beyond 2020 and the awarding of contracts to low carbon generators. Of course the other key reason for getting on with new nuclear is the need for energy security as our existing nuclear plant come off the bars and polluting coal plant are shut down. This has recently been brought into even greater focus by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in its report ‘Engineering the UK Electricity Gap’ which suggests the UK could face a 40-55% electricity supply gap by 2025 when all the coal plants are closed. The fact is that since 2010, 31 power stations have closed – that’s 30% of the UK’s electricity generating capacity. By the end of 2030 a further 35% of that capacity will close, including all but one of our current nuclear power stations. Unless we take urgent action to build new low carbon generating plant very soon the position could rapidly become very serious indeed. Which brings me to Hinkley Point C. Over the past few weeks there has been acres of newsprint, much of it uninformed. All I would say is that despite all the apparent obstacles – and there seems to be a new one everyday – I still believe we shall before too long see the go-ahead. Given the scale of the project, and the finance involved, it was never going to be easy. But as was made clear at last month’s Anglo French summit, EDF

Group and the Governments of France and the UK are all fully committed to the project, and a way to move forward will be found. In this context much has been made about questions of costs to the consumer. However any new infrastructure costs money, and Hinkley’s agreed price of power is lower than many other low carbon projects agreed with government, and there is no guarantee that wholesale prices will continue on the current down- wards trajectory for the next 60 years. Finally it would be remiss of me to end this column without a reference to the political issue of the moment: the vexed question of whether the UK should leave the European Union. No, I am not going to come out as a ‘Brexiteer’, and given the experience of the British Chambers of Commerce Director General, it might be unwise to do so. Ultimately this is a matter for the electorate, and in their consideration energy is unlikely to be a main concern. Their decision will however be of major importance for the nuclear industry, and we will be following the argument very closely.

PowerPolitics

OPINION

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