Feature NUVIA THE
INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF R&D IN THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
T
he decommissioning of our current nuclear facilities, managed by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), is both challenging and costly. The current expenditure is c. £3bn per year, and this level of funding has been approved by the UK Government for the next four years. During this period, we will also see development of new nuclear power stations.
To ensure the future success of nuclear power it is essential that both the decommissioning of our historical nuclear plant and the design and build of new nuclear power stations are completed safely and as cost-effectively as possible. To achieve this aim we must develop new innovative technologies to accelerate and deliver the clean-up programmes, design new plant such that it is easy to decommission in the future, and ensure that we have the necessary skilled and experienced resource through appropriate training, succession planning and knowledge transfer.
In 2008 the Research Councils UK (RCUK) initiated DIAMOND – Decommissioning, Immobilisation and Management of Nuclear Wastes for Disposal – involving Imperial College, the University of Leeds, Loughborough University, the University of Manchester, the University of Sheffield and UCL, and investing £4.27m over four years. DIAMOND’s aim is to carry out internationally leading science and engineering in the field of nuclear waste and decommissioning. A critical element of this work is to train the next generation of scientists and engineers with relevant skills and expertise.
38 NuclearCONNECT
More recently the Technology Strategy Board, the NDA, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change announced that they are to invest up to £15m in feasibility projects, collaborative research and development and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships to stimulate innovation in the civil nuclear power sector and to strengthen its UK supply chain (see page 36).
Since 2008, Nuvia has been investing each year in nuclear research and development projects. A number of these projects relate to the treatment and storage of nuclear wastes. For example, in response to the increasing need for interim storage of intermediate-level waste, Nuvia has developed ModuCube™ as an innovative, safe and cost-effective solution which can accommodate a variety of containers while being optimally designed to be rugged and lightweight. Initially ModuCube™ has been designed to accommodate the current standard Radioactive Waste Management Directorate (RWMD) containers, since these are already approved for final disposal. Essentially the ModuCube™ mini-store is composed of six panels which provide 150mm of carbon steel shielding around the RWMD containers (further details can be found in ‘Nuclear Future’, Volume 8, Issue 2).
At Sellafield the Silos Direct encapsulation Plant (SDP) is an example of a plant which will be constructed to treat legacy waste with high radioactivity levels and wide- ranging characteristics. This is a complex engineering challenge to meet the requirement for a 30-year life with no man
access. As part of a contract with Sellafield Limited, Nuvia has procured and installed a full-size prototype of a tipping machine to validate the engineering process of a key element of the SDP plant process. This type of development work is essential to give confidence that the facility will operate effectively for the duration of its lifespan.
Nuvia has also been investing heavily in training. In the South of France the Nuvia Academy has been established, which provides a training facility for operators of powered remote manipulators. Training courses in both French and English are being developed, along with courses on project management, commercial management, and supervisory management.
In summary, to ensure that nuclear power plays a key role in the provision of the UK’s future energy requirements, the nuclear industry will need to continue to invest heavily in research and development. There needs to be investment in new innovative technologies for decommissioning, and in training the next generation of engineers and scientists to meet the challenges of decommissioning and new build.
For further information please contact: Jennie Osborne, Corporate Communications Manager
Nuvia Limited Kelburn Court, Daten Park, Risley, Warrington, WA3 6TW Tel: 01925 858250 Mob: 07545 300912
Email:
jennie.osborne@nuvia.co.uk www.nuvia.co.uk
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