SPECIAL REPORT | THE DIGITAL SHIFT
The digital shift: Modernising nuclear
Digital technologies like automation, intelligent software, and data analytics are key tools for nuclear power companies that want to remain competitive and ensure long-term viability. Digital transformation is a must.
By Karine King, Sales Engineering Associate Director at Accuris
THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY IS AT a crossroads, grappling with the challenge of modernising decades-old infrastructure and developing new reactor technologies – all while ensuring safety, efficiency and sustainability. Many nuclear power plants still rely on paper-based records, manual processes and legacy systems. At the same time, an aging workforce puts many companies at risk of losing valuable institutional knowledge. However, the shift towards digital power is transforming these outdated methods and allowing more effective knowledge retention and transfer too. For nuclear power companies that want to remain
competitive and ensure long-term viability, digital transformation is a must. Digital technologies like automation, intelligent software, and data analytics can help organisations in the nuclear power industry increase efficiency, control costs and foster innovation – securing their spot in the evolving energy landscape. Embracing digital workflows can modernise operations,
enhance safety and improve efficiency in an increasingly complex regulatory and technical landscape. The adoption of digital power plants is revolutionising the industry by
integrating advanced technologies to enhance operations and safety. There are several key opportunities for digital transformation in the nuclear power industry.
Digital twins A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical system that continuously receives real-time data to simulate, analyse, and optimise operations. In the nuclear power industry, digital twins provide a dynamic, data-driven model of a reactor, enabling engineers to model operations, maintenance strategies, control systems, and failure scenarios– without making real-world modifications. While digital twins are actively being tested and deployed, projects like one conducted by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are exploring how they can further support autonomous reactor control by using machine learning (ML) and predictive analytics. INL’s establishment of the Digital Innovation Center of Excellence (DICE) is a strong indicator that digital twin technology is transitioning from research to real world application in the nuclear industry.
Above: Purdue University Reactor Number One (PUR-1) has been licensed as the first entirely digital instrumentation and control system in the US
44 | April 2025 |
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