A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP | NUCLEAR NEW BUILD
Above: By the time Hinkley Point C begins operation, it will have been three decades since the UK last commissioned a nuclear power plant
The nuclear pipeline The cascade effect in developing large-scale complex energy infrastructure is powerful – for example, looking at the generation of AGRs that are now starting to be taken offline in the UK, it took 20 years for the first AGR plant, Dungeness B, to be built and put into operation, while the last, Torness, took just eight. We can expect a similar outcome for EPR plants in the UK, but only if we can commit to a pipeline. We can already see the effect of learning from one
project being applied to another. For example, HPC will benefit from the best vessels ever made, owing to lessons learned from the development of components for Flamanville 3. In fact, HPC will also benefit from a range of efficiencies generated at Taishan – it is being built with just a third of the staff and is only around a month behind the progress of its Chinese counterpart, despite a lengthy stoppage due to COVID, tighter regulations, and a less accessible site. Lessons learned in the development of HPC Unit 1 are
being carried over to HPC Unit 2, with the replication effect leading to a 25% gain in construction speed, saving thousands of hours in labour time. This in turn will benefit Sizewell C. The question is, ‘What comes after that?’ By the time Hinkley Point C begins operation, it will
have been three decades since the UK last commissioned a nuclear power plant. Those thirty plus years represent a period in which Britain’s nuclear new build supply chain dissolved – and a generation of skilled engineers was lost to other industries. We are at the early stage of rebuilding an industry and
need investment in all nuclear skills, but for the private sector to commit to this, it needs certainty and confidence in the market. This is where a clear pipeline of projects comes into play. A company involved in the manufacture of nuclear components for example, will only seek to scale-up operations if there is obvious demand to match supply. The historic memorandum signed between Britain and
France and the establishment of Great British Nuclear provide the positive signals that companies need to make a commitment to supplying the nuclear sector through investment, personnel, components and equipment or consultancy, but a clear pipeline will help companies to make that decision.
Careers for life
The development of a new nuclear fleet will create thousands of high-quality jobs, many of which will be found in less economically active regions of the UK. According to the World Nuclear Association, every gigawatt of new nuclear capacity installed requires around 1500 people. With plans to deploy 24 GW over the coming decades there is a fantastic opportunity for the next generation of the workforce to secure careers in nuclear, working on projects in the UK, France and beyond. The nuclear supply-chain will not only be seeking new engineers, but project management specialists, digital experts, and a range of supportive disciplines such as HR, finance, sales, marketing and legal. The next generation of nuclear professionals have a truly exciting array of options ahead of them, taking on careers in an interesting and varied sector that sits on the cutting-edge of technology development and at the heart of global decarbonisation efforts.
By joining the burgeoning Franco-British nuclear talent
pool, our future colleagues will unlock opportunities to work on innovative projects in Western Europe and, eventually, around the world. France’s nuclear alliance has seen several EU states declare their renewed interest in civil nuclear, providing the potential to expand Europe’s EPR pipeline beyond the fringes of the Atlantic. Countries further abroad, such as India and Kazakhstan, are also giving serious consideration to deploying this technology. With a UK industry commitment to achieving 40% of
nuclear sector roles filled by women by 2030, we will also capitalise on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to enable women to secure their stake in delivering the energy transition through new nuclear projects.
A special relationship Britain and France may have experienced a turbulent few years recently, but with mature leadership, together our two governments have the ability to galvanise the nuclear sector and secure long-term prosperity for both our nations. This will be of immense benefit to British and French people through the provision of abundant high-quality skilled jobs, stable and secure low-carbon energy, and broader economic boosts across both countries. Vouloir, c’est pouvoir. ■
www.neimagazine.com | May 2023 | 21
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