IT AND DIGITAL DEVELOPMENTS | EMBRACING TRANSFORMATION
Nuclear future: the power lies in digital transformation
Without the benefits of digital technologies – reduced costs, improved efficiency and increased safety and sustainability – the sector won’t be able to realise its true potential. What are the barriers that are stalling digital progress in nuclear?
By: Sam Stephens, Head of Digital, Nuclear at SNC-Lavalin and Atkins
FULLY DECARBONISING THE ENERGY SYSTEM will require a massive increase in new carbon-free electricity generation to be built each year. In the UK, for example, the net zero target date is 2035 that means up to 16 GW of new generating assets must be built each year, every year. It’s an unprecedented feat and equal to what was built in the five years between 2017 and 2021. Collectively, it is the equivalent of building the UK’s entire energy system twice over, in a little more than a decade. Nuclear has been identified as a crucial player in achieving net zero, however we now need to find ways to not only increase the pace of new build developments but also extend the useful life of existing plants. The answer lies with digital transformation. Digital can
make a difference at every point of the nuclear lifecycle, and so it’s imperative we embrace these tools and the benefits they bring. But several barriers stand in the way, many of which involve changing attitudes.
Focus on ROI, not upfront cost Take business models, for example. The adoption of digital tools requires an upfront cost, which could lead to a perception that digital is expensive. But that’s absolutely not the reality. Common commercial models often don’t recognise the benefits of digital; so they need to be viewed through a longer-term lens. If a digital twin strategy is developed and implemented during the design phase of a nuclear power plant, for instance, the data can also be harnessed throughout the decades-long operational, maintenance and decommissioning phases. Likewise, investing in robotic systems to sort and segregate radioactive items is far more cost effective if the purchase occurs sooner rather than later. This approach allows operators to get the maximum value from their digital investment by getting the most use from the system.
Above: It’s not necessarily digital technologies that are risky, it’s the people operating them 24 | June 2023 |
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