NUCLEAR APPLICATION
Paterson agrees, adding, “There are countries like Denmark who have mostly been against nuclear that are now a bit more open to the concept. The Nordics have also been good at backing what could be done for nuclear too, but in Sweden and Finland I can see a lot of potential happening there in the next five to 10 years.”
New developments reflect this optimism. In the UK, nuclear energy is now seen as essential to meeting net-zero goals and ensuring long- term energy stability. The government has backed new-build projects such as Sizewell C and has launched Great British Nuclear (GBN), an initiative aimed at streamlining project delivery and encouraging private investment. In addition to Sizewell C in the UK, European nations are embracing innovation through waste management, SMRs and advanced reactor designs. In Finland, they are in the process of opening Onkalo, a permanent storage site for nuclear waste located near the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. “This is interesting – a world first actually,” says Brutin. “One of the key questions related to nuclear is ‘what happens with the waste in the long term?’” Finland’s “ambitious” answer to this is the world’s first underground storage site for nuclear waste, which is 433m below sea level and aims to store waste for 100,000 years. “It was really a fantastic thing to visit and
The non-operational Dungeness B nuclear power station on the southern coast of England.
proves that in Europe we’re able to do fantastic things.”
Something that’s currently being developed is small nuclear reactors (SMRs), which would serve a more local purpose, Brutin explains, such as providing heating or electricity to a factory or district. The Oklo–Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) partnership, announced in May, highlights this international momentum around compact, efficient reactor designs. In the UK, two new Generic Design Assessments (GDAs) have started on the Holtec International SMR-300 and GE Hitachi BWRX-300 designs, alongside the progress of the Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) GDA through Step 2 of the regulatory assessment.
Limited lifetimes Despite its low-carbon credentials and promise of long-term stability, nuclear energy faces significant hurdles. Across the EU, cost overruns, long construction timelines, and regulatory hurdles have hampered progress. For example, Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 reactor was delayed by more than a decade and significantly over budget. In the UK, delays at Hinkley Point C have raised concerns over rising costs, safety and potential environmental impact. Meanwhile, the legacy of older plants brings logistical and financial challenges around decommissioning, where the hoisting industry has an increasingly
central role. Companies like NKM Noell, which provides advanced hoist systems for nuclear environments, have long operated at the forefront of this industry. Its systems are designed to function reliably in harsh conditions, offering remote operation, enhanced safety protocols, and ultra-precise handling capabilities. There are multiple plants across Europe
that require refurbishment, explains Paterson. Components, such as the reactor pressure vessel head, which creates the pressure seal, is replaced periodically. “Outside the nuclear islands, there will be multiple things happening in the turbine island, which would require a lot of complex lifting during long-term operation refurbishment works.”
As Brutin emphasises, a lot of time and investment goes into building these plants, so it makes sense to extend the lifetime of a plant where possible. “At the beginning when they were designed, we saw they would operate for 40 years. Now, the lifetime for most power plants is being extended to 60 years. There are already discussions about maintaining them for up to 80 years.”
However, once the nuclear plants lifetime is reached, it is important to start the decommissioning process, Brutin continues. “This in itself is going to be a time-consuming process because you basically need to wait for the radiation levels to go down before you decommission some of the parts.”
16 | August 2025 |
www.hoistmagazine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79
