Memorandum from Nexia Solutions Ltd
1. Nexia Solutions Ltd has extensive experience
and understanding of the science and technology underpinning delivery
of the UK Civil Nuclear Industry. Other than the design and manufacture
of nuclear warheads, virtually all the nuclear skills needed to
support the UK's Strategic Deterrent are also found in the civil
nuclear sector in the UK.
2. A key area is expertise in nuclear reactor
design and operation. This exists in the civil nuclear sector
although substantial experience is vested in relatively few individuals
on water reactor systems and many more on gas-cooled systems.
If the UK proceeds with replacement of its ageing nuclear capacity
with advanced Light Water Reactors there will be a demand for
expertise to support vendor selection and licensing. These skills
are highly relevant to the submarine programme and new build in
the civil sector will stretch the existing skills base by diverting
resources from one sector to another. We therefore perceive a
need to increase the overall skills base for the benefit of both
civil and defence sectors.
3. Other areas where there are strong technical
synergies with the civil nuclear area include:
Post Irradiation Examination of nuclear materials
Processing of fissile materials, including treatment
of residues
Treatment, packaging or encapsulation of wastes
Long term storage of irradiated fuel,
Disposal of low level waste
Assessment/survey of condition of radioactive materials,
equipment & buildings (including nuclear reactors)
Decontamination & decommissioning of nuclear
facilities
Treatment of radioactive effluents (gases & liquids)
Management of nuclear criticality safety
Management of radiological safety
4. Nexia Solutions is aware that the numbers
of technologists and R&D facilities has markedly declined
over the last 20 years. Our conclusion is that the current level
of R&D programmes is sufficient to maintain a UK capability.
Further reductions could compromise skills availability, which
would take a long time to rebuild.
5. We continue to focus on a number of vulnerable
skills, mainly in the area of reactor physics. Nexia Solutions
builds and maintains skills in all of these areas in order to
serve its customers, primarily in the civil nuclear sector. Such
skills maintenance relies heavily upon undertaking R&D projects
which have a prime aim to deliver workable solutions within the
nuclear industry. A major part of skills development is through
our continued recruitment of people with appropriate academic
disciplines and giving on-the-job training through embedding in
technical teams with support provided through in-house and external
training
6. Working with the Nuclear Decommissioning
Authority (NDA), we have put in place a strategy to work with
a number of key university departments where placement of selected
R&D encourages the training of engineers and scientists with
appropriate nuclear expertise through Master and Doctorate programmes.
7. In parallel with development of skills,
we have also developed a strategy with the NDA to maintain key
nuclear research facilities—including highly active cells
to handle highly radioactive materials and glovebox facilities
to handle plutonium and other highly radio-toxic materials. Some
of the highly active cell facilities are regarded as vital to
support the nuclear submarine fleet by providing means to investigate
unforeseen reactor problems and their ability to handle highly
radioactive components. One particular facility is ageing and
likely to need capital investment to maintain its availability.
8. The Department of Trade and Industry
is investigating the need for a National Nuclear Laboratory in
order to maintain the skills and capability base in nuclear research.
The first phase of this project has concluded with the statement
included in "The Energy Challenge", the Government's
report on the Energy Review, released on 11 July this year:
"UK Research and Development capability
will be critical to the nuclear clean-up programme going forward
and may also become important to support other strategic initiatives
such as new nuclear build in the future. While the market should
provide much of the nuclear R&D that will be needed, Government
will want to ensure in any transitional period that current key
R&D capabilities are preserved and developed, potentially
as part of a National Nuclear Laboratory".
These messages were reinforced by Alistair Darling
during a visit to Cumbria on 14 July.
Nexia Solutions looks forward to playing its
part in the formation of the National Nuclear Laboratory and providing
a valuable contribution to the nuclear skills in the UK.
2 October 2006
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