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Nuclear in a digital worldEmbrace digital technologies: drive efficiencies, improve safety and lower costs

September 2019

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Nuclear in a digital world

Sam StephensChief EngineerNote from the editor

Across industries, digital is becoming the defining buzzword that everyone can understand but few really know what it means for them and their businesses. This is true also for much of the nuclear sector, which is often seen as highly safety conscious but slow to adopt new technologies. At Atkins, we pride ourselves on trying to do things differently and challenge the status quo. In this respect, finding ways to use digital approaches to help accelerate the change in the industry is a challenge we relish. Nuclear in a digital world aims to shed some light on what digital means to us and some of the ways we are delivering innovative solutions to a wide range of problems across the sector. A theme that runs through them all is the potential to take safety on sites to the next level, deliver programmes of work ahead of schedule and on budget. Looking forward we don’t see digital being a choice, it will be fundamental to how we deliver low-carbon energy in a sustainable way.

Sam StephensSam leads the digital transformation of SNC-Lavalin’s Nuclear business and sits on its Nuclear Technology Directorate. Sam’s role is to accelerate the adoption of

digital technologies across SNC-Lavalin’s client base and incubate new digital solutions to address current and emerging challenges.

Sam is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, with 15 years’ experience working across the UK nuclear sector in defence, decommissioning and power generation. His technical specialism is in seismic and counter terrorism measures engineering design, leading and delivering major projects and programmes of multi-disciplinary technical work.

Experience more – Follow the QR codes throughout this publication using a QR code reader app or camera app (iOS only) to experience more of our digital content.

Explore a nuclear reactor here >>

View the Darlington reactor face here >>

Authors Adam Bliss Adam is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer who joined Atkins/SNC-L as a graduate in 2010. He has worked on waste retrieval,

handling and packaging projects across the UK nuclear decommissioning market, from developing initial concepts to detailed design and delivery on site. Adam heads the Mechanical Engineering group within our Nuclear Fuel Cycle business and leads design teams across our projects. He has expertise in mechanical handling, machine design, and digital design technology.

Iain McInallyIain joined Atkins Nuclear Fuel Cycle business situated in the Westlakes office last September. As a graduate mechanical engineer

with Atkins he has been involved in a number of nuclear decommissioning projects for Sellafield Ltd. He is highly interested in mechanical analysis, design, manufacture and digital engineering.

Sarah Easthope Sarah has over 10 years’ experience as a consultant in the Energy and Defence sectors, working on and leading multi-disciplinary engineering

projects. Sarah is the Digital Market Lead for the Power Generating Assets businesses, working to deliver benefits through innovation for a range of Energy clients and mobilise digital techniques as part of Atkins’ normal business. She is also a Workstream Lead for Atkins’ work with EDF Energy Nuclear Generation with a recent focus on the Graphite programme.

Neil Thompson Neil’s career has been defined by integrating technologies and process into a wide range of businesses in the industry. Neil is a member

of the Infrastructure Client Group’s Future Leader Group (Project 13) and a newly selected member of the Cambridge Centre of Digital Built Britain’s Digital Framework Task Group. He is a member of the IET’s Built Environment Executive, an honorary research associate at The Bartlett, UCL and co-founder & CEO of dotBuiltEnvironment (a network that promotes digital adoption across the built environment). Neil is a Chartered Construction Manager (CIOB) and a Member of the IET, he also chairs the IET’s Digital Built Environment group.

Daniel KeelingDaniel joined Atkins as a Physicist in 2014 and has since worked in some of the most exciting and innovative projects in Atkins’ nuclear business.

As Digital Lead for the Power New Build market Daniel works to connect clients with our in-house digital engineering capability, from Virtual Reality to Drone technology.

Rhys DaviesRhys is the Global Consulting Leader for Asset Management at Atkins. He supports business units across the SNC-Lavalin group in

delivering value for clients and developing their Asset Management capabilities.

Rhys is the Chair of ISO/TC251 leading 32 countries in developing International Standards for Asset Management including the ISO55000 series. Rhys is a member of the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) and has been involved in a variety of roles including Board (2014 – 2016) and IAM Council previous to that. He is currently the Atkins representative at the IAM UK Patrons Group.

Ian BuffeyIan has worked with ICS (SCADA and DCS) for over 30 years, specialising in security since 2004. He has a record of successful delivery on complex

systems controlling the Critical National Infrastructure in a variety of countries worldwide. He has seen many changes in the ICS arena and a key focus area now is how the security and resilience of systems is affected by the introduction of distributed resources including cloud.

Julianne Antrobus Julianne is SNC-Lavalin’s Nuclear Products and Technology Director and oversees the delivery and development of an extensive portfolio

of products and technology. Julianne has over 20 years experience working in the nuclear industry, almost a decade of which has been working with Atkins nuclear business in key strategy and business development roles.

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Nuclear in a digital world

Sam StephensChief Engineer

Digital: delivering value across the nuclear lifecycleThe nuclear sector is embracing rapid advances in technology. We’re using new tools and approaches to drive down costs and speed up delivery, and to solve decades-old engineering challenges explains Sam Stephens.

Technology is changing the way we design, build and manage our infrastructure and assets but sometimes it’s hard to know where to start your journey towards digital transformation. Most of our clients’ assets were designed on drawing boards or perhaps in 2D CAD decades ago, and we can cause problems, rather than address them, if we fail to start a new design without an accurate view of the current configuration.

The consequences of this can range from minor errors that emerge when a project is onsite through to more serious project cost, programme or even safety concerns. Over the past five years, a range of digital solutions have matured and can help us address this issue, as well as unlock significant benefits later in the asset lifecycle.

Drawing on data during designOur experience has shown that reality capture, which includes the use of satellite data, 3D laser scanning, photogrammetry and unmanned aerial vehicles, can act as a catalyst for a range of innovative approaches. For example, by starting with accurate 3D laser scan data, we can design directly in the point cloud and create digital designs from the outset. To support delivery in this way, we’re progressively upskilling our engineers to leverage digital tools across the workflow. We use our own staff to gather data on sites to ensure we get the right information to deliver the job and drive innovation throughout the project.

For larger areas, a team of drone pilots can conduct land surveys with the accuracy required to design major infrastructure projects. Delivering the quality assured accuracy required for such projects requires more than just new technology; we integrate it with deep understanding of survey techniques using traditional approaches. With this experience we can deliver high quality engineering as well as detailed imagery to impress project stakeholders.

If we take the time to gather this data at the beginning of the project a plethora of benefits will follow.

Digital deliveryIf we have certainty over the existing site conditions, we can fabricate and test equipment off site and then install it ahead of schedule. No re-work or modification will be required. By making use of virtual reality, we can mark out new pipe and cable routes on a virtual twin of the site and then transpose them directly into design software. On decommissioning jobs, the data from scans can be used to define the baseline for contractors to price against and a 3D application-based environment can be set up to host all the information tenderers need to provide their quote for a job.

If a digital approach is adopted from the outset, it can continue to add value through the construction and operation phases. Connected workers and augmented reality promise to benefit site delivery, but the true value of them will not be realised unless a digital mindset is adopted across the project.

Another focus is enabling better asset management throughout the operational life – recognising only 20% of the total project cost is spent on building assets - the rest is spent on operating and maintaining them. Digital asset management strategies that draw on best practice from international standards such as ISO 55000 can help reduce the overhead burden of operating and maintaining assets through their life. By establishing a clear digital foundation for information at the start of the project, this can then unlock more efficient methods of managing information, establish a clearer baseline for condition monitoring and provide structure to support advances in analytics and artificial intelligence to move from reactive to predictive maintenance.

Learning to inform future projectsTo ride the wave of digitalisation we are seeing across industries and maximise these opportunities, we’ll need to adopt a new mindset and developing new capabilities. We need to ensure we’re combining new skills, for example, in coding, game and software design with more traditional engineering expertise to offer our clients greater insight into their projects throughout their lifecycle. We should also assess how learning by doing, integrating value chains and adopting digital technologies are driving down costs and improving performance in other sectors, such as advanced manufacturing or within tech startups. Lean approaches are commonplace in both and to integrate them into the nuclear sector a bottom-up approach is required – retrofitting is unlikely to be successful.

We’re connecting people, technology and data, learn more here >>

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Adam BlissSenior Mechanical Engineer

Nuclear in a digital world

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Back to the drawing board: we celebrate 25 years at SellafieldIt’s been 25 years since our team started work at Sellafield. Adam Bliss and Iain McInally have been speaking to colleagues to find out what’s changed over the past two decades, and what remains the same.

In 1994, Sellafield’s 100-year-plus decommissioning programme was in its very earliest days. The site’s oldest facilities were at the end of their operational lives and the long process of cleaning up and dismantling them had just begun. WS Atkins (as we were known then) had a 30-strong office in West Cumbria. We were located on a newly developed science park less than 10 miles from the Sellafield site.

Our engineers worked with the newly-introduced 2D CAD drawing software, using the latest technology. Everything else was paper-based. Initial calculations were done by hand, drawings were checked on drawing boards as not everyone had a computer, and the fax machine was always busy. During site visits, we would take dimensions with a tape measure and levelling tool, and if we missed any of the detail we would have to return to the site. Nigel Thornton, who led the team in Whitehaven then, remembers, ‘Survey techniques were very different 25 years ago. There was no scanning or VR, no handheld devices, and no digital photographs. We used our eyes, a tape measure, a note book and a 35mm roll of film. Photos of the site could only be viewed after they had been developed by the local chemist!’

Fast-forward to now and SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business in the region is a multidisciplinary, multi-sector team with more than 100 people working on a diverse range of projects across the Sellafield estate and within the wider nuclear industry. We’re based in a brand-new office building, Rutherford House, on the same science park. But this office is now a recognised centre of excellence for digital engineering. The drawing boards have been replaced with dual monitors and laptops, hand written calculations are performed on specialist software and finite element analysis packages. Site visits now consist of a single trip, where the environment is digitally captured with 3D laser

scanners and replicated within building information modelling (BIM) software.

We have a dedicated virtual reality (VR) suite, where we invite our clients to navigate scanned-in models of hazardous nuclear facilities from the safety of our meeting room. Designs requiring fabrication are also entirely modelled in 3D. Manufacturing information is built-in to the model, using Model Based Definition and a 3D printer allows us to rapidly prototype iterations of designs to use as visual aids for clients and colleagues, and to check fit on-site.

But what difference has this made? These new technologies are helping us:

Drive greater efficiencyWe’re navigating a congested and hard-to-access site and identifying innovative ways to mitigate the risk of radiological and chemical hazards by replicating the environment and gathering accurate as-built information on the site to aid design and decision making.

Generate cost savingsWe’re now collecting huge amounts of data on our client’s assets with scanning and surveying tools. The collection and manipulation of data, coupled with new products and technology, lead to cost savings through the automation of activities we used to do manually.

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Create a safer siteImmersive technology enables us to reduce the number of site visits and plant walkdowns, while using the latest reality capture techniques such as laser scanning and drone surveys can reduce the need for scaffolding and rope access.

Improve engagement Technology helps us to work more collaboratively with our clients, partners and suppliers and helps them visualise our design and engineering solutions.

Enhance the quality of designWe’re improving the quality of our designs and ensuring we eliminate the need for re-design with a ‘right first time’ approach to project delivery in this highly complex environment.

› Up to 25% savings vs conventional design delivery phases.

› Up to 20% savings at manufacturing procurement.

› Minimise fabrication errors.

› Up to 80% savings at Inspection and Quality Testing,

› Up to 30% installation schedule savings.

› On time, right first time.

And yet, despite the rapid advances in technology, some things haven’t changed. 25 years on, the principles that guide our work remain the same. Our people still have deep technical expertise and an in-depth understanding of our clients’ operating environment, our apprentices are still taught draughtsmanship on drawing boards before adopting 2D and 3D design techniques. Calculations are checked by hand and physical paper check-prints of drawings are still in use. Why? Because our focus on safety, quality and value is a constant and they underpin all our work, whether it’s written by hand or produced in digital space, and regardless of whether it was in 1994 or now.

As Sellafield steadily progresses through its decommissioning plan, we’re looking forward to working with the team to demonstrate our capability and commitment to delivering complex projects safely and on time, just as we have done for more than 25 years.

Learn more about the use of immersive visualisation

at the decommissioning stage here >>

Iain McInallyGraduate Mechanical Engineer

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Sarah EasthopeDigital Market Lead for the Power Generating Assets

Nuclear in a digital world

Seeing is believing: the case for communicating complexity, clearlyWe operate in a highly regulated environment delivering specialised technical solutions. So how do we explain the complexity and importance of our work to colleagues outside the nuclear sector or to members of the public, asks Sarah Easthope.

We often speak of the benefits of technology in terms of project delivery. We can work more efficiently and cost effectively if we have the right digital tools, but recent advances are also transforming the way we communicate details about the work that we do.

For the first time, our stakeholders can see the difference, share the experience or quickly and easily dig deeper into the detail of a solution before investing in it, or at critical points throughout the project lifecycle.

For example, over the past two decades we’ve worked closely with EDF Energy on the seismic modelling of the graphite cores for its nuclear reactors. We’ve built complex models and carried out physical testing but when our client needed to explain the ageing of the cores to a diverse audience, we challenged ourselves to think differently about how to engage a wider audience. As Albert Einstein described in his famous quote: “If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

We knew an innovative approach to communication would offer great benefit, so to support EDF Energy’s Graphite programme we developed an interactive application (app) and animation to convey the scale and layout of a nuclear plant to people outside the industry including government representatives and the public. We explained nuclear power generation, the structure of an advanced gas-cooled reactor, layout and scale of the graphite core and how it ages. Users are able to move around the virtual power station, lower and raise control rods, and ‘shake’ the core to demonstrate that the reactor will continue to operate safely during an earthquake, even one that is larger than has ever been experienced in the UK.

This easy-to-use and creative digital solution has simplified a complex issue and helped people engage in a discussion about the cores, regardless of their level of technical knowledge. The app was downloaded to mobile devices (specialist software was not required), and the animation is available to watch on YouTube or the company’s website.

According to Sue Fletcher, Senior External Communications Manager for EDF Energy Generation, ‘It’s been a hugely helpful tool in our communications kitbag to help non-technical audiences understand what the graphite issue is all about…’

An app is just one of the digital tools being used to bring projects and information to life for our stakeholders. We’re also using 3D visualisations to ‘walk’ people through confined or hard-to-reach environments. As part of our work with EDF Energy, we’re using data from 3D laser scans to build an accurate model of a complicated network of piping and components, which will be used to help business leaders make informed decisions about the management and maintenance of that network. It means stakeholders don’t have to visit the site themselves, which reduces risk. It also saves time because they’re not travelling or reading lengthy reports.

However, one of the most significant benefits of this approach is what it enables in the future. We intend to keep track of any changes to the data over time so we can use the application as an asset management tool. This will help us reduce reliance on historical information and instead use the 3D environment we’ve developed as the single source of truth.

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The speed of technological change means that digital tools such as web-based, phone or tablet applications, 3D modelling or virtual and augmented reality are cost-efficient ways of turning complex subjects into engaging information that demonstrates the importance of our work, and the industry. They draw on the skills and experience that already exists within our teams onsite and can add significant value to a project for a relatively low level of investment.

Watch the video here >>

Technical concepts applicationBackgroundEDF Energy needed to explain complex technical concepts regarding the ageing mechanisms of the Graphite core in their advanced gas reactors to a range of internal and external stakeholders. To aid with this communication, and promote improved understanding and confidence, SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business has developed an interactive iPad application (app) and animation to capture and visualise key details. Stakeholders include the government, the public and the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

Client issuesIt is important to be able to rapidly convey the layout and scale of the plant to an audience who are not familiar with power stations or the workings of a reactor. Traditional 2D drawings can be difficult to interpret, and although 3D CAD can be easier to understand, this needs specific software, hardware, and training to use.

What we didWithin three months Atkins developed an iOS app to explain the basics of nuclear generation, the structure of a nuclear reactor (based on Hunterston B), and to provide information on the graphite core and its ageing. The app features the ability to navigate the power station, lower and raise control rods, create a cross-sectional view inside the reactor, and ‘shake’ the core to simulate safe operation in a seismic event.

The project involved close working to quickly turnaround a well-functioning and accurate app, whilst considering the sensitivity of the information contained within it.

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Nuclear in a digital worldNuclear in a digital world

The augmentation of people and the anatomy of robotsMany people fear automation. The rise of the robot is a hot topic in the media. But is it true? Will people lose their jobs because of intelligent machines? Neil Thompson considers the history of automation and its impact on, and potential for, exploitation in engineering.

It’s helpful to look back at our industrial history to see how automation has impacted on our lives.

In the 16th century, agriculture accounted for approximately 80% of the UK’s labour force. Today, the figure is just over 1% and yet the industry produces eight times as much per hectare. Why is that?

It’s because automation enabled us to focus on developing other skills and improve productivity to support a larger population.

There is another dynamic in automation to consider, information technology. For digital technologies the opposite trend has been seen where the labour force started small and more recently exploded.

Where electronic communications technology used to occupy a whole room and operated by only a few specialists, we have seen the technology become smaller, cheaper and easier to operate to the point the technology is ubiquitous. Where running a digital business may have needed a mainframe computer locking in a large room, we can now run billion-dollar companies from a few laptops in a living room of a house.

The past 150 years we have seen:

› A 580% increase in the number of teaching and educational support assistants.

› A 183% increase in welfare, housing, youth and community workers.

› A 168% rise in the number of care workers and home carers.

On the other hand, there has been:

› A 79% drop in the number of weavers and knitters.

› A 60% reduction in the number of people choosing to be typists.

› A 50% drop in company secretaries.

It’s clear that laborious production roles in the employment market are in trouble, but roles like social care and teaching are growing much faster. Technology is enabling people to pursue more satisfying and socially conscious work.

There are two factors of productivity that are converging for our built environment. Firstly, the need to move people away from harm, and from harsh and unsafe environments (this used to be the case in agriculture). Secondly, the economics of the technology – robotics are almost consumer goods now (we saw the same thing happen with communications technology).

Robotics and automation are terms that mean the same, however automation can also be applied to information technologies.

Neil ThompsonDirector, Digital Construction

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Currently, robotics are mostly used in heavy industry where specificity and the cost of implementation is high. In most cases, they move products or sense environments via machine vision.

Since the advent of smaller, collaborative robotics, this dynamic has changed profoundly. As compact, more human friendly robots hit the market at near consumer prices, we have an opportunity to use them to our advantage.

By embracing robotics, we’re leading the field in their application, with the aim of reinventing and improving people’s working lives. The application of robotics could see elements of our work:

› Centralised, where information/inventory flows are aggregated and shared.

› Shifted, so that specific role requirements become more generic and open.

› Augmented, where data is proactively presented rather than searched.

› Eliminated, where repetitive tasks are de-risked and fully automated.

› Expanded, where roles are more creative and complex and new skills are needed.

Instead of thinking about robotics as an industrial process to displace people, we should look at robotics as a natural progression from the screwdriver to the power drill to the collaborative robot (or ‘cobot’) that augments the capabilities of skilled labourers.

What will our role be in this robotic landscape? Our aim is to not only change the way we work but also to consider the impact of robotics on everyone who engages with the built environment.

We need to understand our delivery processes to the extent that we also understand the value streams of the activities. This enables us to identify the sweet spots for implementation.

When we understand the value stream, we then have to consider the anatomy of the robot:

› Connectedness: How is the robot connected to other systems, is it wireless through WIFI or is it physically connected via an umbilical cord? How does it participate with the Internet of Things?

› Degrees of freedom: What type of arm is needed, does it require redundancy and what are the limitations of space?

› Machine vision: How does the robot sense its environment?

› The end effector: what is its task? Does it grab, weld or measure something?

› Locomotion: how will it move? Will it fly? What size wheels will it have? Does it climb stairs?

In summary, by building a detailed understanding of our value streams, we can look at productivity and automation in a profoundly different way and enable the faster and more agile implementation of robotics.

Connectedness(Where does it communicate?)

Axis and degreesof freedom(Is it an armor a snake?)

The End Effector(Does it grab,weld or drill?)

Machine Vision(How does it senseand communicate?)

Locomotion (Doesit roll, walk or fly?)

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Opportunity Current Focus

Generic$10,000s

Specific$10msSPECIFICITY

Sam StephensChief Engineer

Nuclear in a digital world

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Delivering digital transformation in nuclearAcross our clients we face challenges that are common but can be addressed using digital approaches:

Common challenges

Poor information

Inefficient access to project information

Drawings of current site configuration, not in 3D,

not current with little confidence in information

Need to go to multiple sources to find information

– no-one can see the full picture

Low productivity of available resource, high

subcontractor dependence

Dynamic environments with radiological and construction hazards

Requirement for efficiency and low productivity

of assets

Lack of skilled resource

Hazardous Operating Environments

External cost pressure

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Four key pillars for success

Starting with a solid digital foundation unlocks further

digital opportunities

Designing people out of harms way with offsite

manufacture and robotics and making unseen hazards visible with augmented reality

Digital design is faster and can unlock savings

during procurement, manufacture, installation

and commissioning

80% of project cost occurs after construction has

finished – harnessing data and managing information

intelligently can realise recurring value

Benefits across the project lifecycle

› Improving design quality.

› New opportunities for site master planning, immersive visualisation, information management and de-risked design.

› Cost savings of up to a quarter during design and construction.

› Improving health and safety by enabling offsite delivery.

› Improving information management to provide a single source of truth.

› Leveraging expertise from other industries to bring best practice to Nuclear.

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Nuclear in a digital world

Asset management: a mechanism for structuring intergenerational thinking in the nuclear sectorIn the nuclear sector, the decisions we make today will affect people and our planet for many years to come. Many industries can legitimately lay claim to the phrase ‘intergenerational impact’ but, arguably, none more so than the nuclear sector, writes Rhys Davies.

The sector covers a broad range of complex activities that all seek to address risks that span a period of time, which can be measured in generations. They include:

› fuel production

› power generation

› life extension activities

› spent fuel management

› reprocessing

› decommissioning

› new build (for power and for decommissioning)

For each of these activities, we’re making decisions about the lifecycle costs of assets but our influence also extends beyond the plant and equipment and even the individual organisation to the environment, the economy, or the nearer term issues of ageing plants or a lack of robust data. On top of that, rigorous regulatory and safety standards must be maintained on sites. Balancing these complex internal issues with the requirements of a diverse group of external stakeholders means keeping everyone happy today can be a challenge. Being able to justify the decisions that impact on future generations is an even bigger ask if cultures are dependent upon experience rather than robust information.

So how do we do it?

Asset management for today, and tomorrowAsset management helps decision-makers assess criteria from multiple and even conflicting stakeholder groups and understand the impact of those decisions over a long period of time. It can help leaders steer a path through the complexity of the industry and explain the decision-making process to current stakeholders and to future generations.

The benefits of asset managementThere are four underlying principles of asset management that are relevant to the industries comprising the nuclear sector. The principles are set out in the ISO 55001 management system framework. They’ll help you pro-actively manage the lifecycle of your assets, from concept through decommissioning and onto the management of legacy risks, which are where many of the intergenerational issues arise.

Aligning objectivesISO 55001 provides mechanisms to help align the potentially conflicting: political aims, safety and regulatory regimes, environmental necessity and cost objectives, as well as the legacy for future generations.

Transparent and consistent decision makingISO 55001 requires organisations to capture and communicate decisions so the information is available to people now, and in the future.

Ryhs DaviesGlobal Consulting Leader, Digital Asset Management and Operations

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Long-term strategic viewISO 55001 mandates the use of a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP), which forces organisations to think beyond the current business planning cycle and consider a timeline relevant to the life of the asset and the associated risk.

Risk-based decision making from a position of knowledgeBusiness leaders are encouraged to think about the long-term impact of risk. In an increasingly digital world, many organisations are rushing to remote condition-monitoring approaches as part of the wider Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). These technologies provide streams of data, but we still need to put that data into an engineering and lifecycle context, so it gives us the information and knowledge we need to inform our investment decisions. A digital solution is a mechanism that mirrors the real world – a so-called digital twin. But the asset management approaches still need to be used so organisations are clear on their objectives and the decision-making criteria embedded in digital solutions if they are to achieve those objectives.

A rapidly emerging maturity of understanding around the correct implementation of digital technology as part of a wider asset management regime will help the sector develop confidence in its stored data, and in the digital data streams that underpin transparent decision-making processes. It will also ensure investment profiles continue to yield safe, clean energy without leaving a costly legacy. When organisations achieve this level of digital, information and asset management maturity they’ll have a reached a position where the digital twin is more than a buzzword – it’s a true representation of the asset base as it ages.

This is already happening in other sectors. For example, we’re a core part of Network Rail’s team delivering predict and prevent technologies for the rail network, with a primary focus on reducing service-affecting failures to zero to improve the passenger experience. We’re helping to define, design and install remote condition monitoring systems on ageing but critical assets; and we’re verifying the data streams and providing the analytics to identify where and when failures will occur so repairs can be carried out. This is bringing digital technology into a wider ISO 55001-based asset management framework whilst complying with regulatory requirements.

By improving asset management, we can support the life extension of low carbon electricity and also strengthen the investment case for new power stations. This will be vital to help meet the UK government’s net zero target by 2050, the UK’s Committee on Climate Change recommend that a quadrupling of low-carbon supply will be required by 2050, to achieve this a, “consistent deployment of low-carbon generation will be needed.”1

Asset management coupled with the best digital technology can help us navigate the complexity of the nuclear industry and make informed choices that future generations can understand and stand by. That will, in turn, enable them to benefit, for example, through the generation of low-carbon electricity.

Aligned objectives Long-term strategic view

Transparent and consistent

decision-making

Risk-based decision-making from a position of knowledge

1 https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Net-Zero-The-UKs-contribution-to-stopping-global-warming.pdf

Nuclear in a digital world

HPC Ctrl+C; SZC Ctrl+VThe owner of a nuclear power plant proposed at Sizewell in the east of England is planning to drive construction costs down by at least 20 per cent by drawing on its experience of building similar reactors on other sites. Dan Keeling showcases three digital tools that we’ve utilised to help EDF Energy save time and money at Hinkley Point C, and we’ll apply to maximise the value of the investment in Sizewell C.

Sizewell C (SZC), which will be built on the Suffolk coast (subject to the relevant approvals), will be the second nuclear power station to be constructed in the UK using the EPR reactor design1. The station’s two nuclear reactors will be near-replicas of the structures at Hinkley Point C (HPC) in Somerset. This means EDF Energy, the majority owner of both facilities, will have an opportunity to benefit from the lessons learned at HPC and subsequent cost-savings at SZC.

We’re working with the EDF Energy’s team and their partners on projects across the HPC estate, for example, on the design of the buildings; roads and utilities; electrical systems; and, the nuclear safety classified reinforced concrete. We’ve incorporated a range of digital tools and innovative approaches into our traditional design process so we can identify clashes, errors or non-compliance before they impact on the construction schedule. The experience gained and technology developed can be transferred to the SZC site to ensure opportunities to cut time, risk, and cost are taken as early as possible in the project lifecycle.

Immersive experiences to help inform decision makers Immersive visualisation, such as Virtual Reality (VR), can help stakeholders make decisions early in the design process. For example, we worked with EDF Energy’s research and development team to enable human factors engineers to interact with a full-scale model of the main control room at HPC before a simulator (physical model) is built. This approach introduces the ability to rapidly iterate the control room design configuration and offers opportunities to obtain operator feedback before the facility is even built.

We see this reducing the likelihood of late changes being made to the layout of the facility because standards or regulations haven’t been met. That, in turn, helps to avoid delays and unnecessary costs when work starts in the simulator or onsite.

The same technology could help to inform decision making at SZC. It’s use could be widened to include conducting plant fit-out dry-runs in VR for installation contractors or streamlining design change assessment, if we incorporate it early on.

Automation helps reduce waste and save timeDesigning tens of thousands of cubic metres of concrete to withstand a powerful earthquake is complex and time-consuming, so we’re using automation to deliver the work more efficiently. By using bespoke software developed in-house, we’re able to compare seismic load cases with the rebar design and quickly determine how much steel is needed to ensure design requirements are met.

1 https://www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-new-build-projects/sizewell-c/about#2

Data-centric approach to design at HPC: in numbers

› 1.1 billion calculations completed

› 100,000 reinforcement plots mapped

› 10,000 pages reduced to 150 files

› 50% time and cost savings

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Dan KeelingDigital Lead, New Build

2 https://www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-new-build-projects/sizewell-c/news-views/needed-but-not-at-any-price-how-to-lower-the-cost-of-nuclear

By automatically processing calculations for thousands of different load combinations we are able to produce more efficient designs, both in terms of the steel required but also improving the speed at which it can be fixed in place on site. We expect that the same approach will also significantly reduce the amount of time involved in designing reinforcement for structures at SZC.

By taking a digital mindset to design, existing HPC data could be analysed together with site-specific data on the ground conditions and seismic load cases at SZC. This will enable us to determine what aspects of the existing design need to change to ensure the new buildings meet safety and regulatory requirements, rather than having to start the design process from scratch. This kind of intelligent design reuse is crucial to delivering the target cost savings at SZC.

Maximising the value of data captured during constructionFor the next three years, our geomatics team will be using drones to survey HPC’s 180-hectare site and we’ll use the data gathered to create a 3D model of the terrain as construction progresses. The data will help identify and quantify construction problems early on, which will reduce the downstream risk and the impact on the schedule. It will also support informed decision-making on material stock management, and roads and networks planning.

High quality and up-to-date data on the as-built state of the site that’s delivered to the right people at the right time will be valuable to the team at SZC as well.

We can maximise the benefits of it from design, through construction and even into operation by ensuring the huge volumes of data being generated are managed effectively from the outset. Accurate and up-to-date stock management will be crucial at SZC as the project moves from a greenfield site into the site preparation and enabling works phases.

Even greater insight into operationsIn addition to the digital tools that are already delivering measurable benefits on HPC, we’re also embedding new technology and approaches into our work on SZC as part of our Enabling Works Basic Design contract. We’ll be creating a 4D model of the site to demonstrate how our design will be implemented and to give us an insight into the construction process. For example, it will enable stakeholders to visualise lorry movements to ensure there are no tailbacks on nearby roads, which will minimise time and cost overruns.

Digital engineering tools can help us transfer our skills and experience from HPC to SZC to reduce costs, mitigate risk, and speed up design delivery. As Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, the Managing Director of the Sizewell C project, explained in a recent article2, repeatability is crucial to the successful delivery of SZC and for making the case for nuclear power as a low-carbon energy source.

Learn more about Digital Surveys here >>

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Nuclear in a digital world

Cyber security in the nuclear sector – five ways to address the global challenge A cyber-attack on a nuclear facility could have a devastating effect and, unfortunately, increased digitalisation within the sector makes an attack more likely. In this article, Atkins’ Technical Director for Cyber, Ian Buffey, outlines some of the steps business leaders can take to safeguard their infrastructure and assets.

The threat landscape is evolving rapidly - technically and in terms of potential aggressors. Attacks that would have taken nation state-level resources a few years ago are now within the reach of smaller, less well-resourced groups or even individuals. This can make us feel like potential attackers have the upper hand. But there are ways to maximise the benefits of connectivity without putting important systems at risk.

1. Learn from the nuclear industry’s approach to safety

There have been several high-profile incidents over the years, including Three Mile Island in the USA, Chernobyl and most recently, Fukushima, but the nuclear industry still has an enviable safety record. In fact, you’re probably safer at a nuclear plant than in a more traditional office environment. So how can we replicate that to make cyber security business-as-usual too?

The answer lies in embedding cyber security in day-to-day activity. For example, the sector’s approach to physical and information security is obvious to anyone who visits a nuclear facility, but concerns about cyber security have often been limited to avoiding the loss of sensitive nuclear information (SNI). The security of critical control systems should be afforded the same importance as any other threat. An insecure system can’t be regarded as safe.

2. Engage the organisation in the security effort

To improve resilience, we need to approach cyber security as more than a technical challenge and that will require cooperation from parts of the business that may not have had a close working relationship before. For example, a robust cyber security strategy will consider people, processes, governance and physical assets.

The security effort also needs to be maintained over time. That means clear and effective governance needs to be put in place and it has to be supported at Board level. If not, progress towards your security goals will be slow.

3. Don’t wait for an attack. Be proactive. Facility owners and operators must be able to detect and respond to an attack quickly instead of relying on static defences such as firewalls and anti-malware (or data diodes or even air gaps) to keep infrastructure and assets safe. This is called mounting an active defence. The concept is outlined in the UK’s National Cyber Security Strategy1.

Dr Ian BuffeyTechnical Director, Cyber

1 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/567242/national_cyber_security_strategy_2016.pdf

2 https://www.atkinsglobal.com/~/media/Files/A/Atkins-Corporate/uk-and-europe/services-documents/cyber/Active%20defence%20with%20an%20OT%20honeypot.pdf

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Mounting an active defence doesn’t mean returning fire. It means you can’t solely rely on protective technology. Rather, you must have the ability and expertise to understand and detect threats and respond intelligently and as quickly as required to limit the impact. An operational honeypot2 is one form of active defence that can help you achieve this. Honeypots or other detection technology can be deployed in real control systems so anomalies can be detected and attackers identified before they do any harm.

4. Design-in security from the outsetNuclear power generators are designing in security features at the start of a project. It’s more cost effective and it helps to ensure they embed adequate protection into the design from the outset. They’re also taking a comprehensive approach; using a combination of design, engineering, information resilience, planning, education, training, organisational culture and behaviour to ensure they build a more secure facility.

5. Share lessons learnedThe nuclear industry is good at sharing information on what works well, and what doesn’t. Within the sector, everyone has their own roles and responsibilities but we also need to strengthen our relationships with our partners, contractors and suppliers. Some level of cooperation should extend beyond our own borders. Robust cyber security at nuclear installations is hard enough to achieve in countries with a long-established industry. But as global warming drives us towards alternative energy sources, many states are now building nuclear facilities for the first time. We need to find a way to ensure the plants in these countries are as cyber secure as possible and this may mean identifying approaches that are radically different from the ones here.

For those of us that have been involved in the quest for better control system cyber security for a long time there are examples of best practice we can share. Indeed, in the UK, the changes the nuclear sector has undergone in recent years are being used as a model for other critical industries.

atkinsglobal.com/cyber >>

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Nuclear in a digital world

Five minutes with Julianne Antrobus

We spoke to our nuclear Products and Technology Director, Julianne Antrobus. Julianne has over 20 years’ experience working in the nuclear industry and sees benefits from adopting digital technologies right across the nuclear lifecycle.

Can you explain what your role is? As Technology Director for our global nuclear business, I am responsible for maximising the value, sales and revenue of our nuclear products and technology portfolio. It’s a key pillar underpinning our global nuclear strategy and one of our most significant differentiators in the market, rivalling that of many of our global competitors.

Working closely with our regional businesses around the world, I define the strategy for this portfolio and maximise the value today and in the future. I think about how we continue to innovate and invest by bringing new and disruptive products and technology to improve safety, efficiency and performance.

Where has this career taken you?From an early age, I was always interested in energy; what kept the lights on, kettle boiling, radio blasting, and the science and engineering behind it. I’ve worked in the energy sector for most of my career, with nuclear playing a significant role, in a career of two halves.

I started as a graduate Radiation Protection Advisor working for British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) in 1997. BNFL was one of the UK’s major blue-chip companies and rivalled companies like Orena (formerly Areva) on the global nuclear platform. This first half of my career involved very technical roles in the manufacture of nuclear fuel for the UK’s Advanced Gas & Magnox reactors.

The second half has been focussed more on strategy and business development and the excitement of growing an organisation like Atkins, as Strategy Director, from a UK centric operation to a global and thriving industry player.

My graduate role was the entry point to a career I could never have plotted nor imagined; from shift working at Springfields Fuel Manufacturing Plant, to meetings with UK Government at Whitehall on the transformation of the UK nuclear industry.

Why are digital tools and technology so important? Technology has transformed the nuclear industry over the past 60 years; making processes more efficient, employees more productive and crucially, workers less exposed to risk.

The most recent advances change the way we operate and collaborate with clients. Digital tools are a means to an end, rather than a ‘digital’ tick-box exercise, and we now need to think about where they can be applied right from the project concept stage to make the industry safer, more efficient, and the methods to achieving this.

What are some of the greatest benefits you’ve seen? Ultimately one of the greatest benefits is increasing the safety of those who work in hazardous environments, to allow them to continue their jobs while not impacting an asset’s performance. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality have been proving their value, particularly in safety, efficiency, and engagement. We’ve incorporated such technology into waste management strategies, both in the operations and asset management of existing facilities, and the design of new ones. We worked with EDF Energy at Dungeness B power station to laser scan the main plant area and difficult to access plant rooms; faster and more efficient than traditional surveying methods. The data produced a virtual version, or ‘digital twin’, of the facility seen on both a computer and in virtual reality.

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This virtual facility is linked to the proposed outage schedule and used to create animated plant movements to help colleagues visualise the site, understand the critical path, and develop the next stages of work.

Digital technology is evolving faster than we can: how do we manage the pace of change? There’s a misconception that the nuclear industry is far behind the digital technology movement, yet within Atkins, our nuclear division has been the one helping pave the way for digital tools and engineering. The incentive to embrace new solutions is clear, the nuclear industry alone has opportunities for estimated savings of up to 25% on total project costs. For years, the industry has excelled at combining skilled workforce with cutting-edge technology, to design new builds, new reactors, operate, maintain and extend existing assets, and prepare for decommissioning.

Its vital to look at how we work with new market entrants, identify those relevant, with the realisation that we cannot embrace them all. This requires maintaining a wide range of partnerships with small and medium enterprises and global partners, ensuring we support the next generation of entrepreneurs. New [technologies] doesn’t mean better or enduring. Choosing which ones to back, and which to monitor is based on assessing environmental fit, blatant and latent potential, current and future capital strength, possibility of disruption, and market leadership opportunities.

What do you think the next big innovation will be? We’re looking at the role of robotics in terms of the natural progression from the screwdriver to the power drill to the cobot arm (collaborative robots) where you are augmenting the capabilities of skilled labour. We’ve started robotics work to improve safety and productivity in decommissioning, by looking at the subtasks within people’s roles and applying robotics to those. This takes people out of harm’s way, not automating their jobs.

Whatever the next technology to be embraced, digital tools are going to continue to improve efficiency, safety, cost and performance of our nuclear assets, current and future, and help us reach the all-important net-zero carbon emissions target.

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Nuclear in a digital world

About us…We provide unparalleled support through-out the entire nuclear lifecycle, ensuring that communities experience the benefit of clean, reliable and affordable nuclear power.

From revolutionising new build to safety dismantling legacy power plants our experts are working across the entire nuclear lifecycle to improve safety, drive efficiencies and delivery value.

Site Remediation (Tier 1)

Field Services & Waste Technology

Waste Management& DecommissioningServices

Plant Life Extension (PLEX) Services

Design & Asset Management of Facilities and Infrastructure

Outsourcing Partner

Major Projects

Field Services, Tooling &

Technology

Project ManagementReactor

Components

Nuclear Facility Operation

Engineering O&M Services

Commissioning Services

Fuel & Waste Management Systems

Design Services & Licensing

Owner’s/Architect Engineer

New Reactor Design/Build

Energy Strategy & Policy

N

EW B

UIL

D

OPE

RATIONS

LIFE EXTENSION & LATE LIFE MANAGEMENT DECOMM

ISSIONIN

G &

REMED

IATION

Design & Innovation

O&M ServicesNew Build DecommissioningLife Extension Waste Management

Robotics Mature and proven technology for systems integration and solutions delivery.

3d Laser scanning and photogrammetryFaster than traditional surveying methods and collects more information for complete design and engineering

Asset Management & Operations The vision is to enable digital twins for whole lifecycle asset management solutions from design through to decommissioning.

Drone Surveys Specializing in aerial data capture from satellites, manned aircraft and drones, our geomatics team captures reality to bring the site to the client’s desktop at survey grade accuracy.

3d printingRapid solutions prototyping is enabled by integrating 3d printing capability in the project workflow.

Information Systems We have a range of solutions to support every stage of the project lifecycle, from engineering through to operations and decommissioning.

Augmented Reality Overlay designs and modifications on-site prior to execution.

Project Data HubsOur project data hub approach captures reality and 3d model information to provide a visual platform for storage and information management.

Data analyticsProvides engineering insights using data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning to increase asset life and reduce operational costs.

De-risked design deliveryBy integrating a range of digital technologies into the entire project workflow, we can de-risk design delivery and better maintain schedule and budget.

Robotic Process AutomationAutomating data transfer to maximise efficiency and throughput by increasing staff productivity and reducing process timelines.

Virtual RealityImmersive visualization technology enhances engineering design, delivery and operations by providing spatial context to data and assets.

Cyber SecurityWorld-class cyber security team that specializes in securing data and critical infrastructure.

Model Based DefinitionEnables contractors and fabricators to deliver designs directly from 3D models avoiding 2D drawing production and model replication.

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Digital technologiesWith these capabilities and skills, we’re helping these clients all over the world utilise digital technologies to be safer, save time, reduce project costs, and together strive towards net-zero CO2 emissions.

snclavalin.com atkinsglobal.com