The Nuclear AMRC is working with a new alliance of Rolls-Royce, Lloyd’s Register, Assystem and Arexis to support the UK’s nuclear new build programme through equipment qualification.
Equipment qualification (EQ) is a systematic approach to ensuring that safety-critical components and systems being manufactured for new nuclear power stations meet the relevant quality standards.
The new EQ Alliance will produce a detailed report on EQ requirements for the UK new build programme, and examine the UK’s current capability to meet those requirements. The report, due in spring 2018, will provide vital strategic guidance to help ensure that UK manufacturers are ready to meet nuclear customer requirements, reducing the risks of new build while maximising the opportunities for the UK supply chain.
“UK suppliers aiming to win work in nuclear new build need to understand the requirements for qualifying safety-classified equipment,” says Andrew Storer, Nuclear AMRC managing director. “This can be a barrier to winning work in the nuclear sector, but is often overlooked.
“By developing the UK’s capabilities for equipment qualification, the EQ Alliance can help UK manufacturers win work. We can also help the UK become a recognised global centre for equipment qualification for the nuclear sector, providing new export potential. With four different reactor technologies being developed in the UK, helping UK suppliers understand the differences and identify common areas could provide significant efficiencies for new build projects worldwide.”
The alliance will work closely with the Nuclear AMRC and industry stakeholders during the development phase.
Mark Tipping, offshore technology manager at Lloyd’s Register commented: “We are delighted to be working with our partners to ensure successful delivery of this EQ project for the Nuclear AMRC and, by extension, the UK’s ambitious nuclear build programme.
“EQ is an essential element in demonstrating that a nuclear power plant can be operated safely. It is a regulatory requirement which must be satisfied in order to obtain a licence to operate.”
“Ensuring a robust and agile EQ framework is in place will deliver significant technical and commercial benefits to the UK’s new build programme.” says Chris Tierney from Rolls-Royce. “We have partnered with some of the foremost companies in the industry to ensure the strongest combination of EQ expertise and the highest standards of delivery for the Nuclear AMRC.”
“The EQ Alliance will be leading the industry in the development and delivery of efficient methodologies to support the growing supply chain, and to provide clarity of EQ requirements to the extensive nuclear new build programmes across the UK,” says Bryn Thomas, head of strategic campaigns for Assystem. “We are committed to helping the new build developers in the UK learn from the experiences of other global nuclear developments”.
Raphael Schirrer, chief executive officer at Arexis, says: “The approach of the EQ Alliance brings a unique accumulated pool of EQ expertise with highly skilled resources from all consortium members.”
Over the next 12 months, the EQ Alliance will investigate the UK’s capabilities to meet and manage the EQ requirements of the various technologies being developed for the UK’s nuclear new build programme, and help the Nuclear AMRC make recommendations for intervention.
