The nuclear industry in the UK operated the world’s first commercial nuclear power reactor in 1956. The industry now directly employs over 44,000 people in the UK. Nuclear power at its peak provided round 20% of the UK’s electricity although many of the nuclear power stations are coming to the end of life and the contribution today is 15%. Even so, this saves the equivalent of the carbon emissions from most the UK’s cars on the road. Without new nuclear power station build, by 2025 only Sizewell B will remain generating electricity. The nuclear fuel cycle operations in the UK are of major international importance and can provide for all the needs of the UK and for much of the export demand. The Ministry of Defence operates a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and the UK nuclear deterrent programme.
The safe and cost effective decommissioning and clean-up of the industry's power stations and fuel processing facilities, which are being progressively shut down, are providing future technical and engineering challenges for the industry. The decommissioning of the UK’s civil nuclear facilities and the clean-up of the sites has been the responsibility of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority since 1st April 2005.
The industry operators are supported by a wide variety of supply chain companies, such as engineering and construction contractors, fabricators of specialist equipment, manufacturers and specialist service providers. Companies involved in the design or supply of safety related equipment or materials must meet strict quality requirements and need underpinning knowledge about the work of the industry. With the prospect of new nuclear build, this supply chain is growing and extending its capability.
The UK industry also has a significant international element of its business. The experience and skills held by the industry in reactor operation, design and construction, maintenance and inspection, waste management and decommissioning technology - provides a good basis for export business to a growing global market. Many British nuclear companies have substantial business in nuclear sector markets abroad.
All parts of the UK industry are subject to one safety regulator, HSE Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (HSE NII) and are also subject to environmental regulation by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Cogent as the Sector Skills Council for the industry is in a good position to facilitate the sharing of best practice in competence assessment and development for the industry, building on the strong safety cultures and training records of the employers in the past.
Nuclear Power
Calder Hall, which commenced operation in 1956, was a prototype for the gas-cooled Magnox power reactors which followed. They all exceeded their original design life and all but two Magnox Power Stations are now shutdown for decommissioning. Oldbury and Wylfa power stations, operated by Magnox North Ltd are still in operation and contribute about 3% of the UK’s electricity supply.
British Energy operates the more modern fleet of Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) as well as the Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) at Sizewell B station. Together, these reactors normally generate over 17% of the UK’s electricity, making British Energy the biggest generator in the country.
A well trained and highly skilled workforce of over 24,000 people is employed directly in the operation and decommissioning of the UK’s nuclear power stations. The stations, which compete with other fuel types in the electricity market, are well distributed around the coast of Great Britain. All the sites operate under the conditions of the nuclear site licence under the watchful eye of the HSE Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (HSE NII).
To combat the effects of climate change snd ensure security of energy supply, the Government have set out their view that nuclear power should be part of the UK’s low-carbon energy mix and that Companies should have the option of building new nuclear power stations. A new Government department, the Office for Nuclear Development in the Department of Energy and Climate Change , has been established to facilitate the nuclear new build programme. The aim is to have new nuclear power stations generating electricity from around 2018. Cogent’s Labour Market Intelligence research Intelligence shows that a programme of nuclear renaissance will require annual recruitment of around 1000 people, many at Apprentice and Graduate level.
Nuclear Fuel Cycle
The nuclear fuel cycle provides the fresh fuel and the spent fuel services - reprocessing or storage - for nuclear power stations. Over 10,000 people in the UK are employed in the production, reprocessing and storage of nuclear fuel and in waste handling in the UK.
The UK industry also provides the processing of spent nuclear fuel from international markets.
Decommissioning and clean-up
The government's Energy Bill, which became statute in July 2004, set up the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), which is charged with the "clean up" of legacy nuclear sites and takes the financial responsibility for management of all the public sector civil nuclear liabilities and assets under performance based contracts. In 2006 the NDA was also given the responsibility for the UK's waste disposal programme.
The duties of the NDA Include promoting and ensuring the maintenance and development in the UK of a skilled workforce able to undertake the work of decommissioning nuclear installations and of cleaning up nuclear sites. Cogent SSC plays an important part in this work.
Defence
The Royal Navy currently operates 3 classes of nuclear powered submarines, Vanguard Class ballistic submarines and the Swiftsure and Trafalgar Class Fleet submarines. The latest Astute class, built by BAE Systems will enter service shortly. These submarines all use nuclear steam raising plant, designed by Rolls-Royce Naval Marine, to provide propulsion power. The four Vanguard Class submarines carry the nuclear deterrent, the warheads for which are made at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston. The nuclear submarines operate from the Naval Bases in Devonport and Faslane, and are refitted at the Dockyard in Plymouth, operated by Babcock Marine. These defence activities employ about 10,000 people. MoD also operates a shore test facility for its submarine reactors at Dounreay.
The Defence programme is supported by a variety of educational and training institutions, including the Nuclear Department in the Defence Academy’s College of Management and Technology in HMS SULTAN at Gosport.
Find out more on the Royal Navy Submarine Service website.
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