Double or Quits?: The Future of Civil Nuclear Energy

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Because so many human activities result in emissions of greenhouse gases GHGs , there is a very wide range of possible ways of reducing these emissions. Here I focus on three areas of particular importance to engineering:. Energy production can be changed in several ways to reduce emissions. For a start we can switch away from coal and oil to gas, as gas emits only half the CO 2 of coal and two-thirds the CO 2 of oil per Joule of energy used.

Such plants use the waste heat from electricity production to provide space heating or hot water for local buildings. Of course, the most effective change in the production of energy would be to use energy sources which do not emit any GHGs at all during operation. Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal, obviously fit into this category. Of these, wind energy both on-shore and off-shore has the highest potential in the UK.

Onshore wind can already produce electricity at a competitive price, while the price of offshore wind is falling fast. Studies shows that the potential is much higher than this [2]. One problem, however, with some renewable energy sources is that they are intermittent: Hence an important consideration is the required level of 'back-up' power plants which can be other renewable sources, eg biomass, or not to prevent power shortages. Power storage is also a way of dealing with the intermittency problem - however, this is still at an early stage of development.

A growing number of energy producers envisage an eventual switch to the 'hydrogen economy'. This would be where energy sources mainly renewable are used to produce hydrogen from water by electrolysis, which is then stored or transported as required, to be used to deliver electricity from the recombination of the hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell. This technology is still at an early stage of development. Nuclear power is another energy source which produces no GHG emissions during operation although emissions from uranium mining and plant construction are not negligible.

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It has the advantage over wind and solar energy in that it is not an intermittent supply, but of course it is highly controversial as I shall discuss later. A further option for dealing with the CO 2 emissions of energy plants is CO 2 capture and storage. This is where CO 2 is removed from the exhaust gases of a fossil fuel plant and piped into underground geological formations, eg former oil reservoirs. Again, the controversies surrounding this technology will be discussed later. The potential for technical change to lead to energy efficiency improvements as a way of reducing GHG emissions is very high.

For example, most buildings in the UK are not well insulated due to up until recently low energy efficiency standards being followed in the building industry. Since most buildings are heated using fossil fuels, either directly or indirectly, a large amount of GHG emissions are needlessly produced. Large-scale deployment of building insulation will thus yield significant savings. Further, the recent improvements in the energy efficiency standards governing household appliances is beginning to have an effect.

The promise of using fuel cells see above to drive motor vehicles has the potential to reduce GHG emissions further. It is also important to consider social changes which could reduce GHG emissions. For example, if more people were to switch transport mode, from cars to public transport or cycling they could make very large savings in their personal energy consumption and hence reduce emissions.

Of course, the ability of people to make such changes depends on many factors, such as how far they live from work.

Meaning of "double or quits" in the English dictionary

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In the remote north-west of Kenya at Lokichar in Turkana County, Tullow Oil is currently working to develop the first oil reserves in the country and an estimated MMBO are thought to be recoverable. Additionally, the first coal mines in the country are being developed by Chinese state-owned enterprises southeast of Nairobi in order to supply planned, future coal power plants.

We were also recently invited to take part in the Kenya Nuclear Energy Week where we talked about a variety of issues pertinent to developing new nuclear including maximising efficiency throughout the nuclear lifecycle, stakeholder involvement in nuclear industry, and reflections on nuclear power generation approaches and safety culture. Overall, it is clear that the energy sector in Kenya is currently experiencing massive development, with significant effort and finance being invested in a diversified set of generation technologies.

Across East Africa the energy sectors of other countries such as Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda are also undergoing similar levels of growth and development. Getting closer to a small modular reactor reality. Julianne Antrobus 27 Feb Comments. Since then, industry around the world has been working hard to push forward the development of SMRs ready to bring to market. The development of SMRs gives UK plc the opportunity to develop home grown intellectual property, create skilled jobs and to be an exporter of technology which can be sold around the world.

Whilst it remains largely theory at the moment, two different categories of SMRs are now leading the way in development and we took the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of each at the recent Nuclear Industry Association NIA SMR conference. Atkins is taking a leading role in working with government and industry to push forward the SMR development agenda, and our engineering experience across the energy sector puts us in a great position to assist developers find an engineering solution that will work to bring SMRs to reality.

Made of the same four major components that make up a standard large scale light water reactor LWR or pressurised water reactor PWR: Integral is the key word: The problem with these reactors is that they share complexity with the larger PWRs and it now appears unlikely that light water SMRs will be able to significantly reduce the cost of generation compared with larger reactors using the same technology due in part to the inability to reduce the complexity of the required safety control systems and diseconomies of scale in site operations.

However, IPWRs are based on proven technology in a new configuration, they are well advanced in design and some in regulatory approval, and they offer a least risk pathway to early deployment by They are generally compatible with UK nuclear infrastructure but offer less opportunity for UK technical development. This category groups together some different technological approaches and includes a number of less well developed technologies that may offer significant cost and other advantages but with commensurately higher technical risks.

Non-IPWRs include high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, sodium-cooled reactors and molten salt reactors, amongst others. Some believe that this technology is too far away — it is possible that none could be deployed before and some significantly later than that date — as there are more uncertainties in both the technical and cost aspects of advanced reactors. However, there is the potential for a true price breakthrough because of the simplicity of the design of some of the GEN IV options. For example, they could have intrinsic safety which would reduce risk and control and operation requirements, but this is not yet proven.

If you can get this, you remove a lot of the complexity therefore making it simpler, smaller and cheaper. These advanced technologies also offer the potential for greater UK technical development. The dilemma facing the SMR initiative is: SMRs could play a major role in a broad energy mix and in theory SMRs could help reduce cost, secure domestic supply of electricity and reduce greenhouse gases, whilst at the same time — with the right competition, the right support and the right approach — the SMR opportunity for the UK could be a major wealth creator.

Why don't we see more women in engineering? By a woman in engineering. Jessica Green 03 Feb Comments. I have always been of the view that the huge push for gender diversity we see so frequently in engineering firms is condescending and undermining to women. Strong and weak people come in both genders, and by categorising ourselves as empowered, we succumb to the stale stereotype that women are weaker than men, and we degrade ourselves whilst complaining that it is the men that are degrading us. In my relatively short experience as an engineer, I have received nothing but respect from my male counterparts; the only sexism I have encountered was from another female engineer who, for some reason, did not like having another woman in the office.

I felt patronised when colleagues asked how I thought they could attract more women to the firm. Recently however, whilst working on an international project with a global workforce, I specifically noticed one very alien concept: In fact, on researching the figures, I discovered that the UK has the lowest percentage of female engineers in the whole of Europe. Why are so many girls in Britain steering clear of the industry, despite early high achievement? Firstly, I asked myself why I became an engineer in this climate.

Truth be told, I never wanted to be an Engineer; I fell in to it through a fortunate choice of university degree. I was a high flyer at school, I excelled at maths, science and art; and I dreamt about being an architect. The idea of being an engineer never competed. I was drawn to architecture; its prestige, its glamour, and its status.

I wanted that; the challenge, the pride in the achievement of it, and the glamour of the exclusive Royal Institute of British Architects. It should hold glamour from the exclusive engineering institutions, and even more prestige from achievement. Secondly, I asked a Spanish colleague how engineering is perceived in Spain.

There is much support for protection of the title in the UK, though many dismiss the notion that it would bring about a much needed change in the gender balance.

He added that engineers are respected because the university process is tough. The parallels here are clear. In the UK, we lack a quantity of female engineers. In Spain, they do not. In a society that sets so much score by status, why are we not giving it one? How many girls and more boys! Cyber security in a nuclear world — addressing the global challenge. Ian Buffey 12 Dec Comments. Another key factor is the fear that potential attackers are increasingly at an advantage. The threat landscape is evolving rapidly both technically and in terms of potential aggressors.

Attacks which 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. The brief to the authors of the report was as simple as the problem statement — given a free hand, what can be done to reduce this risk over and above what is already being done? What could we do better or faster to reduce the likelihood of a cyber-attack causing a devastating incident? Four key ideas became the basis of the report. Institutionalising cyber security is a fairly obvious and attractive objective.

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In fact, you are probably safer on a nuclear plant than in a normal office environment. The approach to physical and information security is also very obvious to anyone who has visited a nuclear facility. That can give the impression that everything is covered but until comparatively recently the approach to cyber security has been almost totally focused on avoiding the loss of Sensitive Nuclear Information SNI. It seems paradoxical that the cyber security of critical control systems is not afforded the same importance.

How can an insecure system be regarded as safe? A malicious cyber-attack needs to be considered in the same way as any other event which may befall a nuclear facility. Many cyber-attacks have had consequences that the perpetrators did not intend e. The worry here is that we will have to wait for a series of incidents before we say enough is enough and give cyber security the same level of importance as safety. The idea of Active Defence was also readily accepted in the development of the report.

Active Defence does not mean returning fire. Rather it means that you cannot rely on protective technology such as firewalls or data diodes or even air gaps , anti-virus software etc. It refers to an ability to detect threats and respond intelligently and quickly as required, limiting the effects of an attack. Reducing complexity was probably the most difficult idea to accept. Everyone has gotten used to the benefits of digitalisation in the industrial arena and in their personal lives.

Every time the change has eventually come, so while resisting it is going to be hard, in some cases it may be the right choice. Pursuing transformation is perhaps the vaguest recommendation but it may turn out to be the most important. Good cyber security of nuclear installations is hard enough to achieve in countries with a long established nuclear industry. Global warming is driving us to pursue nuclear power and renewables as our main energy sources so many states are now building nuclear facilities for the first time.

We need a better, clearer way to ensure that such countries can ensure that they are as cyber secure as possible and this may need approaches which are radically different from the ones currently in use. For those of us that have been involved in the quest for better control system cyber security for a long time there are encouraging signs of change. Indeed, in the UK the changes which the nuclear sector has undergone are now being used as a model for other sectors. If you'd like to read more about our views on how critical national infrastructure can become more cyber resilient, why not download our free report here.

The first UK nuclear cyber security strategy. Richard Piggin 10 Aug Comments. The Civil Nuclear Cyber Security Strategy ; CNCSS complements the existing National Cyber Strategy, and sets stretch goals in consultation with industry, to address the risks to the safe and secure operation of new civil nuclear facilities and the management of legacy and waste facilities.

The desired outcome is to deliver an industry which has a mature approach to understanding the cyber threat, and is able to produce solutions which efficiently and effectively address that threat. Atkins recognises the imperative for the nuclear sector.

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Recent events illustrate the potential consequences to the UK nuclear industry: Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the resulting closure of the German nuclear industry. Reputational damage resulted from malware found on the Gundremmingen nuclear plant in western Bavaria, which entailed a precautionary reactor shutdown. Incidents affecting individual organisations may impact the sector nationally and internationally, undermining confidence.

Work is already ongoing in a sector that keenly appreciates the need for safe and secure operation that also safeguards public confidence. The nuclear industry has traditionally focused on safety to provide resilience and security. More dynamic approaches are required to stay ahead of the continuously evolving cyber threat, the increasing nation state capability and the terrorist potential. The implementation of new operational technology could increase opportunities for malicious intent.

The strategy reinforces key themes essential to successful cyber security implementation; dealing with the increasing threat, board awareness, governance, Operational Technology OT and IT, and the interdependence of safety and security. Delivery will demand transformation, whilst ensuring all sector participants are fully engaged, particularly in the supply chain. This will entail closer relationships with partnering companies, contractors and suppliers to provide the proportionate cascaded risk ownership, understanding and mitigation.

The supply chain will also be called upon to develop capacity and capability where there are skills shortfalls, especially in direct support of nuclear asset owners. Nuclear facilities are required to be secure by design, and implementation. This necessitates appropriate cyber security skills and the development of industry capability to manage these activities both internally and the supply chain.

This will place a requirement upon the supply chain to demonstrate measures proportionate to the risk they own. The regulatory approach is now transitioning from compliance to risk-based assurance. Whilst there have been rapid developments in both generic and sector guidance, industry participants would welcome direction under the new regime. The nuclear industry needs to be resilient against increasingly sophisticated attacks requiring identification of critical assets and proportional risk mitigation.

Synonyms and antonyms of double or quits in the English dictionary of synonyms

Security and safety necessitate equal emphasis to address risks, requiring IT, Operational Technology and physical security collaboration to achieve resilience. The Government is rightly looking to raise awareness across industry, ensuring executives have the information they require to develop the cyber security programmes with the necessary leadership, governance and resources to succeed. Non-executive boards will have greater means to hold boards to account.

The cyber strategy implementation is equally ambitious for all parties. It needs to be, in order to meet the continuously evolving, uninhibited threat and maintain public confidence in the nuclear industry, which is essential for our economic well-being. Why do you mentor? Karen Blanc 19 May Comments. Two weeks ago, I packed my baby's bag, and took him along with me on an overnight work trip to the judging sessions for WICE Mentor of the Year in London.

I wasn't going to, but realised that if one of my mentees suggested that having a bottle-refusing baby was reason to miss out on an opportunity, I'd tell them to think again. And for me, that's why I mentor: Not in a "better than you" kind of way; in a way that being a parent turns you into the kind of person you want your kids to be. It encourages me to give my best in life, to go for the things I want to do, even if they're a stretch.

And how would I have ever known that my baby sleeps better on the train? Why do we mentor? As a mentor I talk candidly about my own experiences, because my experience, my perspective, might help others.

Souq | Double or Quits?: The Future of Civil Nuclear Energy | Kuwait

Are you convinced yet? If you want to mentor, be open, be available. As a mentoring scheme coordinator, I still think the best relationships are organic. Mentoring just clicks better if your mentee has sought you out. Of course, there are ways to get started until that happens. Volunteer to become a mentor on a formal scheme such as those for chartership.

Finally… Do you have a mentor? Is there someone who has a particular strength you admire? Not even a cub leader or a rugby coach? Well, maybe that's an even better reason to do it. Innovative water sealing technology that could make a real difference. Billy Morrison 12 May Comments. But we do have a way of doing this. Atkins has partnered with Sovereign-Thyssen joint venture made up of Sovereign International, a water proofing company with over 40 years of experience and Thyssen Mining, a leading innovator in mining technology , to provide their proprietary water sealing technology to our clients in the nuclear industry.

The solution is called NOH2O. When injected into high shear environments, like fissures or cracks, it thickens to form a rubber-like seal that stops the flow of water. Initially applied to the mining sector, more recently they have been working in the construction and tunneling industries to seal subterranean water leaks in order to meet industry standards. In over 40 years of these one-of-a-kind applications there has never been a failure of an NOH2O seal. Our long-term research and testing partner, the Vitreous State Laboratory of the Catholic University of America, has helped verify the environmental safety of the material and its resistance to radiation damage when installed in high radiation environments.

NOH2O is also being tested for its potential use to seal the damaged Fukushima Daiichi reactor facility foundations from groundwater incursion, a problem that has persisted since the tsunami and resultant accident in March We are also pursuing the application of NOH2O for use in sealing leaking fuel storage pools, and commercial reactor foundations throughout the world, and for potential use as an environmental barrier for the leaking high-level waste HLW tanks at Hanford nuclear site in North America.

For the nuclear industry itself, dealing with legacy clean-up all around the world is one of the most important issues that we face. Technological breakthroughs like NOH2O will play a critical role in how we deal with that legacy waste. Energy Solutions ' Projects, Products and Technology division is now a part of Atkins - click here to find out more. Atkins 07 Apr Comments. At a building site deep in the French countryside, the dream of clean, limitless energy is accelerating towards reality.

Cadarache, 35 miles north east of Marseille, is home to the ITER site, which will be the biggest experimental nuclear fusion reactor in the world when it is complete. Since , Atkins has been part of the evolution of the ITER site, providing architect engineer services as part of the Engage consortium, with Assystem, Egis and Empresarios Agrupados. The work covers the design of the buildings and construction coordination. The scope of the project is vast: It is the most complex machine on earth.

ITER is engineering in its most extreme form. In order for fusion to take place, the temperature inside the tokamak must reach million degrees centigrade — ten times hotter than the core of the sun. Triggering a nuclear fusion reaction — which is calculated to produce MW of thermal power — requires the injection of 50MW of heating power. Designing for this environment demands special skills and the ability to unravel complex problems.

Buildings need to safely accommodate a vast array of pipework and cables, as well as numerous embedments — thousands of plates pre-positioned in the walls, floors and ceilings, which act as fixing points for heavy equipment.

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