Under the oversight of the Nuclear Development Committee (NDC), the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) continues to work on collecting and analysing the latest technical evidence and industrial experience to support construction costs and risk reductions of new nuclear builds. Accordingly, the NEA published in July 2020, “Unlocking Reductions in the Construction Costs of Nuclear: A Practical Guide for Stakeholders” (REDCOST), in an attempt to develop strategies and governing guidelines on how to unlock meaningful cost reductions in the deployment of large Gen-III reactors over the next decade and beyond within OECD countries.

Building on past and recent construction experience, this study identifies eight technological, organisational, regulatory and policy levers to incrementally drive positive learning in new nuclear builds. In particular, two main technology approaches could be rapidly implemented to deliver cost reductions in the short-term:

• Digital transformation;
• Advanced construction and manufacturing methods.

The NEA has launched the Advanced Technology and Nuclear Cost (ATNC) initiative with the objective to provide decision makers with a clear understanding of the development stage of these technology approaches, their cost reduction potentials and the challenges that may preclude their large-scale deployment. The first workshop was organised in May 2021 to assess the opportunities and challenges associated with digital transformation of the nuclear sector. The second workshop addressed recent developments in construction and manufacturing methods for both large and small modular reactors, while exploring potential ways to accelerate their implementation.

Video recording: Day 1

Video recording: Day 2

DAY 1: 14:00-17:30 CET

14:00-14:30 Opening session 

• William D. Magwood, IV, Director-General, NEA
• Michel Heijdra, Director of the Electricity Department and Deputy Director-General of Climate Policy and Energy, Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy

14:30-16:00 Session 1: Panel on lessons learned from the construction of past and recent large nuclear projects

Moderator: 

• Diane Cameron, Head of Division for Nuclear Technology Development and Economics, NEA

Panellists:

• Harry Chang, Vice President – New Nuclear Business Department, KHNP
• Didier Noël, Methods-Temporary Works Lead for Hinkley Point C, Bylor JV
• Gregory Preston Barnett, Oversight Manager, Georgia Power Company

16:00-17:30 Session 2: Panel on insights into advanced construction and manufacturing techniques

Moderator: 

• Hasan Charkas, Principal Technical Leader, EPRI

Panellists: 

• Bassam Burgan, Director, Steel Construction Institute
• Guillaume Hervé-Secourgeon, Senior Engineer Researcher, EDF
• Steve Jones, Chief Technology Officer, Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre
• Ashley Finan, Director of the National Reactor Innovation Center, INL

DAY 2: 14:00-17:30 CET

14:00-14:15 Opening session

• Kirsty Gogan, Managing Partner, LucidCatalyst and Co-founder, TerraPraxis

14:15-15:45 Session 3: Panel on improving constructability with small, modular and innovative nuclear designs

Moderator:

• Chirayu Batra, Nuclear Project Officer (SMR), IAEA

Panelists:

• Giorgio Locatelli, Full Professor, Politecnico di Milano
• Andrew Sowder, Senior Technical Executive, EPRI
• Jaimie Johnston MBE, Head of Global System, Bryden Wood
• Eric Ingersoll, Founder and Managing Director, TerraPraxis

15:45-17:15 Session 4: Panel on enabling the implementation of new construction and manufacturing techniques in the nuclear sector

Moderator:

• Christopher Fong, Deputy Head of Division for Nuclear Safety Technology and Regulation, NEA

Panellists:

• Julien Niepceron, Engineer, EDF; and Codification Leader of Steel Concrete Structures, AFCEN
• Carolyn Fairbanks, Senior Materials Engineer, US Regulatory Commission
• Stephanie Smith, President and CEO, CANDU Owners Group
• Ronan Tanguy, CORDEL Project Manager, World Nuclear Association
• Mark Tipping, Global Power to X Director, Lloyd’s Register

17:15-17:30 Closing session

• Sama Bilbao y León, Director General, World Nuclear Association