Nuclear Decommissioning Authority reveals the technologies driving its future

These technologies will be deployed across functional and operational areas, including asset management, operations and maintenance, integrated waste management, projects, decommissioning and remediation, nuclear transportation and logistics, research, development and innovation, and end-user applications.

The NDA’s strategic development will also focus on agreeing and implementing group-wide data and digital architecture principles, establishing a single data dictionary and publishing group-wide data standards by domain. It adds: “We will harmonise data governance approaches, implement a data quality framework, and develop common master data management and data retention processes. This will enable better interoperability, trusted decision-making, and more effective sharing and exploitation of our critical information assets.”

The NDA will also set up a group Geographic Information System.

The latest strategy document also highlights some success with digital twins: “In our previous [strategy document], we described the decision for Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) to adopt a near-term dismantling strategy at Trawsfynydd and Dungeness A, and for Trawsfynydd to be the lead site for dismantling of Magnox reactors. Since this change of strategy, NRS has been developing tactics for dismantling work at Trawsfynydd.

“Our learning from this is helping inform strategy development across our other Magnox reactor sites. For example, our work at Trawsfynydd has highlighted the value of digital twinning to inform our planning work and the implications of different approaches that might be adopted to breaking into the reactor (for example, top-down or side entry).”

Keep up to date with DC+: sign up for the midweek newsletter.