New Build

In terms of nuclear construction, maintenance and operational support, the UK industry has almost complete design, manufacture, construction and operational support capability for nuclear power and fuel cycle facilities. This accounts for approximately 70% of new build requirements.  

UK contractors, manufacturers and engineers have gained extensive experience from the building, operation, maintenance and upgrading of nuclear plant and facilities in the UK and abroad.  The UK is one of very few countries that have licensed the three leading second reactor technologies.  With regards to operations, the UK has developed state of the art inspection techniques that have been applied in the lifetime management of many reactors worldwide.

 The UK has a long history of innovation and expertise in thermal power generation generally, not just in manufacture and installation of equipment, but in consultancy, engineering, project and asset management. UK-based companies have strong design and manufacturing abilities for prime movers for power generation. UK-produced steam turbines are supplied worldwide and operate primarily in the 1 MW to 40MW range, although there is manufacturing capability up to 500MW. Major power generation contractors in the UK include such world-renowned companies as Rolls Royce, Peter Brotherhood, Siemens, ABB, Alstom, AMEC, Costain and Doosan Babcock. Below the level of the main contractors there is a long supply chain encompassing a large number of products essential to nuclear power projects. UK companies in this supply chain include Thompson Valves (bellows-sealed globe valves, bellows-sealed and packed gland needle valves and Manifolds, ball valves and butterfly valves), Centronic (radiation detectors), Antech (instrumentation for the measurement and identification of radionuclides and special nuclear materials in waste).

UK companies can supply a range of electrical transmission and distribution equipment from large transformers, HVDC and protection relay equipment to low voltage transformers, switchgear and smart meters. Other key transmission system components manufactured in the UK include FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission System) equipment, such as conventional static VAR compensators (SVC) and novel Statcom devices which control voltage directly. Quadrature boosters, which enable variable line compensation, are another leading-edge HV network control device designed and manufactured in this country. UK companies are able to design and manufacture a range of transformers, switchgear and protection equipment.  UK companies working in this area include Balfour Beatty (whole power transmission and distribution networks), Areva T&D (construction of high and medium voltage substations, power grid management), EA Technology (power asset management), Brush Transformers (manufacture of distribution, power, dry type, traction and flameproof transformers) and Lucy Switchgear (switching and protection solutions for electrical distribution systems).
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