Institution news
For further information about the event and to join, please visit the event website.
Could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience related to the focus of this event?
Greg Jones (GJ): I work in the Design Authority for EDF Nuclear Operations, supporting the Generating and Defuelling Reactors. I am the Subject Matter Expert for Cranes and Lifting Safety Cases, and much of my time is also spent working on the Fuel Route, which involves a lot of lifting and handling activities of both new and irradiated fuel. My role covers both Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear Safety aspects of lifting. I have been on the steering committee of the event for the last few seminars and have presented in the past.
What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's conference?
GJ: It's always valuable to learn from the experience from other licensees and supporting organisations and to get out of our own bubbles. This year there are some presentations on significant NDE programmes and preventative maintenance which I'm hoping will give me some ideas that can be applied to our ageing asset base.
What do you consider to be the key areas of innovation in this industry, both in the UK and internationally?
GJ: It is a relatively conservative industry so innovation comes slowly, however one technology that has proved useful in recent years is 3D scanning. This captures both a point cloud and 'streetview' style record of scanned plant areas. This has been used on some less accessible cranes and has proven useful as both a learning and planning tool, enabling virtual tours of the plant.
Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
GJ: I'm interested to hear about the new build progress at Hinkley Point C - although I work for EDF if it is a different part of the company and some really impressive steps have been made over the last year which I'm keen to hear about in more detail.
Why is it important for engineers to join this conference?
GJ: We have some really interesting presentations lined up this year, covering a variety of topics from some major players in the industry. It's therefore a great chance to hear what others have been up to and what they have learnt along the way, and even if it's not immediately applicable in your own area it is a great form of 'broadening' CPD that will build your knowledge base.
The Nuclear Lifting 2024 seminar will take place on 19 November 2024 at ETC Venues Manchester
Taking place for the 10th time in 2024 and the only event of its kind, this is a key forum for those conducting high risk lifting to discover engineering solutions to the technical and environmental challenges.
New presentations will share best practice and lessons learned from projects across the industry, with input from SSE, Office for Nuclear Regulation, Sellafield, EDF Nuclear Services, Babcock, Jacobs SME Nuclear Remote Handling, The National Nuclear Lifting Forum and more.
For the full agenda and to register to join the discussions at this year's seminar, please visit the event website.