Nuclear, large and small; Alternative energy including
tidal and wind; Construction problems,
and White Tailed Eagles
REPORT
By Miles Shepherd
Executive Advisor & International Correspondent
Salisbury, England, UK
INTRODUCTION
Many readers will associate the United Kingdom with grey and dreary weather and so might be surprised to learn that the weather has been quite intemperate recently. We have basked in temperatures in excess of 40°C plus (104°F), the warmest since records began. We are not certain this is a manifestation of global warming but it certainly feels like it.
Climate change makes me wonder what we can do to prevent any further damage to our planet and in turn that makes me ponder the energy we use. In these troubled times, events in Ukraine have brought home the fragility of Western energy supply and this has impacted on the Project World so I will be looking at issues in
- Nuclear, large and small;
- Alternative energy including tidal and wind;
- Related issues including construction problems from supply chain issues to legislative matters.
While Christmas may be the season to be joy, the English high summer is better known as the “Silly Season” – when captains of industry and Members of Parliament can be expected to be absent on their vacations. Thus there is little news of “value” according to the Fleet Street editors. So we get some strange stories emerging. A couple of these are highlighted towards the end of this report.
NUCLEAR NEWS
- Hinkley B
Watchers of UK’s “Old Nuclear” shed a tear at the start of August as the last reactor at the Hinkley site was powered down. Operator EDF Energy shut down the plant earlier than planned after cracking was detected in the graphite bricks that surround the fuel rods in the reactor core.
EDF Energy has permanently switched off the second reactor at Hinkley Point B near Bridgewater, Somerset, 46 years after it first sent power to the national grid.
The nuclear fuel will soon start being removed the from the reactors, which will take several take several years. After the fuel is removed, both reactors will be handed over to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Mike Davies, station director of Hinkley Point B, said: “This is a day of mixed emotions for all of us. We are justifiably proud of everything this station and its workforce have given to Somerset, and indeed the country, over decades of operations.” EDF claim that Hinkley B has contributed to saving 105.5m tonnes of CO2 emissions while generating low carbon electricity for 81 million homes since it went on stream in 1976.
- Hinkley C
Those who watch late night TV were treated to a splendid insight into mega projects when the BBC aired another set of programmes on the Hinkley C construction. The sheer scale of the project is astounding. Most press releases feature a forest of construction cranes surrounding the nuclear island, where the reactor will sit, but this month a less visible element has been installed as two floating cranes arrived to lowered the first of four 5000 tonne water inlet units for the new power station. Nicknamed Gulliver, it is 354ft (108m) in length and can lift 4,000 tonnes and has been joined by Rambiz. The units are double the height of a double decker bust and require to be orientated with just 40mm tolerance.
Image: Ben Birchall/PA
More…
To read entire report, click here
How to cite this report: Shepherd, M. (2021). UK Project Management Roundup; PM World Journal, Vol. XI, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/pmwj120-Aug2022-Shepherd-UK-project-management-roundup-report.pdf
About the Author
Miles Shepherd
Salisbury, UK
Miles Shepherd is an executive editorial advisor and international correspondent for PM World Journal in the United Kingdom. He is also managing director for MS Projects Ltd, a consulting company supporting various UK and overseas Government agencies, nuclear industry organisations and other businesses. Miles has over 30 years’ experience on a variety of projects in UK, Eastern Europe and Russia. His PM experience includes defence, major IT projects, decommissioning of nuclear reactors, nuclear security, rail and business projects for the UK Government and EU. Past Chair, Vice President and Fellow of the Association for Project Management (APM), Miles is also past president and chair and a Fellow of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). He was a Director for PMI’s Global Accreditation Centre and is immediate past Chair of the ISO committee developing new international standards for Project Management and for Program/Portfolio Management. Miles is Chair of the British Standards Institute’s Committee on Project, Programme and Portfolio Management and has been involved in the development of Uk’s BSI 6079 for more than 25 years. He was involved in setting up APM’s team developing guidelines for project management oversight and governance. Miles is based in Salisbury, England and can be contacted at miles.shepherd@msp-ltd.co.uk.
To view other works by Miles Shepherd, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at http://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/miles-shepherd/.
