Construction and Commissioning

Key Issue: Nuclear Construction Culture

Nuclear construction projects have several unique aspects and requirements when compared with other large scale construction efforts.
This reality presents a key challenge of meeting the additional nuclear specific construction requirements and expectations while also delivering the project within reasonable tolerances of schedule and budget. While previous efforts to eliminate unnecessary burdens will be informative, more will be needed to right-size approaches for advanced reactors.

Priority

1

Status

On Track

Establish a mindset of “optimal effort for maximum effect” for the construction of advanced reactors: Establish an industry initiative to develop right-sized approaches for nuclear construction activities. In particular, processes should be established that eliminate unnecessary or burdensome work that adds little or no value to the project. Similar actions are present in engineering and procurement.

Action Owner: Group of Industry Leaders

Need Date:  Before New Projects begin

Key Issue: Advanced Construction Technologies and Standardization

The key challenge is that many new designs are looking to use new, unproven construction technologies. The action to address this
is to review and provide assessments of upcoming new technologies. Such assessments should provide an overview of users so that industry stakeholders can reach an agreed-on and clear pathway to commissioning.
Trade organizations must be engaged early to ensure that these groups are aware of and train apprentices and journeypersons on using the
collection of innovative tools, machinery, modifications, and so on, during the construction phase of a project.

Priority

2

Status

On Track

Develop, Enable and Utilize new construction technologies: Assess the capability of new construction technologies for achieving schedule and workforce reductions. Engage AR developers and construction modularization experts to close technology and codification gaps. If needed perform construction demonstrations and tests to accelerate their deployment.

Action Owner:  NGOs

Need Date:  Start date 2023 and continuing onward

Key Issue: Nuclear Construction Experience

The key challenge is that most nuclear owner/operators do not have recent construction oversight experience in new nuclear plant construction. Because of this barrier, owner/operators might lack the skills to take on a large new nuclear construction project.
The action to address this key challenge is to compile construction guidelines that contain information on adequate division of responsibilities, construction feasibility, and critical lessons learned from previous construction projects in and out of the nuclear industry. The best practices should be shared with project managers to avoid any future difficulties.

Priority

2

Status

On Track

Use existing construction experience and share new construction experience: Establish construction task force from EPCs experts to put together a generic project execution plan. The plan shall include strategies for project optimization considering various construction technologies planned to be used in the next generation nuclear power plants.

Action Owner:  NGOs, Industry Groups

Need Date:  Start date 2024 and continuing onward