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For full details and to register to join, please visit the event website.
Please briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience with regards to the management of ageing nuclear assets
Dr Paul Gibbons (PG): I am the asset management lead within the nuclear decommissioning authority [NDA] having joined in June 2020. I have 40 years of managing assets and asset management experience complemented by an MSC in Maintenance Engineering and Asset Management as well as an Engineering Doctorate with research focused on improving asset management. I am also Fellow and AMP in the IAM and a Fellow of the IET.
In my role at the NDA I have two main priorities:
- Across the whole of the NDA I provide oversight for good practice asset management to all the asset management teams, collaborating to develop and implement good practice guides to manage ageing nuclear assets.
- On the Dounreay site I am helping the team develop their asset management capability moving away from a nuclear licence focused approach to one focused on the mission whilst also satisfying the nuclear licence requirements.
What is the top challenge facing your industry at present?
PG: Managing the risks associated with a fast-degrading asset portfolio that still needs to be kept to a level of integrity whilst it is being decommissioned.
How would you say your industry has evolved over the past two years?
PG: The ‘clock speed’ of change within the nuclear sector is slow compared to others but in the last couple of years I have seen an evolution towards more use of digital and focusing on the mission in hand rather than managing site as if they are still generating power.
What developments are going on in your industry that may have an impact on the development of future approaches to nuclear asset management and decommissioning?
PG: Bringing in digital and other good practice approaches to asset management.
What will you be presenting at the ‘Managing Ageing Nuclear Assets and Decommissioning’ conference and how will this benefit participants?
PG: My talk is about ‘Developing and Implementing a Dedicated Asset Management Process for the Management of Ageing Assets in a Nuclear Decommissioning Context – A Case Study Example’. The talk will showcase how a dedicated asset management process was developed as part of the asset management system for the Dounreay site. Attendees will benefit from seeing first hand how the theory and external good practice is translated into something meaningful for the Dounreay team.
Which other speakers and presentations are you looking forward to hearing at the forthcoming seminar?
PG: Looking at the programme it is difficult to single out individual speakers and presentations. They all look really good!
Why is it important for engineers and industry to come together at this event and share best practice?
PG: Collaboration and knowledge sharing is an important part of self-development as well as business improvement. Without these types of events we will become myopic to our own and our business practices.
The Managing Ageing Nuclear Assets and Decommissioning conference will take place on 22-23 May 2024 at the Emirates Stadium, Manchester.
Bringing together the foremost site holders and experts together with the industry regulators, the conference is a key forum to address both the challenges of maintaining asset integrity beyond intended lifecycle and the process of decommissioning.
Presentations include input from Office for Nuclear Regulation, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield, Harbour Energy, Sellafield, AWE, UKAEA, Cavendish Nuclear and more.
For full details and to register to join, please visit the event website.