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Jonathan explained his role and involvement with regards to the seminar, what he is looking forward to at the event and why it is important for engineers to attend.
Q: Could you briefly explain your role, involvement and experience with regards to flooding risk and protection?
Jonathan Jones (JJ): I work for EDF Energy’s Nuclear New Build (NNB) business within the Design Authority function. As the Safety Case Branch Manager for Sizewell C, and previously for Hinkley Point C, I have overall responsibility for developing the external hazards safety case for the site. This includes the flooding hazard from all sources. Our work covers all aspects from initial hazard definition and characterisation, on through to the development of protection measures and on to future activities linked to the justification of the ongoing adequacy of the safety case and protection measures. I have worked as a safety case professional in the UK nuclear industry for more than twenty years, both within consultancy and licensee roles. Throughout this time, I have been involved in flooding safety cases for nuclear licensed sites and external hazards more generally.
Q: What are the main engineering challenges being encountered when it comes to preparing your assets against changes in climatic conditions?
JJ: The key challenge for a new build nuclear power station relates to the long timeline associated with design, construction, operation and decommissioning of such facilities against the evolving understanding of climate change. Our designs need to be robust and adaptable against climate change for timescales of greater than 100 years. Decisions made now will affect the lives of those not born yet and it is vital that our sites are adaptable, and our decision making is conservative.
Q: Where do you think the main solution to rising sea levels lies in terms of retrofitting infrastructure?
JJ: New nuclear power stations are designed against hazard magnitudes consistent with a return period of 10,000 years and are demonstrated to be resilient to hazard magnitudes with a return period of 1,000,000 years. The assessed hazard magnitudes include a conservative view of the impact of climate change. Notwithstanding the fact that new nuclear power stations should resist all hazards, provision is made for retrofitting additional infrastructure to provide additional defences against coastal flooding. For coastal flooding, Hinkley Point C makes provision for a set-back wall behind the sea wall and Sizewell C has made provision for raising the height of the sea defences.
Drainage arrangements at both sites will ensure groundwater is adequately controlled and the sites are designed so that even bounding levels of pluvial flooding cannot enter safety related structures. No adaptation should therefore be required for pluvial flooding, although options exist to make further claims on existing systems or to further adapt the sites.
Following Fukushima, EDF has also created strategic equipment stores around the UK so that EDF has a dedicated fleet of construction vehicles available for temporary works.
Q: What are the developments in flood protection to watch for in the future?
JJ: The main issue for new nuclear is developments in coastal flooding protection.
Q: Why do you think it is so important for engineers to join in the future discussion around industrial flooding?
JJ: Generally speaking, the cost of preventing damage to industrial plants is much lower than the longer-term cost of remediating the damage, so it makes good economic sense to ensure that facilities are adequately protected from the start. As an industry, public perception is vital to our success and this includes the robustness of our sites to external hazards.
The Industrial Flooding seminar on 18 March will form part of a two-day climate change focused event with a half-day pre-seminar workshop on the new BS EN ISO 14090 standard, taking place on 17 March.
Key reasons to attend:
- Hear case studies from leading engineering organisations including E.ON, EDF Energy, Yorkshire Water, AWE and Anglian Water
- Make the most out of flood modelling to predict flow paths and rates to make the right planning choices
- Learn best practice for retrofitting current assets as well as designing new assets to withstand more frequent and increased severity of weather events
- Ensure you are meeting the requirements of the new standard BS EN ISO 14090 by attending our half-day workshop hosted by Climate Sense and BSI
- Network with health, safety and environment, flooding risk managers, design engineers from engineering organisations as well as experts from government agencies, academia and flooding protection providers
To book your place, please visit www.imeche.org/industrialflooding.