Nuclear Issues Group Forward Programme 2011

The Nuclear Issues Group is a small group of select senior executives from across the nuclear industry. The group meets quarterly to discuss and analyse key policy, economic and regulatory developments and their implications across the sector. At each meeting members are addressed by high-profile guest speakers from the nuclear industry as well as related government and regulatory bodies and commentators.

Speakers generally address the group for 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes of discussion under the Chatham House Rule. This provides an excellent opportunity for members to gain a strong feel for the policy, regulatory and economic climate and use this as a basis for business decisions.

Past speakers at group meetings include:

Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, Alan Raymant, Sir David King, Tim Stone, David Senior, Professor Robert Pickard, Mark Higson, Dieter Helm, Paul Spence, Kevin Allars, Lord Smith of Finsbury, Chris Train and many more excellent speakers.

Over the next twelve months, the Nuclear Issues Group will focus on the following issues fundamental to the nuclear industry's development:

• The completion of the GDA and any an examination of any outstanding issues
• Continuing political support for new build
• How the move to a Major Infrastructure Unit will affect planning applications
• Electricity market reform and the impact on the economic attractiveness of nuclear new build
• Exploring the competitiveness of the UK nuclear market
• New build plans across Europe and beyond
• Examining the supply chain and procurement in the UK and the impact of a global skills market
• Understanding how nuclear can ensure the skills the industry requires are available  
• Developments in fuel cycle management and waste disposal

Members of the group, past and present, include representatives from:

Aker Kvaerner UK, AMEC Group, Arup, Atkins, British Nuclear Group, British Nuclear Fuels, British Energy, Centrica, CH2M Hill, DECC, Environment Agency, E.ON, Foster Wheeler Energy, Haliburton Company, IBM, Ministry of Defence, National Nuclear Laboratory, Nuvia, Oxera,  Rolls Royce, Sellafield, Shaw Group, UKAEA, Westinghouse, and White Young Green amongst others.

To preserve the select nature of the group, membership is by invitation only.

Meeting dates:

Wednesday 8th February 2012 – Annual Dinner

Confirmed after dinner speaker: Hergen Haye, Head of Nuclear New Build, Office for Nuclear Development

Thursday 9th February 2012

Moving towards a low carbon economy: the role for nuclear
Confirmed: David Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer, Committee for Climate Change
 
From planning to construction: the logistics of nuclear new build
Confirmed: Robert Davies, UK New Build Director, AREVA
 
What does Fukushima mean for the UK?
Confirmed: Bill Nuttall, Assistant Director, EPRG, Cambridge University
 
Public opinion and nuclear – what are the drivers?
Confirmed: Prof Nick Pidgeon, Professor of Environmental Psychology, Cardiff University

Tuesday 1st May 2012

An update from Horizon: progress made and next steps
Confirmed: Senior representative, Horizon Nuclear Power

Finalising the GDA process: a summary and lessons learned
Confirmed: Kevin Allars, Director for Nuclear New Build GDA, ONR

Managing existing nuclear assets
Confirmed: Valerie Kohler, Head of Asset Planning and Investment, British Energy

Progress on Geological Disposal Facility for Higher Activity Waste in the UK
Confirmed: Bruce McKirdy, Managing Director, Radioactive Waste Management Directorate

Thursday 5th July 2012

From planning to construction: the logistics of nuclear new build
Invited: Robert Davies, UK New Build Director, AREVA

Site license applications: assessing the requirements
Invited: Colin Patchett, Deputy Chief Inspector, ONR

Lessons from decommissioning WAGR
Invited: Chris Halliwell, Head of Programme Delivery, Sellafield

Enabling UK new build – equipping future nuclear engineers
Invited: Jean Llewellyn, CEO, NSAN