Jun 26 (NucNet): One of the lessons learned from the European pressurised water reactor (EPR) project at Olkiluoto in Finland is that it is essential to effectively manage and develop the supply chain, Areva’s UK marketing director Robert Davies told a London conference* today.
Talking about the delay to the project to construct Olkiluoto-3, Mr Davies said that with 1,600 suppliers from 29 countries supplying parts and services to the unit, Areva had learned some lessons about its supply chain.
Last year, the French-German Areva-Siemens consortium constructing the unit said commissioning is now scheduled for the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011, a delay of up to one year from previous estimates because construction work had been slower than planned.
Other speakers at today’s conference voiced concerns that the supply chain could be a weak link in plans to construct new nuclear reactor units in the UK.
Westinghouse Electric’s Nils Breckenridge said everyone knows there is a global bottleneck with heavy forgings, but emphasised there could be problems “right down the line” and they must be eliminated.
“Is there enough concrete? he said. “It’s not just a question of checking your suppliers, but checking their suppliers, their suppliers’ sub-contractors, all the way down.”
British Energy Group chairman Sir Adrian Montague agreed there are “pinch points” in the supply chain and said with energy companies sourcing most components overseas, this could present problems.
* Nuclear New Build: The Role of the Private Sector is organised by City & Financial Conferences and is being held from 26-27 June 2007 at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in London.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Foundation Stone Laid At New Finnish Unit (News No. 146, 12 September 2005)
New Commissioning Date Announced For Finland’s Olkiluoto-3 (News No. 257, 4 December 2006)
