Office for Nuclear Regulation appoints Arup to help prepare the industry for changes ahead

Arup has been commissioned by ONR to contribute to research aimed at evaluating whether existing extreme climate change scenarios, used to plan for the impact of external hazards such as flooding and extreme air temperatures, need to be adjusted or adapted for use in UK-specific risk assessments and planning.

By providing a literature review, an evaluation of these scenarios, and a series of recommendations that establish best practices for the future, Arup will be helping to bridge the knowledge gap related to advanced climate change scenarios for nuclear facilities. While the existing scenarios are relevant for the design of nuclear facilities, they may not fully capture the impacts on specific system components, particularly concerning composite hazards such as coincident extreme temperatures and drought.

The nuclear industry needs to stay attuned to global trends and integrate insights from various disciplines into the safety design and construction of nuclear facilities. Understanding the long-term impacts of climate change is essential because of the significant investments associated with nuclear sites.

Arup is also collaborating with Oaklin and MCM to bring its extensive knowledge management expertise to the UK nuclear industry for ONR. The partnership aims to support ONR through a knowledge and learning discovery exercise to inform robust knowledge capture, collaboration and organisational learning improvement planning.

These efforts ensure the retention and effective use of critical knowledge within the nuclear sector, while embracing technical advancements, staying responsive to global trends and improving resource efficiency to enable ONR to support the UK Government’s goals of energy security and net-zero emissions.

In addition to climate change scenarios research and knowledge management provision, Arup in partnership with Assystem, CRA Risk, Adelard and Cohesive, will deliver information and strategic advice to ONR on how the organisation could incorporate digital technologies into its regulatory practices to further foster innovation within the sector. 

The guidance will encompass digital engineering solutions on national and international regulatory engagement and an overview of current and emerging market trends within the nuclear sector. It will also highlight relevant transferable trends from other sectors contributing to enhanced safety and security and greater operational efficiency of nuclear power stations.

This project presents a chance for ONR to build upon and broaden its recent regulatory sandboxing strategy for artificial intelligence initiatives, ensuring regulation plays a key part in the development and adoption of existing and emerging digital solutions and technologies.