EDF Energy appoints UK inspection agency
03 November 2010
Lloyd's Register Apave has been appointed by EDF Energy as its independent third-party inspection agency (ITPIA) for the new nuclear power plants it plans to construct in the UK.
EDF Energy is required under UK licensing regulations to appoint a third-party inspection agency to conduct, at a minimum, conformity assessments for the design, manufacture, examination, testing and final verification of the pressure equipment for main primary system and its assembly as well as the main secondary system, its assembly and the preparation, signing and issue of the associated certificates for each item of equipment.
The company has now appointed Lloyd's Register Apave - a newly-created joint-venture between the UK risk management organisation Lloyd's Register and the French risk control business Apave – to fulfil this role.
Together with its investment partner, Centrica, EDF Energy plans to build four Areva EPR reactors by 2025, two each at its Hinkley Point and Sizewell sites. The company expects the first unit, at Hinkley Point C, to be operating by 2018.
Alan Cumming, procurement director for EDF Energy Nuclear New Build, said: "This project is all about getting things right first time, every time. Without a solid foundation in safety and quality no project will be successful."
He added, "We are delighted to be working with Lloyd's Register Apave, as the type of independent-inspection services they will provide will greatly assist the management of the project. Such third-party verification will help us to be sure that the project is delivered with the sort of 'relentless predictability' that both we, as a prospective licensee, demand, and that the regulators expect."
The value of the contract was not disclosed. However, Lloyd's Register said, "The deal represents one of the largest single contracts in the 250-year history of the Lloyd's Register Group."
Richard Sadler, CEO of Lloyd's Register commented, "This is a very important contract for us in that it helps us to fulfil our public-benefit mandate and reinforces our position in the British nuclear industry at a time when society's historic commitment to carbon-based fuels has come under increased scrutiny."
Lloyd's Register has been involved with over 85 nuclear projects worldwide and was the ITPIA for the Sizewell B plant, the latest plant to be built in the UK.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News