Forth Engineering, near Maryport, and Createc, of Cockermouth,
played host to Kiyoshi Ando, from the Nikkei Newspaper.
The 2 firms have built equipment, originally designed to solve
some of the unique challenges at the nearby Sellafield site,
which has been put into action at nuclear plants all over the
world.
Both companies have worked on the Sellafield site, and have
benefitted from the close UK-Japan relationships fostered by the
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Sellafield Ltd.
Mr Ando took the opportunity to speak to the region’s industry
specialists, learn more about the decommissioning sector and see
some of the cutting-edge technology being developed to solve some
of the world’s most complex nuclear challenges.
The visit, hosted by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and
Sellafield Ltd, was arranged by The British Embassy in Tokyo.
Dr Adrian Simper, Strategy and Technology Director at the NDA,
said:
The UK is at the leading edge of nuclear decommissioning. We
have made real progress in addressing some of the most complex
challenges, which involves finding ways of working safely in
the most hazardous environments known to man.
We are delighted to have this opportunity to work closely with
our Japanese colleagues and share knowledge and expertise which
will help them progress their own decommissioning mission. I’m
looking forward to the opportunities to learn from their
experience, in due course.
The NDA is committed to supporting research and development
that will find new, innovative and creative ways to safely
clean up the UK’s civil nuclear legacy. The nuclear supply
chain – particularly those who are based here in West Cumbria –
plays an absolutely vital role in helping the NDA deliver its
mission.
Createc, has pioneered imaging technology which has been tested
within Sellafield’s oldest and most hazardous plants. As a result
of the success, the company was awarded a contract to develop
innovative radiation sensors for use at the Fukushima nuclear
site in Japan.
Createc is the only partner working with Mitsubishi to develop
sensors for the Fukushima project. Createc has also just secured
a major new contract with Japanese engineering giant, Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries.
Forth Engineering was launched in 2000 by former Sellafield
apprentice Mark Telford. The Maryport business is now a global
specialist in remotely operated equipment and sensor systems.
Mr Telford believes that having Sellafield on the doorstep gives
West Cumbrian suppliers, like Forth, a huge advantage. He said:
It’s a testbed where we can develop unique skills and
technologies.
Sellafield needs innovative technology to undertake difficult
engineering tasks in harsh environments underwater.
Successfully using our technology at Sellafield means we can
then transfer it to other industries like marine and oil and
gas, which are looking for similar products.
Forth has built its own unique facility in West Cumbria, which is
used to simulate ponds and silos filled with radioactive waste,
where the robotic equipment is put through its paces before being
sent out to work on nuclear sites.
Over 1,500 delegates – including visitors from Japan, all over
Europe, the US and Canada – came to the recent NDA Supply
Chain Event in Manchester. The ever-popular Innovation Zone,
supported by the government’s Innovate UK, hosted around 40 UK
companies supplying leading-edge nuclear decommissioning
technologies.
