Project partners
Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT)
CIEMAT is a public research body assigned to the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the Secretariat of State for Research, Development and Innovation, focusing on energy and environment and the technologies related to them. It has offices in several different regions of Spain, and its activity is structured around projects which form a bridge between R&D&I and social interest goals. It collaborates with other R&D&I institutions, universities and business in the sector to transfer the knowledge and technology that it has generated, supporting and encouraging innovation and changing the economic model.
CIEMAT took over from the old Junta de Energía Nuclear (JEN), which since 1951 had led research in nuclear fission energy production and control in Spain. In the decade of the eighties, it opened to new energy alternatives and to applied study of the environmental impact of energy. At present, the main lines of action are the study, development, promotion and optimisation of various sources as: renewable energies, nuclear fusion, nuclear fission and fossil fuels; the study of their impact on the environment, development of new technologies; not forgetting areas of basic research such as high-energy physics and molecular and cellular biology. Its R&D&I activity is framed in national and international settings, and is complemented by activities such as education, technology transfer, rendering technical services, advising to the administrations and representation of Spain in a diversity of international forums. Its mission is to contribute to sustainable development of the country and to the quality of life of its citizens through the generation and application of scientific and technological knowledge. Its goal is to maintain its position as a centre of excellence in energy, environment and technology and in basic research.
Over the past 60 years Structural Materials Division of Technology Department has been deeply involved with the nuclear industry, and more specifically with the Spanish commercial plants, serving as support to various problems that have arisen over exploitation. From reactor vessel to steam generators passing through internal components, the group has participated actively in numerous projects related to the nuclear field, allowing to acquire a sufficient knowledge degree to successfully address this initiative. In particular the Structural Materials Division is strongly involved in the European Framework Programs since the 4 FP, having participate in different research projects such as CASTOC, TECLA, SPIRE, EUROTRANS-DEMETRA, LIRES, PERFECT, HELIMNET, PERFORM60, GETMAT, LONGLIFE, among others. Besides the already mentioned European projects, the group has participated in recent years in three projects sponsored by EPRI, UNESA and Spanish Nuclear Safety Council, relating to the determination of crack growth rates of alloys 600/82/182 and 690/52/152 in PWR reactor primary water environment. These projects have resulted in three documents belonging to the EPRI MRP program.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. (VTT)
VTT is the biggest multi-technological applied research organisation in Northern Europe, and is a part of the Finnish innovation system under the domain of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. VTT is a not-for-profit organisation that employs around 2700 people, out of which about 200 are active in nuclear energy R&D, and has an annual turnover of approx. 270 M€. VTT performs comprehensive contracted research in industry driven programmes on nuclear waste management, plant life management, operational and structural safety as well as on nuclear fuel performance. VTT is the major technical support organisation for the nuclear safety authority STUK as well as for the power companies. VTT participates and has participated in numerous European projects (e.g., SOTERIA, INCEFA+, PERFORM60, PERFECT, MULTIMETAL, SCWR-FQT etc.) on various aspects of nuclear power plant safety. In particular the Nuclear Reactor Materials team and its associate teams in the Nuclear Safety unit have a long track record in relating materials performance to microstructure, environmental conditions, aging effects and loading phenomena.
VTT has been active in generating test data on EAC initiation in the national programme on reactor safety as well developing bellows loading testing equipment for initiation testing, fatigue testing, crack growth rate testing and J-R testing. VTT has performed investigations on materials behaviour in super critical environment both in national and EU-projects. A particular area of speciality for VTT is post-testing examinations by optical and electron microscopy, with the aim to better understand the role of microstructure evolution in a material’s cracking response in particular, and material deformation in general.
Nuclear AMRC (NAMRC)
The UK’s Nuclear Advance Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) was established in December 2009 under the leadership of the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with the University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute and its establishment was supported by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. Nuclear AMRC is owned by the University of Sheffield and part of the world-leading AMRC cluster based at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in South Yorkshire. Nuclear AMRC is also part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC), an alliance of seven leading manufacturing research centres backed by Innovate UK. Nuclear AMRC operates as a collaboration of academic and industrial partners from across the nuclear manufacturing supply chain, with the mission of helping UK nuclear manufacturers win work at home and worldwide.
Nuclear AMRC is a fundamental element in the UK vision for 21st century nuclear manufacture. As such, in addition to supporting manufacture of new nuclear generating capacity (including Small Modular Reactors) Nuclear AMRC has a key role to play in the development of technologies to manufacture the equipment required for the continued operation of the current fleet of ageing reactors and the decommissioning and waste management at legacy sites such as Sellafield and Dounreay. The Nuclear AMRC helps UK companies win work in the nuclear sector. It achieves this through two key programmes: Manufacturing innovation – working with manufacturers to develop the technical capability to compete on cost, quality and delivery, and developing new techniques and technologies for the nuclear sector. The Nuclear AMRC factory is an open access centre home to over £30m of advanced manufacturing technology and over 100 highly qualified engineers and sector experts. Supplier development – helping UK companies compete locally and globally in the nuclear sector by raising quality standards, developing capability across all aspects of running a business and increasing cost competitiveness. Nuclear AMRC currently deliver two supplier programmes, a high intensity 4 year match funded programme for 10 pre-competed companies, and a less intensive general business improvement programme called Fit 4 Nuclear covering a larger volume of manufacturing suppliers. Both programmes can significantly help shape the future of UK manufacturing by identifying and working with the supply chain and developing their business model through manufacturing innovation targeting real market demand in a competitive way.
Since our launch, we have worked with hundreds of businesses, including many SMEs, to help them to become more competitive. In 2015, we helped companies win over £650 million of new business and create or sustain over 3,500 jobs.
The University of Manchester (UNIMAN)
The Materials Performance Centre at the University of Manchester has a suite of 10 autoclaves that are used for materials performance testing in high temperature as BWR and PWR condition. Seven of them are fully refreshed to enable the accurate control of water chemistry (Li, B, and impurities) and dissolved gasses (hydrogen and oxygen). Every autoclave is setup for electrochemical and impedance measurements with external pressure balanced Ag/AgCl reference electrode that can operate in high purity water or an internal Pt/Pd pseudo reference electrode. The MPC has also two rigs for oxidation testing in high temperature hydrogenated steam at temperature in excess of 500°C. These facilities were developed in house and, thanks to the use of high precision digital flow meters and dosing pump, it is possible reproduce environmental conditions that are relevant to PWR primary water but at accelerated kinetics. In one rig it is possible to carry out testing of self loaded samples (e.g. C-rings, 3 or 4 point bent sample). The second rig is coupled with a 10kN Instron tensile machine and therefore it is possible to carry out test under dynamic loading conditions.
As a collaborator/UK partner in the proposed program, the University of Manchester will be an integral part of this program through the utilization of two key facilities: the School of Materials Electron Microscopy Centre and the Dalton Cumbrian Irradiation Facility. The Electron Microscopy Centre includes several state-of-the-art analytical electron microscopes including an FEI aberration-corrected Titan “ChemiSTEM”, a new FEI Talos 4-quadrant SDD analytical electron microscope, and two new state-of-the-art FIBs, including a plasma FIB, and17 additional AEMs, FIBs, and SEMs. In addition to these electron microscopes and FIBs, Ditabis digital image plates are also available to high sensitivity electron diffraction analysis, which will be critical for this research program. The Dalton Cumbrian Facility is a new laboratory for proton and ion irradiation of materials, and has a high current TORVIS and low current SNICS sources for proton and ion irradiations.
Centrum výzkumu Řež s.r.o. (CVR)
The research organization CVR, UJV Group Member, was established in 2002 as a daughter company of UJV Rez. Its principal mission is to perform applied R&D in energy and neutron physics as well as act as Czech Technical Safety Organization (TSO). Two research reactors and a set of experimental equipment (probes and loops) form the backbone of the research infrastructure of the company. This makes CVR able to participate in sophisticated research projects of GEN II & III and participate in the development of new technologies for GEN IV and the fusion reactor technology.
The core activities of CVR involve fundamental and applied research on experimental research reactors LVR-15 and LR-0. Another activities are arising from the participation of CVR in the international Jules Horowitz Reactor project, national and international projects (especially in FP7 projects: MATISSE, CORONA, ARCADIA, NUGENIA+ and SOTERIA). CVR is a member of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and since 2010 represents the Czech Republic in the EERA managing body – Executive Committee, thereby participating in the realization of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan). CVR is also a member (and co-founder) of the Technology Platform ‘Sustainable Energy CR’.
Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN)
The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, created in 1952, is a Foundation of Public Utility with a legal status according to private law under the tutorial of the Belgian federal Minister in charge of Energy. SCK CEN has more than 700 employees, of which one third have an academic degree. SCK CEN was created in order to give the Belgian academic and industrial world access to the worldwide development of nuclear energy. Since 1991, the statutory mission gives the priority to research on issues of societal concern:
– Safety of nuclear installations,
– Radiation protection,
– Safe treatment and disposal of radioactive waste,
– Fight against uncontrolled proliferation of fissile materials.
SCK CEN also develops, gathers and spreads its knowledge through education and communication, and its available know-how and installations are also used for services to the nuclear industry, the medical sector and the government.
The main research facilities of SCK CEN are:
– BR1, Belgian Reactor 1, is a 4 MWth graphite-moderated, air-cooled reactor. BR1 offers flexible irradiation and calibration services. The reactor is available to other research centres, universities and the industry, and plays an important role in the education of scientists. – BR2, Belgian Reactor 2, is one of the most powerful research reactors in the world, used for the testing of fuels and materials for different reactor types and for the European fusion programme. It is also a main instrument for the
production of radioisotopes for medical and industrial applications and for silicon doping for the electronics industry.
– BR3, Belgian Reactor 3, was a prototype of the pressurised water reactors (PWR’s). It was selected as a European pilot project for the optimisation of decommissioning and decontamination techniques and processes and for the realistic assessment of costs.
– VENUS, a zero-power critical facility that was intensively used for the validation of reactor core configurations and criticality codes. During 2008 and 2009, the VENUS facility was modified in the framework of the GUINEVERE project. New experiments aim to provide an answer to the questions of on-line reactivity monitoring, subcriticality determination and operational procedures in ADS.
– HADES, the underground laboratory at a depth of 225 m, allows the study of clay as potential geological host formation for long-lived and highly active nuclear waste.
– LHMA, the Laboratory for High and Medium Activity evaluates the effects of irradiation on materials at use in actual and future nuclear installations. A wide variety of mechanical, physico-chemical and microstructure research tools are available in and out of remotely-operated hot-cells.
Additionally, the laboratories for Radiation Protection Dosimetry and Callibration and Low-level Radioactivity Measurements evaluate the internal contamination of employees and operators of the nuclear industry and the contamination of the territory,and the food chain. Furthermore, SCK CEN has specialised laboratories for up-to-date research in Radiobiology, Microbiology and Radioecology (e.g., genomic platform, bioreactors, growth chambers and greenhouses). The laboratories for reactor dosimetry, for material testing and for radiochemistry support the research reactors and other labs and provide services to external partners and clients.
Framatome GmbH (FRAM)
Framatome (formerly AREVA GmbH) is a company dedicated to the design and construction of nuclear power plants and research reactors, engineering, instrumentation & control, modernization maintenance and repair services, components manufacture and supply of nuclear fuel. Framatome, headquartered in Paris with regional subsidiaries in the U.S. and Germany, has a total workforce of 14,000 employees and is active in Eastern and Western Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa. Framatome offers experience, R&D, and unparalleled innovation and expertise in engineering, major project management, fuel, equipment and services supply for all reactors technologies, primarily for PWRs and BWRs. Serving as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Framatome/AREVA has built about 100 nuclear plants in 11 countries that provide about 30% of the world’s total installed nuclear power capacity and its experienced resources remain focused on the local needs of individual clients, wherever in the world they may be. The technical center of the Framatome GmbH in Erlangen offers:
– Comprehensive equipped corrosion laboratories for standard as well as electrochemical corrosion testing (8 refreshing loops),
– State of the art corrosion monitoring techniques (EN, EIS, DCPD),
– Metallography,
– Highly sophisticated characterization techniques such as dual beam high-resolution SEM, XRD and Surface TEM,
– Chemistry and radiochemistry facilities including a hot cell lab,
– Mechanical and technical testing facilities and on site residual stress measurement equipment.
The leading expertise areas of Framatome to be deployed in MEACTOS are therefore the planning, performance and evaluation of tailored laboratory tests under simulated plant conditions, in connection with the above mentioned highly sophisticated monitoring, and characterization techniques.
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
The Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) is the largest research centre for natural and engineering sciences within Switzerland. We perform world-class research in three main subject areas: Matter and Materials; Energy and the Environment; and Human Health. By conducting fundamental and applied research, we work on long-term solutions for major challenges facing society, industry and science.
PSI has a long tradition in energy research. With respect to nuclear energy, the Nuclear Energy and Safety Research Division (NES) has a unique position in Switzerland thanks to its heavy infrastructure, namely the Hot Laboratory with well-equipped hot cells and shielded zones for work and investigations on radioactive material. In addition, NES takes advantage of PSI’s large facilities, the Synchrotron Radiation Source (SLS) and the Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ). Based on this infrastructure and the know-how of its collaborators, NES is involved in three main topics of research: safety of currently operating LWRs, safety characteristics of future reactor concepts and related fuel cycles, and long-term safety of deep geological repositories for nuclear wastes of all kind. The work is being done on behalf of the federal government and in close cooperation with the Swiss waste management organization, Nagra, and the Swiss regulatory authority, ENSI. It also includes scientific services for the Swiss nuclear power plants. Most of the research is connected with international projects on a multi- or bi-national cooperation basis. Within NES, the Laboratory for Nuclear Materials (LNM) is the principal research unit and national centre of excellence in Switzerland in the domains of (radioactive) materials behaviour and ageing in nuclear installations. It provides material-related academic R&D contributions and scientific services to the sustainability of current and future nuclear installations for electricity and heat generation or waste reduction as well as to the performance of nuclear research facilities. A special emphasis is placed to the safety and safe long-term operation of the Swiss NPPs. LNM is engaged in academic teaching and education as well as in knowledge transfer in its activity fields contributing to the education of the future nuclear specialists and preservation of expertise and excellence. It operates a state-of-the-art laboratory and computing infrastructure and modelling tools for the characterization of (radioactive) materials and for the analysis & prediction of materials behaviour, integrity, safety and lifetime.
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STUBA)
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (hereinafter referred to as “STUBA”) is an educational and scientific institution. At present, it consists of seven faculties. All the faculties provide a study in accredited study programmes within the complex system of a bachelor, master and PhD. study. Faculties realise credit system compatible with the European credit transfer system enabling mutual mobility of students within European Union member countries and a larger European space. In the area of scientific and research activities the STU successfully joints European Union programmes. STU is a public university and offers education mainly in technical, technological, technicaleconomical, technical-information and technical-artistic fields of study. International cooperation is a significant area based on interactive contact with educational as well as scientific-research institutions of the countries all over the world. First of all, it is focused on solution of the joint projects within the EU framework and other international programmes, mobility of students, etc.
Institute of Nuclear and Physical Engineering (STUBA-INPE) at Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology is responsible for university education in the area of nuclear power engineering in Slovakia. During last 50 years more than 500 graduates found their jobs in different areas of peaceful use of ionizing radiation. Many of them are actually working in Slovak nuclear power plants or in Slovak Nuclear Regulatory Authority. Research at STUBA-INPE is oriented on various issues of operation of NPPs, reactor design, advanced reactors including Gen IV systems, nuclear safety, radiation protection and radioecology, material science, applications of spectroscopic methods, nuclear fuel cycle and decommissioning of NPPs. STUBA-INPE staff is based on 10 professors in physics, nuclear power engineering and material science. There are actually 50 employers (scientific or research workers) and about 20 PhD students. This institute is also a base for activity of Slovak Nuclear Society (SNUS) and the Slovak Centre for operation and Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities STUBA-INPE has a long tradition in the NDS investigation of RPV materials by use of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Has one of the largest groups of PAS specialist focussing on radiation effect studies in nuclear structural materials.
Électricité de France (EDF)
EdF was set up in 1946 out of the desire to have a national electrical utility that could help rebuild the country after the Second World War. Since its creation, the company has had the responsibility for generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity in France. EDF remains one of the European utilities with a significant R&D activity and effort on innovation. Around 2500 people are presently employed at EDF R&D, amongst which, 70% are researchers and executives, 32% women (in majority researchers and executives). The staff involved in this proposal belongs to EDF R&D’s Material and Mechanics of Components Department. MMC’s task is to carry out the investigations required to meet the safety, reliability and productivity requirements of industrial installations, in the fields of materials and thermomechanics. Its activity covers all energy production means (nuclear power plants, coal-fired power stations, combustion turbines, dams, etc.), the management of nuclear waste (storage, disposal, transmutation), and the support to the business services of the EDF group. 90% of the activity of the department is oriented towards the nuclear field. MMC is the combination of skills in the fields of metallurgy, corrosion, chemistry, mechanics and non-destructive evaluation. Its experts form a high level multidisciplinary team in the field of the behaviour and development of materials, as well as in the fields of mechanics and technology of some components.
Since several decades, EDF R&D develops engineering tools (tests & methodologies, models, numeric simulations) devoted to improve the knowledge on PWSCC in order to both predict and mitigate the occurrence of this component degrading phenomenon. Those tools are used to master the primary in-circuit components reliability. Therefore, their robustness is of primary importance for the management of the components susceptible to PWSCC. As an industrial group highly concerned by PWSCC problematic, the role of EDF R&D in MEACTOS project is to contribute for SCC tests and modelization programs, but also to maximize the added value of the experimental program for industrial usage, and to align the research program towards engineering strategic priorities.
Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG)
ZAG is the leading research and testing institute of its kind in Slovenia. It is a state-owned, independent, impartial and non-profit organisation. The activities of ZAG are: (a) research and development in the field of materials and construction; (b) quality control of materials and construction and the calibration and verification of measures, standards and reference materials; (c) specialized activities, comprising expert studies, tests and investigations, measurements, inspections, monitoring and analyses of the condition of structures and transport devices, traffic structures, the natural and built environment, analyses concerning the efficient use of energy use and renewables, and analyses concerning the immovable and movable cultural heritage. During the period 2011-2016, ZAG has been involved in more than 55 projects funded by the EU (5 of them were coordinated by ZAG) as well as 38 national projects, funded by the National research agency and Slovenian ministries. Furthermore, during this period ZAG carried out two research programmes (Building Materials and Building Structures), where the total amount of financing equalled 4.3 full-time equivalent which over the years merged into one programme. ZAG Ljubljana has 178 employees, including 60 researchers with university qualifications and academic titles. ZAG comprises 14 laboratories and sections, equipped with advanced laboratory infrastructure which provides quality performance in individual fields of activity.
ZAG became the leading institute by coupling of basic and applied knowledge and with its multidisciplinary approach which combines research and industrial research and development through many projects. It is well established in Slovenia and abroad. It is a member of many international forums, boards and associations among those also NUGENIA, ECG-COMON, CEN (European Committee for Standardization) and RILEM (International Union of Testing and Research Laboratories for Materials and Structures).
Main participation will come from the Laboratory for Metals, corrosion and anticorrosion protection. This laboratory has a broad experience in the research of stress corrosion cracking and other types of localized corrosion in nuclear-relevant materials. The in-situ detection (electrochemical noise, acoustic, etc.) and characterization of corrosion process is one of the main research fields. The laboratory has successfully carried out several related international and national research and applicative projects including several projects for NPP Krško.
Technologies for Nuclear Energy (RATEN)
The Institute for Nuclear Research Pitesti was founded in 1971 as a unit of strategic importance, having as field of activity the scientific research, design, technological development and scientific and technical responsibility for the development of nuclear
energy in Romania. The history of the 45 years of activity recorded a series of successive transformations generated by the development of the national economy and by the adaptation of the nuclear field objectives to the new requirements of the society which led to changing the institute’s name. Starting 1st October 2013, the Institute for Nuclear Research Pitesti (ICN) becomes a subsidiary of the State Owned Company “Technologies for Nuclear Energy (RATEN)”, having the acronym RATEN ICN.
RATEN ICN has as main activity objective the scientific research, the fundamental and applied technological development, the exploitation of its own research through technology transfer, design, investments, consultancy, expertise and technical specialized assistance, subordinated to ensuring the scientific and technical support for Romania’s nuclear energy sector. As main task, RATEN ICN is maintaining and developing the scientific and technological support for the national nuclear energy program, vital component in ensuring the sustainable, clean and safe energy for Romania’s citizens. Romania’s nuclear energy program foresees for the safe and competitive operation of Units 1 and 2 from Cernavoda, completion of Units 3 and 4, building a new nuclear power plant, promoting on the medium and long term of Generation IV advanced reactors, the safe storage of burned fuel and of radioactive waste.
The R&D activities are based on a modern and complex infrastructure consisting of two TRIGA reactors (a steady state 14 MW and a pulsed one), post-irradiation laboratories, radioactive waste treatment and conditioning plant, nuclear fuel fabrication and testing laboratories, corrosion laboratories, thermo-mechanical and microstructural analyses laboratories, radiochemical laboratories, out-of-pile testing laboratory, etc. and specialists with deep experience in the nuclear field. Nuclear Materials and Corrosion Department is composed of several laboratories which are equipped with experimental devices and facilities for evaluating the structural integrity of metallic components under different conditions (various aqueous environments, high temperature and high pressure) relevant, especially, to CANDU reactor but also to boiling water reactors or pressurized water reactor. These activities involves the characterisation of important ageing mechanisms such as environmentally‐assisted cracking and thermal fatigue, and are of most relevance for the participation in the MEACTOS project.
Joint Research Centre (JRC)
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the in-house science service of the European Commission carrying out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to EU policy. JRC research activities include a.o. the safety of present and advanced nuclear reactor systems including degradation of their components. JRC has a number of laboratories at its Petten site to investigate typical degradation phenomena of nuclear reactors. Among them are the AMALIA Lab for corrosion and stress corrosion cracking testing of current and future reactor materials in typical LWR conditions and high temperature – high pressure water environments and the Microstructural Analysis Lab (MAL) for microstructural analysis of materials. It will be these two laboratories, in which JRC will perform most of its research work for the MEACTOS project. JRC has wide experience on the degradation of reactor materials and collaborates with partners from the EU Member States and beyond and European and international organisations (NUGENIA, IAEA, GIF, EERA-JPNM, OECD-NEA, etc.) in its nuclear research activities.
Equipos Nucleares S.A. (ENSA)
Since 1973, ENSA is a worldwide leader in the supply of manufactures equipment and services for the civil nuclear industry. From the beginning Ensa has had the appropriate infrastructure, technology and workforce to achieve the highest standards in the areas of engineering, design, supply, quality assurance, manufacturing, inspection and service delivery. Recognized in the nuclear industry for the quality of its products and high-tech manufacturing processes, Ensa is specialized in the manufacture of large components such as reactor vessels, reactor vessel cover heads and internals, steam generators, heat exchangers, casks for fuel storage and transportation, racks for fuel, etc. ENSA’s manufacturing equipment operates in over ninety nuclear power plants around the world with the security and reliability required. Quality, reliability and security in processes and equipment are essential in the nuclear sector. Therefore, our quality system fulfils all the requirements that the norms, standards and international regulations require. The Quality Assurance Department is responsible for defining and establishing the quality system in relation with the company’s mission and objectives. This Department has three units: System Quality Assurance, Reliability and Quality Improvement and Product Warranty. All of them are actively involved in the activities of the company. During the manufacture of our components, the Quality Assurance Department runs all the tests established by highly qualified personnel in our inspection plans. The associated reports and documentation are reviewed and approved. The equipment used for the inspections and tests is calibrated thanks to our accredited laboratories. The identification and management of no-conformities, the final review of all documentation associated with the manufacture of components and the progressive development of the manufacturing final report to be delivered together with the components, are also activities performed by this Department.
The main target of the Robotic unit of the Advanced Technology Centre is the implementation of developments and special robotic and automatic applications on manufacturing processes such as welding, control and inspection and assembly. These developments are needed to assure the high standard levels of quality, technology, reliability, delivery times, safety and competitiveness of the company and the compliance of the strict technical requirements demanded by our customers for the manufacturing of their equipment. The Robotic unit has more than thirty years of successful experience. Its staff is highly qualified on robotic, automatic, extensometric, instrumentation and mechanical design, and includes development and mechanical design engineers and mechatronic technicians. Ensa projects are proactively supported by the Robotic unit which also provides external services, mainly on the nuclear field and other fields where high technology applications are needed.
ENSA was created in 1973 to design, build and operate an industrial plant to undertake the manufacturing of primary components of Nuclear Steam Supply Systems of reactors of any type. Manufacturing operations and staff´s training are organized by following the requirements of the latest Design and Manufacturing Codes and Quality Assurance and the cooperation of experienced manufacturers. Over the years ENSA has delivered many heavy components (reactor pressure vessels, steam generators, pressurizers, core structures, etc.) under contract from the main international reactor vendors, for nuclear power plants all over the world. ENSA specializes in manufacturing high quality heavy components for nuclear plants and industrial facilities requiring high standards of quality. The main product line is that of heavy components of the Nuclear Steam Supply System of nuclear reactors.
Innovación, Desarrollo y Transferencia de Tecnología S.A. (IDETRA)
Since 1995, iDeTra gives service to European enterprises, mainly SMEs, involved in innovation processes and public and private entities dealing with regional sustainability and development through innovation (public authorities, R&D performers, industrial and enterprise associations, chambers of commerce, IRCs, etc). iDeTra is formed by 10 people working in Madrid. It has a multidisciplinary team of 8 research, innovation and development advisers and R&D project managers.
Key competences and facilities: iDeTra assists organization in their innovation processes: Analyzing their weaknesses and strengths, studying their sector and the existing threats and opportunities and designing strategies in order to achieve a sustainable competitive position; helping them to be aware of available and emergent technologies.
Jacobs
Jacobs (formerly Wood or Amec Foster Wheeler) is a focused supplier of consultancy, engineering, operations and project management services to its customers in the world’s oil and gas, mining, clean energy, environment and infrastructure markets. With annual revenues of some £ 11+ billion, Wood designs, delivers and maintains strategic and complex assets and employs around 55,000 people in more than 60 countries worldwide. The corrosion expertise in the context of the MEACTOS proposal sits within the Materials Science and Structural Integrity unit based in Birchwood, UK. Wood (formerly AEA/Serco/Amec) has worked in the nuclear sector since the birth of the industry almost 60 years ago. With more than 3,000 nuclear specialists operating from main locations in the UK, Canada and the US, Wood partners with key customers such as EDF, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Bruce Power, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce. It offers the full range of nuclear services from site management through to waste management and decommissioning. Wood is providing architect engineer services to EDF for their UK new build programme, and supporting one of the largest and most challenging nuclear engineering projects at Bruce Power in Canada and providing site management as part of Nuclear Management Partners to Sellafield in the UK. Wood also provides technological and analytical services to its customers and their subcontractors through our world class radiochemistry laboratories.
As a lead supplier of RTD services and a long-term contributor to European collaborative programmes in nuclear plant lifetime management under FP4, FP5, FP6, FP7 and Horizon 2020 Wood is well qualified to participate in MEACTOS. Furthermore, for many years, Wood (and its predecessor organisations, Amec FW, Amec, Serco, AEA Technology and UKAEA) have been active in generating EAC crack initiation and crack growth data in high-temperature water. Wood has extensive experience of EAC testing and has performed studies using complex-loading sequences. This work has been carried out in partnership with strategic customers, utilising industry leading research facilities and quality control systems thereby ensuring the reliability of all data in a range of different reactor environments. In addition, Wood is developing capabilities for nonisothermal testing for specimens in environments that would simulate conditions in BWRs, PWRs and advanced plants.