The impact of Fukushima on Nuclear Power Programmes :
Lady Judge’s analysis

Lady Barbara Judge is a recognised expert in the fields of energy, corporate governance, finance and natural resources. She has held a number of senior positions in private sector energy companies and was Chairman of the UK Atomic Energy Authority for a period of six years. In February 2010, Lady Judge was appointed to the International Advisory Board for the development of nuclear energy in the United Arab Emirates.

What impact will Fukushima have on new build nuclear power programmes?
I believe that Fukushima will have less effect than some people expect. What is likely to happen, is that countries that had already decided to build nuclear power plants (such as China, India and Russia) are still going to do so. However, Fukushima will probably be an influence for countries that were wavering over the decision not to go ahead, as has just been announced in Germany. In the UK and the US … >> Read more

Duke Energy is optimizing the asset management process for its regulated hydro fleet.
The US electricity utility has awarded Oxand a contract for an audit of its hydro asset management process. The objective is to rationalize investment costs related to infrastructure maintenance and renewal.
Oxand is conducting this review in accordance with the international standard PAS 55, which allows it to give Duke Energy an accurate measure of the maturity of its asset management process. Oxand’s audit model, developed through successive assignments in the hydro sector, is applicable to all industries.

Korea to devise a reference standard for extending a gas storage facilities lifespan
The Korean governmental authority KGS (Korean Gas Safety) wants to create a standard for the requirements related to projects to extend the operating life of its gas plants. Oxand has led training sessions and a seminar on this theme at Siheung in Korea.
Around 20 Korean gas industry operators and clients were thus able to benefit from approaches Oxand has developed over recent years. The training programme included: presentation of international regulatory standards, risk analysis, major critical ageing mechanisms, related monitoring and also calculation of the residual life of a built asset.

Oxand is supporting CENG to boost the power of its Nine Mile Point Unit 2
CENG (Constellation Energy Nuclear Group) is working to increase the generating capacity at Unit Two of its Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Station (in New York State), with implementation scheduled for Spring 2012. The electricity provider has commissioned Oxand to conduct an independent review of the project’s risk management process.


Hydro-Quebec Production consults Oxand
How can we ensure the strategic planning of investments in industrial assets? This is the challenge faced by Hydro-Quebec managers responsible for the operation of production equipment.
Oxand recently supplied the Quebec energy provider with a decision-making tool which will allow it to upgrade its current decision-making processes. The goal is to optimize planned investments in the high stakes assets of its hydroelectric infrastructure.

Performance Management Systems for the Dutch A15 Highway
For the Dutch Highway Agency, the reliability of Performance Management Systems (PMS) was pivotal in their choice of a Design, Build, Finance and Maintain (DBFM) contractor for the A15 highway. Iter Fidelis, Oxand’s Dutch subsidiary, worked with the winning contractor, A-Lanes A15 consortium, to implement a reliable PMS covering every aspect of contractual obligations.
Iter Fidelis created the PMS methodology for the entire project and worked in collaboration with various technical disciplines to define verification processes needed to fill the ICT system with reliable data. “PMS for highway infrastructure DBFM projects is new in the Netherlands” said Sander Sieswerda of Iter Fidelis. “Using this system, the public client has 24/7 access to all performance information.”


What tests can be implemented to support decision-making?
The Saint Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation in Canada is confronted with a problematic issue: it must manage four locks near Montreal which are subject to the phenomenon of concrete expansion (alkali aggregate reaction). Over time, this may affect the proper functioning of the structures, or even interfere with river traffic on this major North American commercial axis.
Oxand's mission is to determine the tests to be implemented on the locks, the results of which must allow the Seaway's managers to determine the best method for rehabilitating the installations.

Oxand is collaborating with Accenture in a project to consolidate various methods for the economic evaluation of the French railway network's investment plans, in particular with regard to reinforcing risk analysis methods.

In the Netherlands, the long-awaited section of the A4 motorway between Delft and Schiedam is off to a promising start. The Oxand Group’s Dutch subsidiary, Iter Fidelis, is supporting one of the three consortia who are applying for this major project.

Oxand's “teambuilding day” will take place on July 7th at the Fontainebleau (Fr) site. The day's objectives are to reinforce the intercultural links between the different teams from the 6 countries where the Group operates, and to exchange experiences and develop skills.

• The road to better performance

• Studying the aircraft impacts to extend the operation lifetime of structures

• Long term containment well integrity assessement and modeling for CO₂

More publications…

• July 19-21, 2011, " Oil Sands technologies Conference ", Calgary, Canada

• September 6-9, 2011, " Civil Comp Press ", Chania, Crete, Greece

• September 29-30, 2011, " PLIM-PLEX US ", Charlotte, USA