Managing Ageing Nuclear Assets and Decommissioning 2024

Paul Gibbons: AMCI Manager, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Joined the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority [NDA] in June 2020 as the Asset Management Lead Previously was a Technical Director and Lead Consultant within the Jacobs Asset Management Advisory helping Clients improve their asset management capability (5 years): Prior to Jacobs, was the Asset Management Principal at Gatwick Airport leading them to develop and implement a lean and systems thinking approach to asset management [certified PAS 55/ISO55000] (6 years) Started career in the manufacturing sector as a machinist working with many leading organisations as a direct employee or providing consultancy (over 25 years): Currently also a Visiting Industrial Fellow at Bristol University and part of their Industry Advisory Board. Also deliver lectures on Asset Management at Bristol and Cranfield Universities (15 years) Institute of Asset Management Fellow & Patron representative on behalf of the NDA. Also, a Fellow of the IET and a Fellow of the Institute of Six Sigma Holds an Engineering Doctorate in Systems Thinking with Research in Asset Management as well as a MSc in Maintenance Engineering and Asset Management + another MSc in Operations Management

Robert Skilton: Head of Research, UKAEA

Robert Skilton is Robotics Fellow at the UK Atomic Energy Authority, where he leads collaborative research programmes on Robotics and Autonomous Systems for both fusion energy and nuclear decommissioning. Robert brings experience from managing ageing fusion maintenance facilities at JET including using digital tools, as well as more forward-looking research into how technology can support and de-risk maintenance and interventions in existing and future facilities.

Colin Tait: Project Director – Well Informed Regulatory Decisions, Office for Nuclear Regulation

Colin leads ONR’s team of mechanical engineering specialist inspectors, overseeing regulatory decisions and providing impartial technical advice. As head of capability, Colin is accountable for maintaining and developing ONR’s mechanical engineering talent, capability and knowledge management. 

Colin joined ONR over fifteen years ago, and has undertaken a variety of regulatory roles including oversight of major constructioncommissioning projects and inspection of civil nuclear facilities. Responsible for ONR’s guidance to inspectors on ageing and asset management, he has lead interventions examining compliance on these topics on a variety of operational and decommissioning nuclear plant. 

Jennifer Maher: Principle Mechanical Engineer, Sellafield Ltd

Jennifer Maher is a Fellow of the IMechE and an INCOSE Associated Systems Engineering Professional. In 2023 Jennifer was awarded the 'Top 50 Women in Engineering' award by the Women's Engineering Society. She works within Sellafield Ltd’s retrievals value stream, leading projects and supporting operations that deliver ‘high hazard risk reduction’. Jennifer is also a member of the IMechE Management Committee and the Nuclear Institute's Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Nick Deavin: Senior Maintenance Authority, AWE

Nick is the Senior Maintenance Authority appointed by the Chief Engineer (Site & Assets) to set the standard and support operations in maintenance delivery across AWE sites. Nick started his engineering career in the Royal Air Force as an aircraft technician (mechanical), travelling the world and serving in several conflicts before a final tour as the MOD composite materials subject matter expert and aircraft structural integrity advisor. On retiring from the RAF after 24 years, he was honoured to be awarded an MBE in the 2008 New Year Honours for services to the Crown. He subsequently joined AWE as a Project Engineering Manager, moved to a Lead Internal Regulator role and, after 4 years, left to run the Berkshire Nuclear Engineering Consultancy Business Unit for AMEC. After several business changes through to AMECFW Nuclear becoming part of the Oil & Gas corporation Wood, he successfully transitioned the business unit from reliance on a single large project to a diverse portfolio of services. In Oct 2018, Nick was delighted to return to AWE to take up the role of Senior Maintenance Authority and strengthen the Engineering Safety Organisation. Nick gained a BSc in Engineering Design with the Open University, is a Chartered Engineer with the IET and a Chartered Manager. He lives in Newbury and has I child in University and 2 at school locally. He enjoys walking, cycling and time on the water.

Dr Jefferson Ridgway: Chief Technology Officer, Ultra Nuclear

Jeff leads Ultra Energy’s research and development programmes and is our subject matter expert on neutron flux instrumentation. He has considerable expertise in developing nuclear sensors, having acted as system design authority in the creation of multiple new safety critical sensor technologies. He regularly serves as lead consultant, working with both customers and regulators on challenging areas of innovation within the nuclear industry. This recently included development of a neutron flux detector able to operate at the very high temperatures associated with advanced reactors.

Jeff was awarded a Master of Physics degree before completing a PhD in PhD in particle physics, joining Ultra in 2010. In his time at Ultra he has lead and supported key reactor protection programmes on both UK and International platforms.

In recent years, he has taken on responsibility for the R&D activities, and technical strategy of the business, and lead the business to win key US Department of Energy funding for prototype sensor testing with US National Laboratories.

Neil Arthur: Maintenance Strategy Lead, Harbour Energy

Neil Arthur is currently Maintenance Strategy Lead at Harbour Energy with over 30 years’ experience in Asset Management, Maintenance and Integrity in the Energy and Maritime industries. Neil has worked in the UK and internationally in Operations and Greenfield Projects, with responsibility for developing and implementing asset management strategies and plans. He has a specific interest in the use of condition monitoring and condition-based maintenance as part of an integrated approach to asset care.

Sadia Samas: Senior Mechanical Engineer, Assystem

I am a senior mechanical engineer at Assystem. I have worked on a number of projects within the nuclear industry from decommissioning to new technologies such as the SMR. 

Jonathan Bates: Mechanical Responsible Engineer, Sellafield Ltd

Jonathan Bates is a Mechanical Responsible Engineer and recently elected Fellow of the IMechE. As a Responsible Engineer he leads a team of Mechanical Engineers to deliver engineered solutions to decommission some of the highest hazard nuclear facilities at Sellafield site. Most recently on the Pile Fuel Cladding Silo, which was built in the 1950s and is considered one of the most hazardous facilities in Western Europe. In August 2023 the first waste from the Silo was safely retrieved using the solutions he has developed which is a major milestone for Sellafield Ltd and wider UK Nuclear industry

Neil Hyatt: Chief Scientific Advisor, Nuclear Waste Services

Neil Hyatt is Chief Scientific Adviser to Nuclear Waste Services, providing advice, challenge and leadership to the organisation in scientific and technical matters. Neil is accountable for assurance of the scientific and technical evidence base for decision making, ensuring it is relevant, robust and of high quality. He also acts as the senior technical ambassador for NWS with UK academia, national laboratories, and in the international arena. Neil is also Aegis Professor of Deep Time Science and Engineering at The University of Bristol. Latterly, he held the Royal Academy of Engineering / Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Chair in Radioactive Waste Management at The University of Sheffield (2002-22) and was Head of the Department of Materials Science (2015-18). Neil previously held advisory roles to HM Government as a Ministerial appointment to the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM; 2019-22) and Nuclear Innovation Research Board (NIRAB; 2013-21), providing independent and authoritative policy advice.

Nick Jones: Project Manager for In-Vessel Decommissioning, UK Atomic Energy Authority

Nick is a Senior Project Manager at UKAEA where he leads the ‘JET In-Vessel Decommissioning Project’.

Nick manages a team of engineers and operators, developing innovative remote-handling and robotic capabilities for in-situ disassembly, size-reduction and removal of the JET fusion reactor's in-vessel components using the ‘inside-out approach’.

He joined UKAEA’s Remote Handling Team eight years ago during JET’s operational phase, having worked for Magnox Wylfa’s Fuel Route Team for several years during their operational and defueling phases. Nick was awarded a BEng in Mechanical Engineering before later completing a MSc in Project Management.

Kirsty Hewitson: Director Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration, UK Atomic Energy Authority

Kirsty is currently Director of RAICo (Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration) that is an end-user led collaboration between the UKAEA, NDA, Sellafield and the University of Manchester. The aim is to provide robotics and AI solutions to complex nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering challenges.
Prior to RAICo, Kirsty was Chief Executive Officer at Innovate UK KTN whose mission is to connect ideas, people and communities to drive positive change through innovation. Prior to being CEO, Kirsty was Executive Director Capability also at IUK KTN.
Kirsty previously held the position of VP Strategy and Innovation at the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) where she was responsible for identifying, translating and commercialising early-stage technology opportunities. Kirsty also led the development of NNL’s strategy from clean energy to nuclear medicine. On a volunteer basis, Kirsty was also Strategy Director and Executive Committee member of Women in Nuclear.
Prior to NNL, Kirsty was VP Life Sciences at Ploughshare Innovations, converting defence and security innovations, from across the Ministry of Defence, into civilian applications. Before Ploughshare, Kirsty was Director of Life Sciences at Helsinki Innovation Services responsible for technology transfer at the University of Helsinki. Previously, Kirsty worked within the field of pre-clinical drug discovery including a spin-out company from the University of Oxford. Kirsty holds a MChem and a PhD both from the University of Oxford.

Esther Barratt: Chair, Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Nuclear Power Committee

Joshua Hilton: Senior Data Analytics Consultant, Atkins

Joshua is a senior solutions consultant for AtkinsRéalis, where he specialises in data science, AI and asset management in the defence domain, primarily working with the SDA and AWE. His career started when he completed two PhDs in Nuclear Physics, then worked with BAE Systems and Boeing in the Air and Land domains before joining AtkinsRéalis is November 2022

Ruth Salomon: Principle Consultant, Frazer-Nash Consultancy

Ruth Salomon has over 20 years’ experience in the UK civil nuclear industry at levels from Engineer to Senior Manager.  She has held a range of positions within Magnox including Reactor System Engineer, Shift Manager, and Head of Fuel Route and Defueling Preparations, also being an Emergency Controller.  She was responsible for the Magnox Operating Programme for a number of years which developed and oversaw the Magnox fleet defueling regime.
Through Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ruth now works across a number of the EDF AGR sites which are at different stages in their lifecycle.  Utilising her knowledge and experience Ruth is involved with developing solutions to the technical challenges as sites progress from generation into defueling, and later to Care and Maintenance preparations.   
Ruth is a Fellow of the Nuclear Institute and holds the Nuclear Delta, demonstrating her commitment to nuclear safety leadership within the sector.  She has a PhD in Metallurgy, an MBA, and is Chartered through the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.