Milestones and innovations in nuclear decommissioning
As AECOM’s Nuclear Practice Lead in the UK, Karen Armstrong-Telfer heads up a Nuclear Practice team of over 100 engineers and specialists supporting our clients in delivering innovative projects, safely and on time. With nearly 25 years’ experience in the nuclear sector, Karen has worked across plant operations, design and build for both new build and decommissioning, supporting a range of clients including Sellafield, EDF and URENCO. Karen is also a chartered chemical engineer.
What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering, specifically chemical engineering and civil nuclear? What have been the most significant career milestones that stand out to you?
My passion for engineering was sparked during my school years, where I excelled in science and mathematics. I sought a practical application for these subjects, aiming to make a tangible difference. This led me to chemical engineering, a field of engineering that essentially turns raw materials into useful products.
My journey into nuclear engineering was influenced by the industries’ many opportunities for new graduates. I completed a rigorous training and development program and quickly progressed to leading my own projects, which laid a strong foundation for my career.
Achieving Chartered Engineer status was a significant milestone, marking my commitment to professional excellence. Subsequently, I transitioned into engineering and project management roles, focusing on right first-time approaches to solving nuclear problems. Currently, I oversee the nuclear practice at AECOM, where I leverage my expertise to ensure the highest standards of safety and delivery in our projects.
How do you approach the unique challenges and opportunities within the nuclear decommissioning projects?
Addressing the unique challenges and opportunities within nuclear decommissioning projects requires a strategic and innovative mindset. These projects are among the most complex engineering challenges in the UK. My approach involves a safety-first attitude, leveraging past experiences and learnings, while seeking innovative solutions to address project-specific issues.
These projects are often undertaken by large teams due to the complexity, so it’s crucial to establish clear requirements and add value from the outset. This involves thorough upfront scoping with key stakeholders to define what is needed and where value can be added.
Throughout the project, I focus on identifying opportunities to apply our collective experience to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. By doing things smarter and collaboratively, we can overcome obstacles to accelerate successful outcomes that are testament to our technical excellence and wider integrated capabilities. This proactive and adaptive approach means we not only meet, but exceed the high standards expected in nuclear decommissioning.
Considering the critical role of skills development, succession planning, and collaboration, how do you envision addressing the current skills and resource gaps to deliver complex civil nuclear projects?
To effectively tackle the skills and resource gaps in delivering complex nuclear projects, a multi-faceted approach is essential with emphasis on skills development, succession planning, and attracting talent from other industries. A key strategy is to strengthen our early careers network by bringing in the younger generation through degree apprenticeships and graduate programs. Ensuring these individuals have access to mentors and the necessary support is crucial for their growth within the sector and fully supporting them through to chartership.
With approximately one third of the nuclear industry’s current workforce set to retire in the next 10 years, we must also attract talent from other sectors, bringing in diverse knowledge and expertise. Upskilling our workforce and making the civil nuclear industry appealing are essential to infuse fresh ideas and perspectives.
By focusing on upskilling and attracting new talent, we can make the nuclear industry an attractive career choice, ensuring a sustainable and innovative future. At AECOM, we have successfully transitioned engineers from other sectors in the business into the nuclear team, thereby retaining talent within AECOM and growing (and diversifying) our nuclear capability. This strategic move not only preserves our skilled workforce but also addresses the evolving needs of the industry by reskilling professionals to excel in their new roles. We ensure the engineers are well-equipped to effectively deliver our nuclear projects through structured training and mentoring, which complements their existing skill set in engineering delivery.
Given the significant growth potential of the nuclear industry and its crucial role in supporting the wider clean energy transition, what aspects of future developments in nuclear energy and decarbonization excite you the most? How do you see nuclear energy integrating into the broader energy mix to achieve our decarbonization goals?
The UK’s civil nuclear roadmap to 2050 aims to achieve 24 gigawatts of nuclear capacity, covering up to a quarter of the country’s projected electricity demand. This ambitious plan sets out the government’s vision for a dynamic civil nuclear sector, supporting the ambition to achieve net zero by 2050.
Our capabilities in engineering, design and environmental services position us well to support the roadmap. We also engage with local communities, who are critical to successful delivery. Our design and construction management capability supports both new and existing nuclear facilities in meeting the highest safety and efficiency standards.
One of the most exciting aspects of future developments in the civil nuclear industry includes the next generation of reactors which will support the country’s energy needs and provide a significant reduction in carbon emissions.
Achieving the UK’s energy transition requires a diverse mix of solutions, collectively enabling the transformation of the energy system to enhance security and accelerate the path to net zero. Nuclear is a crucial component of a sustainable energy future.