Nuclear power is recognised as an essential driving force in the global shift to a low-carbon economy. After falling out of favour in the past decade or so, this low-carbon energy source is experiencing a comeback, with 20 countries pledged to help triple global nuclear power capacity by 2050 to meet accelerating clean energy demands. With a new generation of nuclear plants emerging across the globe, the provision of quality worker accommodation has become vital. But how can the challenges of building on nuclear sites be handled, and what role does workforce accommodation play in curtailing delays and emissions in nuclear power projects?
To date, approximately 10% of global electricity generation comes from nuclear power. This is expected to rise as nations endeavour to decarbonise and new reactors become commercially operational across China, South Korea, India, Europe and elsewhere. Advances in small modular reactors are also attracting R&D interest as a more flexible, cheaper and faster route to nuclear power.
This progress is promising, but the nuclear sector still faces a number of challenges, most significantly in terms of time and cost. A report from the International Energy Agency has shown that nuclear projects that began between 2010 and 2020 had an average delay of three years, amounting to a 50% increase in construction time. To reduce time and cost spikes, site logistics must be planned down to the letter to ensure all infrastructure, from reactor containment buildings to radwaste facilities, are installed efficiently and in compliance with regulations.
In the US, analysis from MIT researchers has suggested that increased safety regulations and declining labour productivity have contributed to the time and cost increases of building nuclear plants. However, these challenges don’t just stem from building the hardware but from additional needs, such as the construction of accommodation to house the on-site workforce. The sheer volume of personnel and the fact that many nuclear sites are situated in remote locations such as coastal areas, necessitates both professional and recreational facilities, such as offices, fitness areas and hospitality venues, to support a healthy work/life balance. In some instances, there is little to no housing or wellbeing infrastructure nearby, meaning this must be provided to support the momentum of the main project.
Installing on-site accommodation is also subject to the complexity that comes with building on a nuclear site. In the UK, for example, on-site installation of ancillary facilities must uphold stringent health and safety specifications required under the full Office for Nuclear Regulation licensing. Whilst compliance with such regulations is mandatory, there is still room for innovation where nuclear sites are constrained or the construction of workforce accommodation is more complex. For example, where there are issues of building at height, a lifting frame and safety carousel might be developed to minimise the risk of accidents.
Of course, construction of on-site ancillary facilities must also be meticulously coordinated with other site activities. Digital tools such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) can go some way to alleviating this pressure, allowing multiple project stakeholders to see the same data and models relating to specific buildings, enabling them to better mitigate issues that might crop up further down the line in the construction process.
Another solution lies in cutting down the time spent building facilities on site – thereby limiting interference, and delays, with the development of the nuclear plant infrastructure. The construction of permanent ancillary buildings via traditional methods is less suited to this task and includes future challenges including the additional cost of removing permanent facilities once work on the main infrastructure is complete. Modern methods of construction (MMC) are quickly emerging as a viable route for nuclear power projects with building components largely manufactured offsite, ready for installation in a matter of weeks.
Solutions that are provided on a long-term rental basis additionally afford cost-certainty and can reduce the inherent cost pressures of new nuclear plant initiatives. Long-term rental facilities manufactured offsite can also help to curb carbon emissions as a low-waste product option that feeds into a closed-loop supply chain and the circular economy. After its first cycle, the facility can be repurposed for a new use, such as a classroom or hospital ward, meaning it can be sustainably repurposed once it’s no longer needed during the construction and commissioning phases.
At this critical stage in global nuclear development, any additional speed, flexibility and sustainability that can be introduced to support the construction of nuclear power plants will be essential to help keep precious time, costs and carbon emissions down. A modern, agile approach to building workforce accommodation might just be the solution needed to tip the scale in the right direction.
