NDA Annual Report and Accounts 2021-2022 | case studies
We’re now seeing drones used at a number of sites across the NDA group to help support decommissioning and clean-up work.
The unmanned aerial vehicles, that are remotely operated, can get to places that are more difficult or hazardous for people to access. This results in a number of benefits in terms of safety, quality of information, efficiency and cost.
Drones are being used to perform maintenance inspections, support building condition monitoring and analysis that better informs asset management planning.
At Magnox’s Wylfa site for example, they are used to inspect areas of internal integrity of its reactors that previously required scaffolding. This would historically have involved working at height and potential exposure to other risks, such as asbestos or radiation.
Changing asset management practices to meet modern standards is a key commitment within NDA’s most recent strategy.
Drones enable better information to be provided that can be digitised to maintain building configuration and improve personnel safety. Our Asset Management Digital Roadmap, once implemented, will enable information from remote sensing capability like drones to be seamlessly managed. This will enable more effective decision making whilst removing workers from hazardous environments and allowing resources to be used elsewhere.
There’s also a cost saving which helps us to ensure that we deliver value for taxpayers. This more efficient approach to asset management is saving around £150,000 per year at Wylfa alone, with similar benefits being achieved across the group.