WorldWide Drilling Resource

Geotechnical Work Underway for Nuclear Power Plant in the UK Adapted from a Press Release by NuGeneration The newest nuclear power plant project in West Cumbria, UK, NuGeneration’s (NuGen’s) Moorside project, has begun geotechnical investigations of the site. This work will assist in the design and layout of the project, in addition to supporting licensing, planning applications, and other agreements required to build the new power station which will be capable of generating up to 3.6 gi- gawatts of electricity. The onshore investigation is the first stage of the project and will go on until the summer of 2016, with the majority of the offshore element scheduled to begin in spring 2016. This work will involve: F Onshore geotechnical site investigations consisting of over 300 boreholes and laboratory analyses F Onshore 2-D seismic surveys, topographical (terrain) surveys, and ground- water monitoring F Marine geotechnical drilling of 30 boreholes, sampling and testing, including wireline geophysics F Marine bathymetric surveys (studies of the ocean floor) Esa Heiskanen, NuGen’s chief project officer and deputy CEO said, “The start of the site characterization work marks an important stage for NuGen and the Moorside Project. The data we receive as a result of the work will be vital in developing the project which, when completed, will be capable of generating 7% of the UK’s electricity.” Back in 2011, the UK government confirmed NuGen’s site was suitable for a nuclear power station through its National Policy Statement. NuGen is now preparing detailed plans for developing the site, and the plans will be prepared in full consultation with the safety authorities and local stakeholders. Nu Gen is a joint venture between Toshiba and ENGIE. The new power station is scheduled to be commissioned around 2024. ! " # ! 18 MAY 2016 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®