The SPIRIT of Sizewell B A tribute to Monty Finniston: materials scientist, engineer, and manager

Abstract

This, the fourth Finniston Lecture, recalls some of the key events which culminated in the construction of the first commercial pressurised water reactor (PWR) power station in the UK. It will highlight those areas which illustrate the wide ranging contribution which Monty made in the field of materials for nuclear power plant, to steelmaking, and to excellence in engineering, and his ability to bring together scientific understanding and successful management. Safety, the Pressure boundary, Incredibility of failure, Reliability, Inspection, and Testing are some of the topics to be discussed. At the time that the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) sought permission to build Sizewell B, the public was becoming increasingly sceptical about both the safety and the economics of nuclear power. By the early 1980s neither the gas cooled reactor stations in the UK nor the PWR stations in the USA were delivering on their promises of cheap electricity. Safety and operational problems were emerging, most notably in the Three Mile Island incident. While UK safety standards withstood severe scrutiny, a much higher level of proof that these standards could be met was required. The CEGB and the UK nuclear industry had to deliver a station which incorporated many new safety related features and which would achieve very much higher reliability and availability than had been so far achieved by any other nuclear station. The industry had been stung by accusations of secrecy and was determined to justify and fully account for its expenditure on Sizewell B to the public. Sizewell B achieved this objective as a result of close coordination and the enlightened approach taken by the scientific and nuclear safety community, US, French, and UK nuclear design and manufacturing industry, and the station construction, commissioning, and operating teams.