Training support for Torness

BVAA recently provided their Valves – Advanced Level training course to a group of System Health and Reliability Engineers at Torness Nuclear Power Station.

The BVAA expertise in valve related training was recognised by the station's operator EDF Energy and they were keen to build this into the comprehensive training programme that they provide for their staff.

Torness was commissioned in 1988 and is the last of the second generation Advanced Gas Cooled reactors to be built. It has the same design as Heysham 2. It is expected to continue to operate until at least 2030. The station has two reactors each capable of generating 682MW of electricity. It makes a very important contribution to electricity base load generation.

The importance of industrial valves in our day-to-day lives is all too easily forgotten. In reality without the valve industry the modern life we enjoy today would not be possible. Electricity generation is just one example of where the industrial valve is fundamental to the successful operation of the process.

So when the plant operates for more than 40 years not only do the valves have to be maintained and/ or replaced but so do at least two generations of staff. Training is therefore vital to ensure that those responsible for the operation of the power station have the necessary knowledge and capability. BVAA Director Rob Barlett commented “There is no better provider of Valve related training in the UK so we were delighted when EDF Energy asked us to help achieve their training needs.”

The Valves- Advanced Level Course is suitable for EPC Piping Engineer/Valve Specialist/Valve Specifier, Operations Plant Manager, BVAA - member Technical Staff with an engineering background. Those attending will achieve a high level of understanding of the main technical issues for procurement, design, materials, inspection, installation, operation and maintenance of industrial valves. The feedback from the EDF Energy engineers attending the course rated it as “Excellent.”

The course content assumes a minimum level of knowledge for the attendees, equivalent to having attended the Introduction to Valves course. It is available at a number of locations around the country: BVAA offices Banbury, West Yorkshire and Aberdeen. It can also be provided at the end user location for groups of 10 or more. If you want to know more please visit http://www.bvaa.org. uk/training_courses.asp

M Greenhalgh, Technical Consultant, CEng FIMechE

Published: 8th May 2017