New technology has the power to improve competitiveness in nuclear power plant (NPP) maintenance, says Gilles Perrier, Head of Operational Excellence and Digital Transformation at Framatome's* Installed Base (IB) Business Unit.New technology has the power to improve competitiveness in nuclear power plant (NPP) maintenance, says Gilles Perrier, Head of Operational Excellence and Digital Transformation at Framatome's* Installed Base (IB) Business Unit.
By Gilles Perrier's own admission, operational excellence and digital transformation seem strange bedfellows, but it's the thinking that combined the two that leads him to believe major transformation is on the way.
"We put these functions together to improve efficiency but also because the feedback from our customers suggested it would help us deliver a solution to their challenges," he said.
Framatome's customers include utilities operating more than 250 NPPs worldwide. Among Framatome's 14,000 employees, about 3,600 people are working in a business that provides services and products in maintenance, organization, asset life cycle, conditioning and engineering, as well as some services for new reactors of all design types.
"Our customers talk about safety, quality, cost, delivery and optimization all the time," said Perrier. "They face big challenges. In the US, for example, utilities must reduce their costs by 30 per cent to remain viable because shale gas is cheaper and the market environment is extremely competitive. For them, it's essential to be at the right level. You don't do that by reducing safety but by increasing safety.
"At the same time, all over the world we're seeing how digitalisation is transforming industry.
Acceleration in the development of technology
The recent and rapid development of technology is what's making such transformation possible, Gilles Perrier noted. Ten years ago, electronic sensors had less capability, computer analytics were less developed and data storage was a fraction of what it is today.
None of today's leading developments such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and virtual reality were possible a few years ago. "That's the key difference," said Perrier. "From every point of view, a lot of things are changing and we need to be part of it."
Framatome makes operational excellence and Lean methodology a key part of its maintenance and services activity. "This enables us to provide new solutions with customers; to improve our quality and planning; and to continuously improve the way we work," said Perrier.
Through digitalization, the company is rationalizing cost, providing new products for customers and digitalizing the workplace, which Gilles Perrier admits is "a diverse topic" covering the way people work together, communications, mobility and more.
