Exploration of “digital-twins” in the nuclear decommissioning sector.

This three-month long programme will support the successfully selected company to explore the potentials of a “digital-twin”, based on data related to the nuclear decommissioning process. Nuclear decommissioning is undertaken once a nuclear facility has reached the end of its operational life. It involves the safe removal of radioactive waste and secondary waste from a nuclear facility, the dismantling of the plant and associated facilities, ultimately leading to site restoration.

By creating a digital twin of a nuclear facility, experts can analyse different decommissioning scenarios, plan the optimal sequence of actions, track the progress and status of the decommissioning process, and ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations. This will be key to ensuring the long-term success of the UK’s nuclear industry, bolstering its economic output and enhancing its reputation as a leader in nuclear decommissioning expertise and sustainable energy solutions.

This Decommissioning Data Challenge will allow the selected company to work with the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) to develop a high-quality proof-of-concept digital-twin that can utilise, process, and merge complex data to make nuclear decommissioning faster, safer and more cost-effective, answering the challenge of:

“What digital tools can be used to create a digital twin from pre-existing and robot-collected data that enables a structured approach for strategic decision making and analytics in order to make nuclear decommissioning faster/safer/cheaper?”

Applications for the programme have now closed.