Nuclear

Our Mission

Our mission is to enhance the efficiency and reliability of nuclear energy operations. We are committed to reducing maintenance downtime, optimizing production yields, and ensuring the highest standards of safety and sustainability in the nuclear energy sector.

Testimonials

From healthcare providers to administrative staff, our tailored solutions have made

a lasting impact.

Brian Wiggins, Head of Business Performance and Improvement.

Working with Castlefirth has been a successful experience for EDF Nuclear Operations. Most activity has been focused on operational performance of the Nuclear Fleet (mostly asset management activities) and developing a core capability to coach and lead lean based business improvement. Learning by doing has been critical. We now have a Business Improvement team which receives continuous request to help coach/design improvement activities.
At the same time we were introduced to the concept of Strategy to Action (strategy deployment). As a leadership team we have good handle on the strategy, executing it successfully has been the challenge. By following Castlefirth’s coaching we have been able to articulate the key actions required to drive the strategy forwards and have moved from a challenging financial position to a high performing business which understands what levers to pull to effect change.”

Jacqui McGurk, Business Improvement Manager – EDF Nuclear Operations

The lasting benefit from Castlefirth is linked to the solid foundation of lean methodology training and upskilling that’s been delivered to the internal EDF Business Improvement team. This grounding provided several of our Business Improvement coaches with the chance to craft and build up the relevant skills, tools, and techniques to help make improvement activities successful in EDF.
We benefitted from 1:1 coaching from Principal Consultants who shared their own coaching experiences with the BI team to help us develop as coaches and improve our effectiveness as a support function.
Learning was executed through the delivery of improvement by Value Stream Analysis and Rapid Improvement Events across the EDF Fleet and focused their efforts at Heysham 1 & 2 and Sizewell B, on Management of Work, Getting to work and Setting to work solutions to help efficiencies and boost performance.”

What We Do

Castlefirth delivers comprehensive operational and transformational improvement strategies across various areas of the nuclear energy sector, including operations, decommissioning, and new site development. We work closely with industry leaders to enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability in all aspects of nuclear energy production and management.

Strategy to Action

Align leadership with a unified vision and actionable steps to achieve long-term vision with a 3-year strategy and clearly defined breakthrough activities. A clear strategy allows nuclear operations and decommissioning to easily respond to regulatory changes and market demands while driving efficiency and safety in power stations.

Learn More

Process Improvement

Streamline activities and minimize downtime in nuclear energy production by defining value streams and optimizing work processes, we enhance end-to-end process efficiency, ensuring all teams effectively support business goals in nuclear operations and power stations.

Learn More

Change Management

Guide nuclear energy teams through regulatory changes and evolving roles as the sector advances. By defining cultural aspirations and creating a change path to cultural transformation, ensures a smooth adoption of processes with tailored plans and hands-on support.

Learn More

Project Excellence

Managing complex cross-functional collaboration is key to achieving competitive advantage in nuclear decommissioning and defueling. Streamline execution, reduces costs, and boosts productivity, ensuring nuclear projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Learn More

Training and Coaching

Provide hands-on training and coaching in lean methodologies with University Accredited Lean Certification. Upskilling talent with lean thinking to drive sustained success, ensuring teams are equipped to handle the complexities of power station operations.

Learn More

Pain Points and Our Approach

Maintaining safe & efficient processes : Sustaining efficient and safe operations within nuclear facilities.
Operational Efficiency : Engaging teams to develop improved processes removing wasteful steps and adding greater value dramatically improves efficiency
Unpredictable Downtime : Struggling with achieving predictable downtime and delivering consistent outcomes.
Minimize Downtime & Maintenance : Surfacing knowledge gaps early and developing structured organized teams in downtime planning makes downtime predictable and consistent.
Variable Yield : Managing variations in yield and production stability.
Sustaining Yields : We engage teams in systemizing their work steps and in understanding their processes. This drives better consistency and awareness to improve yield.
Complex Decommissioning : Handling the complexities and safety challenges of decommissioning projects.
Structured Decommissioning : Using our ‘Projects in Flow’ approach we create visual multi-agency collaboration in decommissioning projects, ensuring safe and efficient execution.
Highly Regulated : Addressing stringent regulatory compliance and environmental concerns.
Regulatory Compliance : Compliance requires understanding and adherence. Working with teams to develop more effective compliant processes drives improved behaviors through ownership of the process.

Case Studies

Optimizing Statutory Outages

Case Study #1

Optimizing Statutory Outages

Through a comprehensive Value Stream Analysis, our customer redefined its statutory outage processes to enhance efficiency, reduce re-work, and mitigate revenue loss. This strategic approach laid the groundwork for more controlled and effective outage management, ensuring better performance and adherence to plans.

Reduced average outage duration by implementing efficient work flow cells.
Minimized revenue loss by separating emergent work from planned tasks.
Enhanced contractor onboarding and work preparation processes.
Achieved significant improvements in outage management, setting a new standard for future operations.
Expected reduction in lost revenue and re-work, leading to substantial cost savings and improved reliability.

Streamlining Technician Readiness Process

Case Study #2

Streamlining Technician
Readiness Process

Revamping the technician readiness process enabled nuclear power station maintenance and operations engineers to achieve legal compliance and readiness efficiently. By centralizing and optimizing workflow stages, we significantly reduced preparation time and improved operational efficiency.

Reduced overall preparation time resulting in a 66% improvement.
Time savings equivalent to an additional 8 technicians with 6 hours of tool time available per day during statutory outages.
Reduced 3.7 FTE in the first 2 weeks.
Annual savings of £260K once fully rolled out.

previous arrow
previous arrow
next arrow
next arrow

Additional Services

Nuclear Decommissioning

Efficiently plan and execute decommissioning projects, ensuring compliance with safety regulations and minimizing environmental impact. Our approach streamlines processes, reduces costs, and ensures timely project completion.

Embedded Improvement Coach

Provide on-site improvement coaches to facilitate continuous process enhancements and operational excellence. Our coaches work closely with your teams to identify inefficiencies, implement lean methodologies, and drive sustainable improvements.

Executive Lean Awareness

Deliver executive-level training to foster a deep understanding of lean principles and their strategic benefits. Our programs equip leadership with the knowledge and tools to champion lean initiatives and drive cultural transformation within the organization.

Operational excellence is closer than you think. Our transformation experts are ready to help you minimize waste and increase productivity in your organisation. Discover how to receive a strategic plan catered to your specific needs from our team.

Get in Touch