Global Services
Global Services which integrates fuel optimization software and specialized materials technology skills, is Studsvik's most research-intensive segment, and has the greatest geographical coverage.
Business overview
The optimization of operation and fuel is increasingly critical for business in the nuclear industry. There has been a greater focus on operating and maintenance costs following the deregulation of the electricity market. Studsvik offers testing and examinations of nuclear fuel and materials, chemical and corrosion investigations, in-core fuel management codes for the optimization of reactor operation and consulting in safety analysis.
Studsvik is one of the world's leading independent suppliers of tests, investigations and analyses to the nuclear power industry and is considered to be a world leader in testing crack propagation in materials. Operations are conducted at three large laboratories in Sweden: the Hot Cell Laboratory, the Autoclave Hall for corrosion tests and the Active Chemistry Laboratories. Through co-operation between Studsvik and the Norwegian Institute for Energy Technology we now can offer a complete range of tests and analyses for reactor fuel, which has not been possible since the closure of the company's own materials testing reactor in 2005.
Studsvik's in-core fuel management codes are primarily developed at our offices in Boston and Idaho Falls in the USA and the codes are global market leaders. Studsvik's codes and services are currently used at just over 200 of the world's 443 nuclear reactors. In the USA, Studsvik's codes are used at 80 percent of the reactors. The corresponding share in Europe, not including France, is 50 percent and, in Japan, 50 percent. Since Studsvik has long been established as a leading supplier of codes, and the development of completely new codes is so costly, the head start over potentially competing codes is considered to be significant. Each nuclear power plant has a training simulator for core monitoring, for example. The simplified core models that were previously used in these training environments do not work as well for fuel of a new design which means that there is a growing market and additional new opportunities for Studsvik's code development.
The main part of the projects in this segment are conducted in close cooperation with customers. Business in materials technology, for example, which can involve highly complex issues, often emerges in dialog with the customer. Together, Studsvik and the customer develop an idea which is the basis for Studsvik's quotation. This creates the foundation for co-operation that is based on trust, that is sustainable and has development potential and which results in innovative, customized solutions.
Magnus Arbell
Head of Segment Global Services
Magnus Arbell
President Studsvik Nuclear AB
Thomas Smed
President Studsvik Scandpower Inc.
