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ASME stands ready to support South Africa in meeting world nuclear standards

22nd November 2013

By: Keith Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

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Renowned international engineering cooperative, educational and training, research, outreach and codes and standards development organisation ASME (originally the American Society for Mechanical Engineers, founded in 1880) is ready to help South Africa develop its nuclear industry. “We have heard that South Africa wants to become the hub for the nuclear sector for Africa,” notes ASME President Madiha Kotb. “We are definitely willing and able to facilitate this. We’d love to see more South African companies gain ASME certification and we’re willing to consider local adaptations of our codes. We’re not going to be imposing solutions that wouldn’t work for you.”

The ASME Section III code covers pressure vessels used in nuclear power plants (NPPs), while Section VIII Chapter 1 covers the non-nuclear part of NPPs. “We have high standards,” she points out. “We have a lot of experts who are the developers of our nuclear standards. We are proud of the fact that we are a kind of neutral factor to ensure that customers get the highest quality. ASME Section III has, in recent years, been used as a reference point, as the basis for the comparison of different national nuclear standards, including in the US, Russia, France and the UK.

“We want people to have an [energy] choice. What people want is clean and reliable energy,” she avers. “The solution for one country will not be the solution of a neigh-bouring country. Nuclear operating utilities must have a culture of quality, of maintenance of standards, and maintain ethics.”

The organisation has a system of inter- national working groups, in which no one country dominates, to discuss and adopt standards. “We want to offer the best tech- nical content, open to all,” affirms Kotb. “The international working groups process is an adaptation of our system to allow this to happen.

“This is a great way to engage the local standards agencies,” observes ASME MD: Global Alliances Michael Michaud. “Often they adopt ASME standards. And getting the ASME stamp on, for example, pressure vessels, opens the way to exports. It’s a real opportunity for the approach South Africa wants to take [in developing its nuclear industry].” The international working groups process can help stimulate discussion within countries about standards, irrespective of whether local conditions require adaptations and what those adaptations should be.

ASME is increasing its presence in South Africa by initiating training courses in the country. A local company has been con- tracted to run these courses, which will start in the next few months. The aim of this training is to make ASME standards more familiar to South African companies and to make it easier for them to get ASME accreditation. At the moment, only one South African company, the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (better known as Necsa) has ASME Section III certification. “The expertise is here,” affirms Michaud. “Sometimes our role is making clear the local talent that exists.”

Next year sees the 100th anniversary of the publication of ASME’s first set of standards, the high pressure boiler code, now known as Section I. “Over the years, our standards have become de facto international standards. Our membership has also grown internationally,” says Kotb, a Canadian. “Our standards system is an open one, an international one. We use experts regardless of nationality. That’s why ASME’s original full name has been dropped. ASME is now a very valuable brand, a well known trade mark.”

Both Kotb and Michaud recently attended a conference in Botswana on engineering education in Southern Africa, travelling via South Africa. “Coming to South Africa was a great opportunity to meet with local industry and everyone else using ASME standards, including government departments, and explain to them how we can make the ASME system better for them,” states Kotb.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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