1.3 Perform Market Analysis

A preliminary analysis of the supply market for new NPPs and their related fuel supply should have been done as part of the site detailed specific FS. Necessary information for this survey would have been obtained from documentation and evaluations available through the IAEA, augmented by information obtained directly from reactor vendors.

The market survey and subsequent analysis examine the spectrum of those reactor types that will be capable of attaining the policy objectives that have been established for the nuclear power programme. From the vendor side, a review of projects currently underway or planned should be done to assess current performance and the capability of the vendor’s organization and its supply chain to scale adequately in a timely manner to support new projects.

This knowledge acquisition phase can be one of the most important steps in the overall process. Most people have not run a major/mega project/program from start to finish, and potential NPP owners may not have the infrastructure and experience in running major projects. Thus visiting other major/mega projects in both the nuclear and non-nuclear sectors is essential learning for a project team. Visiting different job sites of the specific contractors that have shown interest in your project and asking for approval to speak directly with the owners of those projects is considered a good practice, as is looking for independent indications of contractor performance (e.g. from safety associations, government Ministry reports etc.).

Some information that is possible to be gained can include:

Organizational structure used to manage the project and protect owner interests;
Processes and procedures used to run mega projects;
Lessons Learned reports developed by the owners and the contractors.
Contracting models used and the positive and negative attributes of all the models;
Incentive/dis-incentive models used by different owners;
Pricing models used for different types of projects (positives and negatives);
Use/value of independent oversight methods;
Performance measures and score cards used during the project;
Scheduling models used to control and manage the project;
Cost control and monitoring processes used by the owners;
Infrastructure requirements to support project execution both for contractors and owners;
Processes used to identify and manage risk;
How owners provided technical, financial, safety and schedule oversight without getting in the way of the contractor;
Supply chain issues encountered: e.g. counterfeit parts, availability of nuclear suppliers, timelines for major components;
Resourcing issues (e.g. engineering resources, licensed staff, trades (often specifically welders and electricians));
Process for managing the transition from construction to commissioning to operations and the final turnover to the owner;
Processes used to ensure accurate, up to date information on costs, change orders, progress and safety were available to the owner;
Processes to integrate contractors with the owners expectations;
Processes for managing the significant amounts of documentation and the owners acceptance;
Processes/agreements used to ensure stability of the trades labour work force;
How the contractor manages a typical work site with respect to safety, quality, cost and schedule;
How aligned individuals on the contractor and owner teams are;
How staffing, succession planning and performance is managed through different phases of the projects by the contractor;
Ability of the contractor to meet the owner specifications and the amounts of change orders generated;
How the owner managed support services and miscellaneous equipment (e.g. trailers, trucks, small tools, cranes, anything that was charged back to the owner).

1.3 Perform Market Analysis

Tools