EDF Energy selects Hardide coating for nuclear plant valve application

Article Type: Industrial news From: Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Volume 60, Issue 2

Advanced surface coating company Hardide Coatings has secured EDF Energy as a new customer and has been specified as a cost-effective, high-performance solution to extend the life of the boiler feed steam valves at Hinkley Point B nuclear power station in Somerset, UK.

The gain comes as the AIM-listed company reported a 49 per cent increase in flow control revenues making a major contribution to a record £2.91 million turnover in the 2012 financial year.

Graham Young, Steam & Rotating Plant Engineer, EDF Energy, owner and operator of Hinkley Point B nuclear power station said:

“Hardide offered a very cost-effective, high-performance solution to extend the life of the 15 MW boiler feed pump steam valves in the plant at Hinkley Point B. We evaluated four options, including other hardface coatings,before selecting Hardide for several technical and financial reasons. The coating’s ability to coat internal surfaces evenly, its performance in testing and the ease of implementation and maintenance made Hardide the solution of choice. It has enabled us to continue to use the existing equipment which would be very expensive to replace, as well as require validation and safety case development, and will allow us to operate smoothly between planned outages”.

“There were technical challenges in applying the coating process to the large stellite six valve covers and Hardide provided excellent troubleshooting support and delivered the parts in time so as not to affect the availability of the power plant equipment. Spare valve cover guide sleeves have also been ordered and these will be deployed onto the other unit in the near future. We are also evaluating Hardide for other applications within EDF Energy”.

Phil Kirkham, CEO of Hardide Coatings commented: “Securing EDF Energy as a new customer and solving this challenging problem at Hinkley B demonstrates the ability of the Hardide coating to provide a cost-effective and technically superior wear solution in critical applications.”

“We are working with EDF Energy on other opportunities and look forward to developing a long and productive working relationship”.

Hardide Coatings Limited is the UK operating company of Hardide Plc (AIM:HDD).

More information is available from: www.hardide.com