IBM establishes nuclear power centre

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 03 July 2007 13:26

IT Industry - Strategy

Most of us tend to smile quietly when we see a licence clause that states software is not to be used to run a nuclear power plant. But some people do run them, and that's why IBM is establishing a global centre of excellence for nuclear power. Located in La Gaude, France, the centre "extends IBM's on-going work with leading nuclear power companies to support improved design, construction, safety and operation of power plants based on IBM software, hardware, consulting, and services industry offerings," according to IBM officials. "These include IT systems design and architecture consulting, high performance computing, advanced simulation/modeling capabilities, plus Enterprise Asset Management and Plant Lifecycle Management solutions aimed at both the extension of existing nuclear power plant life, as well as streamlining new plant construction." (Try paraphrasing that!)

Why France? "France possesses world-class expertise in the area of nuclear power," said Frederic Bauchot, lead architect at the centre. "Establishment of the Center enables IBM to utilize not only local IBM talent and experience in nuclear systems design and implementation, but also advanced skills of a leading nuclear power market."

More than 30 countries operate nuclear reactors for electricity generation, and others (including Australia) are considering joining them as the nuclear option is seen as a way of reducing carbon emissions while meeting a growing demand for energy. Some people feel the risks associated with nuclear power stations (including the difficulty of safely storing waste products) are too great to justify their use.

IBM La Gaude facility is not far from the site of the International Thermo Nuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) fusion project.