Open Group focuses on nuclear for industrial applications

The consortium founding members - Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Freeport-McMoRan, Nucor, Rio Tinto, and Shell - represent large industrial users of power and heat. These members will leverage their integration and project delivery expertise to define the requirements for the application of nuclear technology to provide process heat and power for their respective industries.

The primary objectives of the Industrial Advanced Nuclear Consortium (IANC) include: standardising interfaces and sourcing terminology; adopting risk-appropriate design practices; and developing open frameworks and business guidelines.

"These efforts are designed to encourage competition, lower costs, reduce regulatory and scheduling risks, and ultimately deliver diversified, dependable, and decarbonised heat and power solutions for industry," The Open Group said.

Working together with technology providers, Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) companies, and the wider industry, the consortium plans to advocate for aligning and streamlining nuclear regulatory approval and permitting processes with industrial facility project timelines, collaborate across the nuclear ecosystem to standardise interfaces between nuclear and industrial facilities, and promote business models for the delivery of nuclear generated heat and power to reduce costs and improve schedules.

"There is an urgent need to better leverage nuclear energy to address the application of heat and power solutions," said Steve Nunn, President and CEO of The Open Group. "We believe that an open architecture approach can enable cost effective solutions that can be replicated to drive this adoption.

"By bringing together large industrial end users and the supplier community, we can draw on the huge amount of industry expertise in project delivery, reduce cost and schedule uncertainty, and effectively deliver nuclear projects that serve the needs of the industry."

The IANC said it is "welcoming new members from across the ecosystem including technology providers, academia, EPCs, and government agencies". 

The Open Group, is a global consortium with over 900 members that enables the achievement of business objectives through technology standards and open source initiatives by fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and mutual respect among its members. Its membership includes customers, systems and solutions suppliers, tool vendors, integrators, academics, and consultants across multiple industries.