Editorial page

Talk to anyone in the nuclear power industry and chances are you’ll hear the same story: “we’re so busy”…“business is booming”…“we can hardly find the staff to keep up”. It’s a position of luxury to be operating at the start of an industry renaissance such as we are facing now, and long may it last! As countries continue to try and relieve the pressure on their power grids, allowing industry and populations to flourish while decreasing – or at least minimizing – CO2 output, things should only get better. Being prepared for a boom is important; Dr Neil Alexander, President of the Organization for CANDU Industries, explains on page 38 how Canada’s nuclear industry is challenged with major restructuring at a time when it needs to strongly present its technology to the world.

Our cover story with Flowserve Corp is an example of a supplier more than ready to meet demand; high quality products and service have helped them thrive in the business for more than 50 years. Read how they are continuing to innovate by diversifying into nuclear remediation on page 12.

We have two superb technical papers in this issue, and don’t miss the second part of The Insiders View where Gérard Kottmann of Valinox Nucléaire gives his thoughts on industry developments. I’m also pleased to present the first installment of what will be a regular column by respected journalist Israel Rafalovich.

It’s also getting increasingly busy here at the Focus on Nuclear desk; I’m pleased to announce that we are increasing the frequency of this magazine to six issues in 2011. This offers even more opportunities for manufacturers, suppliers, end users and anyone in the business to have their say. If you would like to present an article or be interviewed, do get in touch – it’s a great way to get the nuclear world focused on you!