David Caro
Commercial Development Manager at Konecranes"No country outside of Spain is considering shutting down their nuclear power plants"
David Caro began working at Konecranes in 2008 as sales and industrial technical service manager in Spain's Levante region. In 2018, with the achievement of a nuclear project in Cofrentes, he started his journey in the nuclear business. Initially he was Commercial Development Manager in Spain, and since 2021 he manages Central and Southern Europe. In this interview with Foro Nuclear, he states that he is experiencing one of the best moments of his career. In his opinion, "the nuclear phase-out schedule in our country is unfeasible from a logistical and operational standpoint and weakens us as a nation."
What types of services does Konecranes Nuclear offer?
Konecranes is a globally recognized company with the highest quality standards and a strong focus on safety. We have extensive experience in the design, manufacturing, and installation of safety-related lifting equipment, such as fuel handling machines, polar cranes, fuel pool platforms, spent fuel cask cranes, and more.
The capabilities of the Konecranes Nuclear Engineering team cover the entire project execution process in nuclear power plants worldwide. This includes seismic analysis, documentation for the licensing of new plant construction, customized product design, and 3D models or process animations for analysis and decision-making.
With extensive experience in the design, manufacturing and installation of lifting equipment, Konecranes has more than 600 branches in 50 countries
With over 600 branches across 50 countries, we are also able to provide support for refueling and lifting equipment maintenance, as well as modernization and compliance adaptation for older equipment.
With over 50 years' experience in the nuclear industry, how has the technology of your cranes evolved to meet the growing demands for safety and efficiency
The nuclear industry is constantly evolving, and we evolve with it to rise to the occasion. We can confidently say that our cranes are at the forefront of new technologies, and we design our equipment to maintain more than acceptable energy efficiency. Konecranes Nuclear adheres to the nuclear quality system for supplying products to nuclear facilities and fuel processing plants. This system has been formally accepted and supported by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for over 40 years and is continuously monitored to meet safety demands.
Additionally, the R&D department, together with the quality department at Konecranes Nuclear, carefully analyzes each new project to ensure that safety and efficiency standards are upheld.
Nuclear energy is experiencing a global resurgence. What strategies is your company implementing to position itself in this expanding market?
Our greatest strength lies in our global experience with local contact. We can provide our clients with the engineering solution they need from our unit in the United States and complete the project with our local service branches throughout the world. Sharing the same goals between client and supplier, and being able to discuss them in the same language and cultural context, helps ensure the successful completion of projects.
Another key factor that makes us a potential supplier for our clients is our extensive list of global references. This is clear proof of our experience in different countries, each with its own regulations and operational practices.
"Considering the current growth of nuclear development, the entire nuclear industry will need to secure and establish a strong supply chain"
I also believe that one of the biggest challenges we will face—not just us but the entire nuclear industry—is securing and establishing a strong supply chain, considering the growing demand we are seeing globally. It is true that in Spain we can take pride in having companies with proven experience and more than enough capabilities to execute large-scale projects, but it is not always possible to find the same level of expertise elsewhere.
You took on the responsibility for commercial development in Central and Southern Europe in 2021. How do you see these European markets compared to Spain?
Honestly, I feel envious when I see other countries investing in new nuclear power plants, extending the operational life of their units and committing to small modular reactors with investments from both public and private funds.
"The case of Spain regarding nuclear energy is unprecedented worldwide."
The case of Spain regarding nuclear energy is unprecedented worldwide. No country outside of Spain is considering shutting down its nuclear power plants—quite the opposite. Countries without nuclear energy are actively debating or even starting the construction of new plants; those that already have nuclear power are increasing their generation capacity; and others are developing programs for the construction of small modular reactors.
I firmly believe that we have a responsibility to future generations to give them the opportunity for a better and cleaner world. However, I think that in Spain we are running out of time to make a decision that will help us meet our environmental and self-sufficiency goals.
"In Spain we are running out of time to make a decision that will help us meet our environmental and self-sufficiency goals"
A country's energy policy should not be subject to the political party in power at any given time. Even though shutdown agreements were signed, I believe we have seen enough events in recent years to understand that a nation's energy policy must be dynamic.
During your trips to trade shows and conferences across Europe, what opinions about this technology do you perceive in different countries?
I would say that the sentiment outside of Spain regarding nuclear energy is that it is a common good—perhaps not the ultimate solution, but undoubtedly the one we have now and the one that will help us mitigate the threat already looming over us: climate change.
Small modular reactor and fusion projects are increasing, but they still need time to become a reality. What is already a reality, however, is that nuclear energy in Spain currently contributes 20% of the country's electricity generation, in a system facing ever-growing demand.
How would you define nuclear energy and its professionals?
From my point of view, having worked in various industrial sectors, I believe the nuclear sector is the most highly professionalized and committed to safety.
"The nuclear sector is the most highly professionalized and committed to safety"
The highly globalized nuclear sector allows professionals to learn best practices from different places, enhancing their expertise. One of the key aspects I would highlight about nuclear energy is that everyone feels a strong commitment to share experiences within the nuclear community. This collective knowledge exponentially increases industry expertise and helps reduce downtime caused by poor practices.
We are used to seeing the same mistakes being repeated in many industries, leading to significant extra costs and execution delays. That’s why I believe that every step forward in nuclear energy is a step forward for the entire community
Do you think it is possible to phase out this technology in our country within the established timeframe?
No, of course not. We have a clear example in Germany. We cannot let go of something that we currently need. And it's not just about needing it, it's also because the shutdown schedule is unfeasible from a logistical and operational standpoint.
"The shutdown schedule is unfeasible from a logistical and operational standpoint, and it weakens us as a country"
Shutting down a nuclear power plant requires time and resources, and the scheduled closure seems overly optimistic. Decisions are being made that will lead to a worse future. We will not be able to meet our environmental goals, nor will we be a self-sufficient country. I hope this decision is reconsidered because it weakens us as a nation.
Going forward, what innovations or developments are you planning for Konecranes' products and services?
We want to continue being a valuable partner for our clients. To achieve this, we will continue to invest in technology and product development while maintaining and even improving our quality and safety standards.
Our medium-term goal is to provide equipment with the capacity of predicting the maintenance and corrective actions needed based on usage and environmental conditions. We also aim to suggest behavioral adjustments in equipment operation to enhance safety and durability.
We want to digitize the real-time data collected by the crane so that the end user can make informed decisions from their office, based on actual facts and data. While we have already enabled clients to monitor the status of certain critical components, we plan to expand our anomaly detection capabilities. We understand that these types of user tools require strict cybersecurity control, which is why we are developing a secure system that meets the high standards of the nuclear industry.
Would you like to add anything?
must call on our politicians to reach a consensus and agree on an energy policy that benefits our country and serves our long-term interests. We cannot rely on the ideologies of different political parties for something as crucial as the development and economy of a nation.
