Engineering management of nuclear desalination plants—a case study, Saudi Arabia

Desalination, 27 (1978) 283-331 @ E&m-k Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam - Printed in The Netherlands

ENGINEERLNG MANAGEMENT OF NUCLEAR DESALIlVATION PLANTS - A CASE STUDY, SAUDI ARABIA

SUMMARY

Engineering management and manpower aspects of potential nuclear desalination projects in non-nuclear countries are considered here with emphasis on safety and quality assurance. Detailed bvestigation is made of manpower and staffing requiremen& of dual-purpose nuclear power and desalination plan& Organization and management of f;ypicd overaH nuclear programs and individual plants are studied to provide specific recommendations of procedures compatible with countries having little or modest industrial activity. Saudi Arabia was selected as a specific case for this study; however, the results apply generally to countries at the same industrial development h~3, The case of Saudi Arabia is of interest due to the pscutiaxi&s of a shotige is, human capital and a lack of industries necessary to support des&nation and nuclear energy activities.

LNTRODUCTIUN

Several studies have been conducted on staffing and organization of single-purpose nuciear power plants and fussil desalination plants_ How- ever, dual-purpose nuclear desalination plants have not been given adequate attention in this regard. Management EUICI staffing af d~ti-p~f~e phnts involve several problems which are characteristic of coordinating two systems in simultaneous operation. Special considerations must be taken into account in desalination planti feeding on nuclear energy, Such considerations include an emphasis on: rehahiiity of camponents and interface hetween the energy source and the water production units; enforcing a high level of quaLie assurance at ah phases of construction and operation; well trained operators; adequate operation procedures and instr~tions; and adequate inspection and maintenance.

MANAGEMENT MODELS

A criticaI review is made here of organization and management modeis which have been used in business, i.ndusQy, and government

284 A.F. ABTXJLFATTAH AND A.A. HU*SSEm

urganizations, The ubjective uf the diiczlssiun is to examine the viabtity uf each made1 fur implemenb&ion af nucl~tar r;ne~~ projects hvolving efecticd power genemtion and sake water conversion in nun-nuclear coun*ties. Emphasjs is placed an MernaI organir;ation, be., on those aspecti of the urganizat;iun wkich r&x ta jtdentkkatian of responsibilities and authority flows within a given enterprise or closed movement sysbm_

The bureaucratic model Ts a&en atkched to laxg~~~& c~~@~u~~ guvernmental ur es~~~~~ment uniks wherein individual bidding is unrec- ognized (I). The mode1 is universal and it prevails in aaust large urganiz- atiuns and has been used in gavemment organizatiuns for a long time, regardless of the political or economic system, The model represents a z&ate of static equilibrium; hence, attempts to revufutionize a bureaucratic organization by radical dynaxnic changes often end up develuping a new furm of bureaucratic system because bwceaucracies are mechanistic and impersonal, Ebt;h ttre conservative traditiunalist and the revolutionary achieve their goals tkxq@ the bureaucratic mechanisna. in the insti- tutianalization of authurity by sack&y, Thus, the manager acquires a type of power te@timatied by sack&y t;o make his suburdinates da what shuuld be dune reg~M&~ of indCk~%I feeling, interest or judpent QZ)-

Proponents of bureaucracy consider it an ideal urg~~atiun~ philus- uphy which guarantees a high lev~?l of ratbn&ty, The mechanistic charac- tetistk uf munucratk bure~~~~~&ic admink&etion provides arx uptimxxn precision, knuwbdge of the files, canti.ntity, strict suburdinatiun, unity and discretion, Among the advantages, which can be disputed by opponenti are; efficiency, speed, and reduction af &k&ion and material and personnel costs- These are justi&d by the assumptiun that the human element is unpredictable, nut necessax+ly ratianal, and often exnutiunaf; hence, human diversities tend ta interfere with efficient organkatiunal perfurrnance (3). Severd opponents have atso given a realkkic accsunf; of *he trend af unmanageable growth of bureaucratic organiaatiuns which accompmies a pragressive de&n@ in efficiency (P),

The theory uf bureaucracy k~ based on rn~~~ing the humarr element by Iimiting the respunsibtity af subordinab?s in Xarge_umzatiuns to xnstur tasks. Cunsequent%y, the bureaucratic mechanbm is idd lEor management of thase facets af nuciear energy uperatiuns wkrein repurtbg, filling and auditing play a major role, such as in some park of a quality asswmce program. Such activities req-&e a mechanistk and depersonalized form of organizatiun where emphasis is placed un precision 3n folbaring manu;rpS and instructions and an centralized hierarchical structure, Nevertheless, lugging, starage uf infurmatiun and must of the tasks which may tiWize the bureaucratic mechanisstic system corn be more

@ffkiently performed by computers with mhlimum m~power. In the Case of qu&ty cuntrul and inv~~&~ry control, keeping accxxrate records is of Utile use if the engineer car;nnot apply ingenuity in detection of trends, inference and initiation of corrective actions. In fact, a great number af engineering taz3ks in nuclear projects require decision-making at every k?V@L

The classical organization model is b;xsed on setting up the general go&s of the zganizatiun, identifytig the Q&s required tu achieve the objectives, grouping the tasks into admixlistrative subunits, integrattig tihe ~ub~~~ into larger u&s, and then ~st~b~~h~g the top-levef dep&men& or titiiom. The- method explaits the canceptx of stru&ure, hierarchy, specia;lization, span-uf_controX, and Lis=re and staff refatianships in %t mechanistic fashion to group the work in the most efficient way by opti- mizing cost and productivity,

Oqmization structure establishes the r&tionship of the ~iirious fm&ions or activities kn a bahmced manner and in an adaptafsfe form to achieve the primq goals of the organization within a basic framework around which the various parts or units r&te ta one another (I, 5). The structure identifies channels of communications between members of the oqzmization and estibhshes a common set of proposit&~~ =d expel- t&ions; responsibility for cerMn &sses of decisions reMed to these propositions and expectations is then assigned to specific members of the oqzM.zatiun, Structured subgo& are usuaUy necessary to faGLit&e choice in various parts of the organization (6). In management of nuclear en~gy projects, a basic funnction of the structure is to estabEsh intelligence respansibl2Xities in particular organtiation units for scrutiny of the e&run- mernt irz specifjic parts of the orgz~&~atiorr and for communicating t;hose events which may req*e attention or an approptiate deeMon.

The composition of s large, complex org~ation is universal& hierarchical in nature. Classicaiiy, a hierarchical stxucture is based on $he scaler principXe which primarily involves verti~af. division of authority atnd respansibiIi@ and ~S@TUIX~~ of duties to organizatiunatl. units (7). In the traditional hiemchicd organ&&&s, the mhdhnships am based upon the unity-Qf-cammand concept, with each subordinate responsible in m activitiles to only one supenior whc &e&s au&~5ty only to suburdinabs,

The concept of specialization is related to the differences between the tasks assigned to the vax5ous units of an organization, The concept is implemented thruugh department&z&ion of the organization into spe&&icrd units tu perfurm particular functions,

Sup&or-subar&nate reMiu~ship must aflsw fur the systemati4.5 into- gration of organization actitities. A narrow span of control is recommended so that the executive can provide adequate integration. The span-of-control

286 A.F. ABDUL-FA‘ITAH AND AsA, HUSSEINY

concept implicitly emphasizes the coordination of the activities of the subordinate by the executive and relates to the optimum number of subordinates which can be effectively supervised by a single person. A narrow span of control is associated with an elongated vertical structure. Difficulties in horizontal integration of activities and in applying the concept of span of control has limited the usefulness of the concept in building organizations (8, 9).

The classical concepts of management have much in common with the bureaucratic model, especially in placing emphasis on mechanistic and impersonal approaches (1, 2). Two forms of classical organization models have been used in management of large projeck; namely, line and staff- The line organization is the simplest and oldest and is commonly used in developing countries, especially those which are under colonial rule_ The line organization is individually controlled, and the executive is the sole source of authority. AU instructions and orders as to decision-making, policy, performance come through the subexecutive to subordinates. Although an executive may receive advice from specialists, direct orders have to go through proper channels. A subexecutive reports to higher executives and receivesinstructions from the same, single higher authority. The staff functions support the line.

Line organization requires staff who will follow orders without questioning them. The success of the project reties solely on the judgment of an executive who usually has relatively low specialized knowledge. Nevertheless, the executive needs to be familiar with the local situation and must be above to directly control and coordinate the operation. Consequently, this type of organization can be used in the structure of high administrative sectors of the project and in regulatory functions, providing local experts are available (since foreign experts cannot perform their work adequately, especially as executives). Generally, good line executives are difficult to obtain (lo), and in most situations they lack specialized knowledge and the ability to make specific decisions; they are also often overloaded and concerned with detailed duties. The success of advanced technology projects, especially nuclear energy projects which are based on high quality performance, requires executives with specialized knowledge. Line control, although practiced in many developing countries, often fails in management of large projecti in these counties, The failure is usually due to the reluctance of subordinates to obey orders and to receive instructions, particularly if the structure of the organization is based on intelligence, knowledge, or education rather than on social status, This phenomenon prevails in Saudi Arabia and is more apparent,& organizations involving a mix between locals and foreigners.

The advantages of line control are strict discipline, minimum overhead cost and the fact that authority is direct and simple. Although responsibility is identified, there is the danger of lack of communication within

NUCLEAR DESALlNATION PLANT MANAGEMEW IN SAUDX ARABIA 287

the rdes of the system_ This may allow fur avoidance of respunsible actions and passing the blame' for improper performance to subord~ates. An important advantage of line orgnimtion is the minimum time required to estabF$h it. This fact encourageS developing countries to adopt line control to accelerate the developme& process, parfkxtlarIy in transferring modem technoiogies, In add%ion, most of the development processes in many countries are a rest& of the personaI convictiun of a single authority who regards the staff as an aid and an extension to his personality.

Undoubtedly, the line organization is not suitable for complex, large, and long-term nuclear projects, How&er, it CEUI be used im specific sub- mgtiz&kms directkg defined tasks such as a&ml operation of a plant, inspection, or supetisiun or enforcing re&ations within @ven guidelines. Et is &o applicable to locahzed situations in which emergencies requiring prompt action may arise. In such cases, the roIe of the staff is limited to supporting the Line through reporting and performing according to in&m&ions, h compkx nuclear powr and desalination projects, which invalve a great deal of d&&n-makkg, research and development (R&D), and the transfer of technology, the staff is expected to play an imporknt role and must have advanced specialization. The staff is expected to advise, provide service and information, conduct specific studies, make decisions within a broad plan and have controI over parts of fhe organization;zl units-

Staff or departmentaI control requires distribution of authori@ among several highIy specialized officers, Lines of authority converge only at the top of the artganization. In some developing countries organizations are formed based on departmental controt; however, in practice, the ruIes provide clear delineation between line and staff relationships. Often the office= do nut have the nl3cmwy specialized knowledge. Thz actual organization carries the weaknesses of both the I.ine and st&f forms, since it is based on Iine hierarchy while it Iacks cooperation between different departments and the presence of local authority in case of emergencies. If staff control is practiced, specialized knowledge could be valuable in providing high qudity work and increases in production, and in directing the staEP especiaI.Iy in standardized operations, The SW control concept is appropriak in pZi.rtS of *he organization of nuclear projects,

The most widely used form of organization for large operations is the line-and-stiff control, which is a compromise between line and departmental extiemes. In this form, line officers usually have complete authority for execution and emergencies. Staff officers controI other matters such as standards, technic& specifitations and inspections, The zxppruach is con- sewative md is used in large operations with either concentrated or scattered facilities, In General Motors (GM), a blend between line and St&f control has been used successfully (11). The distinction is only

288 kF_ ABDUGFA’ITAH AND A.A. WUSSEW

made between staff of the central office and the ditisions~ The staff is highly specialized but has no fine authority. Nevertheless, in certain mat&s of estabbshed policy, the application of s~h pohcy may be communicated directly to a division, The general staffs are concerned with specfic activities such as legal work while they are involved in solving longrange problems. ln contrast, the divisions are largely engaged in implementation of policies and programs which have aheady been developed. The early experience in GM has shown that providing each division with strong management while providing loose control by the central management could be detrimental to the curporation, The divisions may fail to follow the pslicies set by the corporation management, and the divisions may not provide timely and appzop&te data fur the corpur- ation management to pIan eEicacious policies. A steady flow of information between divisions and cent& staff and adequate control over the divisions have been found necessary for real coordination. Nevertheless, the overall management method has to be dynamic and continuously adjusted to provide an optimal combination of freedom for the divisions and control over them. Similar challenging management problems are expected to prevti in conducttig nuciear energy projects in non-nuclear countries. Governmental organization and control has to be continuously adjusted to allow for freedom of those divisions involved in conducting detailed and specialized tasks while maintaining strict cantrrol over quality assulcance and safety divisions.

Although in the line-and-staff form of management equal emphasis and importance are attached to both staff and executive Cm&ions, such an operation can be infested with destructive rivalries betvveen officers of equal rank, They may not compete for the good of the organization but rather to enlarge the domain of their authority within thekr own speciali& or depbment by ehmination of all means of interaction and cooperation with one another. Such defects foster internal dissension and hamper development. This can be remedied by changing descriptive titles of the officers to imply more of the executive and less of the specialist, even if the officers involved are highly specialized. The change in titles may eEmCnate territorial barriers and waufd be helpful in establishing easier contacts with the public which prefers dealing with afficers holding a more comprehensive title, such as vice president, vice guvemar, assistant general manager and assistant manageq rather than with officers designated as department head or division staff. Tk phenomenon of clustered territories within an organization prevails in government organizations and has been nourished by bureaucratic practices. This has hampered progress in developing countries wherein. utiEty and industrial developments are generally conducted by government agencies. Some governments have realized the defect of lack of cooperation between departments and

NWXEAR DESALINATION PLANT MANAGEB¶ENT IN SAUDI ARABIA 289

ministies and have hence created positions such as deputy prime ministerS chief of s&f& and the Eke-

In addition im the change of the title af officers, the line-and-staff control can be replaced by a unit control in which the actual. structure of the or@Wzation may be changed, Separate setices under different depsrt- me&s may be cambhed in one hger force in a single suffice, ffiu~ handling the work of several offices of similar rank and %IMr mediate supenisrs, Subexecultivesors~mayoccupytheposit;ion afthe immediate superior whenever that superior is absent or off duty, This will increase cooperation among office= and compel them to take a comprehensive view of the entire arg a.nization rather than af their limited fzrritory,

Practice of uni& contiol is likely 60 increase supervision efficiency and to provide excellent WGGng for executives, since each officer is continu~y prepared for promotion to a higher executive position, and to select and retairr. officers who possess the discretion and cooperative attitude necessary to coord.inate activities of conflicting interests and authur&iesl Unit control is particullarly suited ta the organization of those parts of a nuclear energy project which have become standardized, thus permitting the organization to &ect its energy along executive lines, In non-nuclear countries, most of the activities of nuclear energy projects are expecCed to be very weI3 standardized, especially in the initial phases. Research and development efforts are expected to be at a modest level and are likely to be conducted by a separate organizatian, government agency or education& institution, In developed countries, unit contrul is o&n used as a concept rather than as a recognized, distinct form of organization (I O),

A departure from unity of command is the concept of functional author&y in which multiple supervision is conducted by functional s&xffs made-up of a number of specialists exercising an authoritarian relationship i.n each of the mctional areas. Under the functional control system subordinates report to several supervisors or sp&alists. Supervisors must be s4ected in this case on the basis of specialized abilify rather than executive ability, and the s&&f tend to be expert in a limited field. Subexecutives and executives have limited, narrow, and specia&ed puint;s of view. Often it is difficult to recruit the exceptional type of personne1 needed, H._lwever, the fUnctional staff system is best adapted to routine specialized activities conducted in a single location.

The neo&ssicaI model is a behatimktic appruach to organization which utilizes the structi aspects of the classical management theory.

290 kF. ABDUL-FATTAH AND AA. HUSSEINY

However, the neoclassical model capitalizes on human resources and informal group relationships rather than on the mechanistic and impersonal aspects which characterize the national models. Thus, the neoclassical concept encourages wide participation of the organization members in decision-making, promotes mutual confidence as the integrative force in organization, and considers the face-to-face group as the basic unit of organization (1). The supervisor is considered an agent for maintaining intragroup and intergroup communication. The members of the organization are expected to perform their tasks through a feeling of responsibility and self-motivation (12). This type of management principle can be easily adapted to research and development organizations and the transfer of technology activities, provided recruitment of highly dedicated competent personnel is possible. It is necessary in this case to provide incentives for workers and staff and to assure harmony and homogenei@ in the backgrounds of co-workers. This may not be possible if the organization is composed of persons of different nationalities, classes or cultures. The concept is not suitable for individuals who are not trained to work in teams which is the case in many developing countries. In Saudi Arabia the neoclassical mod4 would be compatible with the local culture because people tend to undermine hierarchy and resent structures based on authority. Progress in human factors engineering can provide guidelines for developing neoclassical management, especially in developing countries where organizational structure has not reached the complexities present in developed economies. The presence of the human element can bring about the realization of a totaI system of organization which encompasses individuals, informal and formal groups, and intergroup and formal relationships (13) The concept of the organization as a total system is particularly suited to new developments such as the introduction of nuclear energy in dynamic economies wherein the new developments will have long term benefits.

Decision-making model Many of the organizations of complex, large projects which involve

more than routine production are faced with daily problems of different natures. In this case, emphasis must be placed on human probIem-solving and decision-making mechanisms as primary forces in organizational behavior. Consequently, organization members must be recognized as individuals of limited capacity and rationaI%y who have a wide spectrum of wants, drives, motives and aspirations. In fact, if the human element is to be recognized in its totality as more than a mere mechanical in&umen- tahty, any management task must be viewed as a decision-making process (10). In this sense, the management involves searching for decision points, design of alternAive courses of action through analysis, and choice of a pticular course of action from the aval’lable alternatives (6). Those stages

NUCLEAR DESALDNATION PLANT MANAGEMENT IN SAUDI .#UUBLA 293.

of management can draw on human inte&ctive capa&ies in spite of their liES3tions by deweloping slmptified models that capture the main fiat;ures of a problem witlhout capturing all ih complexities (24). The decisian- ma-g model adds to the traditional organizational models such concepts as motivation, perception, confl.ic& of interest, and restrictions on ration- al&y. This model wuufd he of V&E in the orgaxGz&Son of nudear-enefe;y prujects since if provides oppor%unity fur +xaining the stif in logical approaches to solving generic problems. However, the concepts are difficult 2o implement in established orgaatiom in developed countries and c-at be introduced ab initio in developing countries. The model can be slowly implemented in the argmization af R&D u&s where decision- m-g is the m&n activity, This wutid st#.muIate innovation and provide se&confidence b workers, both basic elementi of dynamic deveiopment.

Modem management model The advent af computer development and the progress in systems

anaIy& have led to the evolution of mechanistic and behavioristic models of management into system concepts- The new scientific developments have made it possible to view the manwement process in iti entirety, rather than placing emphasis on the functions af the system as separate entities. Concern with minor details of individual functions could result in suboptimA operation of the system at hand; hence, the mange- ment of a project may fail in spite of success in conduct&x2 the tasks assigned to the subsystems. For example, in a nuclear energy project, strict provision af safe& and quality assmce at specifjic units of the project does not necessarily result in an CWQELU safe and high quality project.

Modem management concepts place defiite emphasis on the fact that functions are performed in conjunction with the operation of the system as a whole, although the organizational structure, like traditional models, considers the basic functions of plmtig, organization, conIxo1 and communication, While traditonal concepts of organization de&l primarily with intxxrelationships between people, whether In a mechani&ic or behavioristic sense, the systems concep$ @ces emphasis upon tie integration of aB actitities toward the accamplishment of overall abjec- tives, recognizing the importance of efficient subsystem perfurmance. Thus, the modern management concept includes protisions for components, arrangements and opsations and view-s the oqanization ES a complex man-machine system. The concept provides great advantages including decentralization of decision-mak5ng and the more &e&M uW.izat;ion of the resuurces aUocat& to the individual project, Thus, accamtabiIi& for performance can be achieved through the measurabirit;y of indvidti systems of operation.

Control in the modem management model is regarded as a means of

292 A.F. ABDUL-FATTAH AND A.A. HUSSEINY

gaining greater flexibility in operation and as a feedback mechanism that provides a corrective action. In addition, communication pIays a vital role since it is the connecting and integrating link tithin the systems network. Also, the modem management model is characterized by simplicity and reliability in the sense of assuring consistency of operation of the components. In all situations, provision should be made for repair and recovery to overcome any failure. Furthermore, the modern concept emphasizes economy as a major element of management and considers acceptability of the peopIe affected as a major element of success.

Modem management in nuclear projects could be easily adapted in developing countries since plans, rather than individual consultants and advisors, can be imported. SeIecting a management model based on a systems concept for planning, organization, and operation is much easier than recruiting competent foreign expeti with the required training and ability to live in an alien environment and accept a different culture. Implementation of the systems concept may require extensive use of computer codes in planning and decision-making. However, this aspect of the management process could indirectly increase the number of trained locals who wou!d have the ability to manage complex and large nuclear- energy organizations through systematic approaches that assure success in achieving goals while maintaining high levels of safety and quality control. Furthermore, the transfer of nuclear technology through acquisition of information and procedures is more fruitful than importing manpower and/or long-term plans to train locals in diversified fields within foreign environments which may have different and untransferable philos- ophies in management and operation. In developing countries, the blind faith attached to computer outputs makes the use of a modem management model ideal, especially in the implementation of safety provisions, planning and quality assurance programs.

DECENTRALIZATION

eperience in the management of General Motors has shown that the success of a management procedure depends on motivation and oppor- tunity, which can be achieved by incentive compensation and decentralization, respectively (1 I )_ However, decentralization has been accompanied by coordinated controL Decentralization provides the organization with all the qualities needed to adapt to new conditions, including flexibility, initiative, personne 1 development, responsibility, and making realistic decisions in a short time. The upper echelons of management would con- centrate on policy making and defer decisions to the lowest feasible level of the organization. On the other hand, efficiency and economy can be assured through coordination. The reconciliation of the conflicting elements of decentralization and centralization requires continuous

WXLEAR DESALINATION PLANT MANAGEMENT IN SAUDE. ARABIA 293

adjustment and modification as the organizatiun grows arrd expands 2n the number of its members and the scope of its interests.

In developing economies, most of the organizations are not geared to provide motiv&ion through incentive compensatioli or opportuxrity through decentraliz&ion. The criteria for promotion are usuatly based on strict bureaucratic practice and are therefore mechanistic in nature and depend on academic degrees and date of graduation with no consideratiac given for productivity or quality of work, Due to the smell size of many emeqjng countries, management policies are inhibited by the notion of fairness to employees, which is &ten interpreted as providing jobs with the same level of compensation for everyone. The colon&4 rule in some countries has fostered an attitude of mi&ust among the staff and an atitude that central authori& is holy. Actually, this is not the case in Saudi Arabia. The shortage of manpower has provided ample opportunities for moving-up in organizations, including governmental agencies and institutions, A sense of mutual trust exists in most organimtions, especially among executives and subexecutives. However, many aperations are ce&Ai~ed due to &he fact that tkzy are government contrulled, which is a universal phenomexlon in governmenti organizations. In adctitiion, there is no criterion for incentive compensation which is widely accepted.

Although the motivation element is bar;ic for successful management of new projects, there aredifferent views about the role of decentrahzation and how it can be implemented. For exampl et, General Electric considers a different solution of decentr&zatiun for each situation, while other companies have decentralized to avoid difficulties with executive staff reviews and unhealthy rigidi~ in central offices.

Considering the case of nuclear energy projecti, the reconctiiation of eentsatlization and decentralization is inetitabIe; however, this may be dune gradustly and in ways which s&t the given circumstances and the nature of the activif;y of the div&6on or branch.

CURRENT PRACTICES

Zn the U.S. the urganizatim within the nuckaf indusky branch of a corporation varies from one company to another and is usually similar to other industrial branches witti the specific enterprise. The utility companies have a high degree of flexibility in their internal organizations; however, the management and st&tig of nuclear power plants follow specific guidelines (25), The mkn feature of she management of nuclear projects is the great emphasis @aced 0x1 site selection, monitoning, emergency prepziredness, tie1 mamgement, tests a?d inspections, m&n- tenance, security, nuclear material assay and quality assurance. Usua;lIy, the line-and-staff model is used in the organization. A strict line control is

used in operation, inspection and rntitenance, staff control in quality assurance, and unit con&o1 in activities indirectly related to the power generation. The quality assurance amation is independent of alI other groups and comprises three levels to enforce control at all levels of design, consfzuction and operation. Sag and management practices in single-purpose nuclear power plants in t;he U.S. have been presentxzd in several documenti (I 5-23).

On the high admGst&Sve lewel of desz&nation projects the organ% ation of thus former Office of S&e Water (OSW) (24-27) or the present Office af Water Research and Techn~Iagy (UIVRT), which is a pm% of the U.S. Department of the lnteriur, can be considered as a model far staffmg the headquarters of single-purpose des&nation operation. Since the bureaucratic model is used in this case, the organization will suit govemment-controhed water projects. However, those organizations are formed with the objective of developing diverse alternative water production teehn~logies with little or no emphasis on nuclear energy. In addition, ths OWRT draws on consultants and facilities from the US. Department of the Interior and other government sources. In the case of Saudi tibia, those facilities are not available, and additional groups and personnel are therefore required-

Generahy, the US. practice in staffing and in management systems is inadequate for developing countries and fur Saudi Arabia, since it is based on the use of estab’Ilshed systems in private industry which have developed in a different environment. Maintenance, safety, qu&y assurance, -in- ing, warehouse f&lities, inventories and inspection should be emphasized more in nuclear plants and operations in non-nuclear counties. This would be hpartant in Saudi Arabia in particular since for the-foreseeable future nuclear plants are expectzd to be far from the nuclear cen;t;;ers and nuclear industries. In addition, the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), which is expected to marrry;e and operate the nuclear plants, is a nanprofit governmental agency, while in the US_ the utilities are ctief!y in the public or private s&or.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued several recommendations for staffing and management of nuclear projects for nations interested in nuclear power (281, Those recommendations can only be used as guidlines for the formatian of specific local management schemes. The IAEA recommendations irre patterned after the US, organization model with different requirements on the number of personnel involved (IS), That number is not optimal in the case of Saudi Arabia since the job market is growing at a fast rate, The frequency at which people change jobs is high compared to the situation in Europe and in the United Stitis, Employees tend to prefer administrative positions and

Fig. 1, Basic organization chart for present desalination project (30).

wcdd be expected to move to higher paying jobs even befure gaining the proper expxience. Thus, the number of personnel in the Satrdi A&San urganiz&on shmld be kqgx f;han khsri; recommended by &he IAEA or fur

296

l-EChNICA4_ DIRECTOil

(1) I

Fig. 3. Te&nid Director Office Fig. 4. PersarxneI Directar Office organization chart (30 )_ orgzmization chatrt, (30).

the USA_ Finally, the US_ practice and the IAEA recommendations are limited to single-purpose nuclear power plants; hence, new organization charts need to be developed to account for administrative problems related to desalination. The chzuks should be compatible with the country of interest and should be planned on the basis of current pmctice in that caunky.

Saudi Arabia Management charts of current fossil-fueled dual- and single-purpose

desaSnation pfants in Saudi Arabia have been presentid and briefly discussed by Abdul-Fattab et al, (29). The basic organk&Son of desalination actitities an the east and west coasts is presented in Fig. 1 (30). The organization is line controlled and is based on separation of techrkal and administration activities. It has been developed on the assumption that foreign experts will occupy the top executive positions. Fig. 2 shows more details of the management and techtical. affairs of the organization of the plants on the west coast. Further breakdown of selected subgroups within the west coa& organization is shown in Figs. 3-6 with the numbers of persons involved in each category. The staffZng of the office of the technical director and the plant superintendent provides close interaction between the t;wo top managers as shown in Fig. 3, The personnel di_rector’s office is basically planed to provide assistance for foreign errperk a~ shown in Fig. 4, In contrast, the administration marqger’s office (Fig. 5) is

responsible mainly for employee affairsI A typical plan of the maintenance azpartment- is shown ti Fig, 6. Essential activities such as inspection, tezting and quaSty assurance are nut emphasized due to the relative simpkity of present desdhation p&x&s, Such activZes are the responsi- b$ty of the plant mantiac~e~. This is because all of the plants and their equipment have been imported w-ith the understanding that availability, operabgity, safety and qua&y have heen thoroughly checked, However, rout& inspection and quality assurance are of great; tipurtance in the linst#atiun and operaf;lion phases as wsiil as in the ma.nufa&uG.ng phase, Th& is especially true if nuclear energy is intioduced in the de&& nation projects.

Anani propos~I the departmental controlled organization illustrated in Fig. 7 far a dud-purpose fossWueIed desalination project at Jeddah (31). Major activities such as engineering sectors, coordination between en&neering depa&r&e?W 0per&i0n, mzC.&ena.nce andqutiQ asszrance have I-KI~ been considered in this organization scheme. NevetiheWs, Anani has recognized in developing the proposed manwement scheme that there is Little coortiatian of policies and projects pertaining ti water production. In must developing counties, all water affairs are controlled by

Fig. 7. A possible orgp&zation of du&purpose desaIination project mi3uragement (31).

the Ministry (department) of Agriculture since most of the water consumption is lin the agriculfxral sector, Anani proposed the formation of a cent& water authority to cunsoiidate &l the pIarming efforts under different sectors of the guvemment. However, he suggested that exploration fur undergrumd water, assessment of water resources, and execution of desalination projects rem& mder the P&-&try of Agrimhxe and Water (MAW) (31).

Consi&xing the dual production of water and power using nuclear energy, the project may require the merger of several adminstrations controlled by several ministries in the central government, The electxic power is produced by the Ministry of Electriciw (ME) and the Saline Water Conversion Corporation @WCC) in addition to Aramco. The nuclear enerw o?fice is at present part of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resaurces (MPMR), The water production is under the MAW, the Ministry of Muticipalit~es (MM), and the SWCC. Currently, the SWCC distzibutes water only from the dual-purpose desalination plants; however, it does not con&o1 the prices of either the water or the electricity. Recently, the SWCC has been merged temporarily with the MAW.

The went need for water in some countries lacking skilled manpower has forced those countries to seek turnkey contracts which oblige the vendors to assume the responsibility for manufacturing, construction, maintenance, and operation of the pIant. This type of arrangement gives the manufacturer the responsibli@ for management, Although a turnkey contract can be used in the short rtuz TV intiodxe nuclear dual-purpose plants in a non-nuclear country, the retwm to the countzy is minimal in terms of transfer of nuclear tichnology, Only some locals may have the chance in tb case to assume part of the manage- positions, often thase of the least impur&ince. Generally, no sufficient or serious tzaining is provided to lxain local enaeers and operaturs.

A basic problem in the plantig and management procedure in developing countries is the reh~ctance of decision-makers to cunducf necessary preliminary analysis and feasibility studies prior to making commitments to large projects. Such studies involve management planning, assessment of manpower and planrGne: of training programs. Experience in developed countries has proved that those epe of studies should be an integral part; of the execution plan of any pruject to avoid major loss of capital, Lr. a desiltinaticm project, a sb.xiy cost in the range of 0.3-U,5% of the t&aI cost of the pfant wuuld assure effi&~~t and economic design, con&u&ion and operatiun of the project (329,

In marty develuptig cuunties~ major decisions, including those r&ted f;o technok@cal development or expansion in the utiliw services, are hastily made on the spur of the moment. WnavaiIability of adequate financial resources, the desire for growth and expansion, and un.famtiari@ with management of investments and lauge business ventures have led the decision-makers in some countries to regard the feasibility and preliminary studies of projects as wastefil of money, effort and time. In many counties, utility and public services have never been pknned, and selected decisions are made on n&ionaI occa&ons whenever a ruler w&hes ti commemorate the occasion by giving the people a new water or eIecfricity prujectr. High authutities in a Iine-t=ontroMd ur bureaucratic ur@nization are aptr to consider conk&kg an agency or consultit group to conduct evaluatiun studies of large undertzkings as arr indication of their incom- petence, inability TV show good judgement or inabiliiy to make de&ions. Some are not used to trusting or valuing the judgments of others. Often, political factors in small community play a dominant role, especially in government controlled industties; for exampie, a politician may be interested in starting a large project ta capitahze on the associated publicity without seeing it through, and hence the success or failure of f;he project is not uf high political value.

In Saudi Arabia, however, the combined effect of abundance of monetary cap&4 and the scarci@~ af &rained manpower has gradually increased rehzulce on project studies as a basic element in the planning of large prujects such as expansion of the water or electrical supply, In fact, it has became apparent in many c~s that the organization of pr&ninazy studies is an Meg& park gf the management of national. projects, This practice has even been extended to small prajects, whether in the public or private serctur.

Etis and Pechenick (32) have considered the oganization of large desalination plant studies and have identified the relations between the sponsoring agency and the contracting authority or financing group. Their model ti based on the se&z&ion of large de&in&ion plants of capacities in excess of 50 mgd, The study-team urganizatiun is line-and-staff cuntrutied, and communication Aann& between the study-team and the sponsoring

300 A.F. ABDUL-FATTAH AND A.A.. HUSSEINY

authority provide additional control by the project adminstrators and the study contractor. The role of the sponsoring authorie is that of represen- tation and participation. In addition, the authority is responsible for precise identification of the objective of the project, the scope of the study, and the overall design parameters. The studies would involve selection of design concepts compatible with the given situation based on assessment of alternative energy sources and desalination routes; careful analysis of all factors affecting design, procurement, construction, and operation; feed water analysis and variations; siting; labor costs and conditions in the area: end use; economics; availability of materials of construction; and potential suppliers_

The proposed study-team organization is suited to the Saudi Arabian situation in management of nuclear desalination projects. The organization would be valuable in non-nuclear countries, especially at the initial phases of introduction of nuclear energy in the country. The parallel coordination of local efforts supervised by local authorities and the study contractor efforts which may be conducted by foreign or private groups would assist in trainmg locals while on the job_ The study-team organization may be integrated with the staffing of nuclear desalination projects in Saudi Arabia, provided adequate modifications are made. Certain basic activities such as bid evaluation, standardization, and warehouse provisions need to be added. Also, details of the engineering sections of the organization need to be considered rather than the elaborate details of the established sponsoring Gency and the associated economic considerations_ This is important due to the shortage of techrkal manpower in Saudi Arabia.

SPECI_AL MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

Several factors must be considered in selecting the management method, the organization model, and the staffing policy and in assessing manpower requirements for nuclear projects in non-nuclear countries and particularly in Saudi Arabia. The fact that nuclear technology is newly introduced would require the selection of the simplest form of organization. Simple control is also required due to the expected rapid changes in personnel. As the nuclear energy organization matures, more complex forms may be gradually adopted, provided the original. organization pattern is tailored in such a way that future changes can be implemented without excessive cost. Specialized super&ion is necessary at some levels of the organization because two different products, water and electrici~, are produced and delivered and because the domain of the organization encompasses several diverse activities which require continuous development. Also, specialized knowledge is required at the pioneering stage to assure a good start for the nuclear technology transfer operation. The diversified nature of nuclear energy activities requires a high degree of

flexibility, communiation, accepbbili&, retiabiEt& and decentrz.&zation with&~ the organizatiun, These requirements can be best achieved by adapm$ tie systims concept of modern management wherein il:e orgz~G&ion & viewed in its entirety as an in*gral system. Communicatisn would act as the integrating link within the systems network and would coordinati the flow of infomation. The systems concept of manag~?ment can pnmide t;he simpkst system wMch hzw anaccessto theg~ob~nu~~e~ energy ~formation system. This is isnportant due to the vitrious inter- nationalimpfi~ations oftheuseafnuclemene~.

Coorrdination of nuckar power and &&in&ion projects under different governmental agencies may require the creation of new high au~harities. Regutation, development and productiun must be plated under the juris~ction of separat;e md inddeppendenfi administiafkms to assure the SE&&~ of the public, the felii;~biIity of plants, the enforcement of national and international reg&ations and the quality of consU~cti~:on and production. An independent and competent quality a~urance: (QA) group which has assigned responibihties at each level of the organization must he formed, Modern techr&~es of inspection and tesking znust become avail&&.? to the QA gruup. The lifraup shotid &ectIy report to and adv%e the top executive in each operation, A study team may be fumed OP r=onf;racted to cooperate with each of the top management level at %he initi& phase and during the execuf;iun of any proj~~%.

One of the major &fZicuH&s in st&&g and in developing a management scheme is the Me@tiu~~ of the new or~az&ation into ez&ting governmental agencies, Whtie production can be contrc&led by several ministries or governmental agencies, each af the development and regula- tion sectors mu& be controlled by a single independent authori&, and alI production pk~& must be titbin the jurisdiction of the sin&e regulatory agency, Related R&D may be done by universities, research institutions, and privirt;e consultan& However, a cen&aI aukhority must coardinati and direct; the effati. The study &XUXI may involve government swf 8~: other selected mf%nbers of other organizations even if a foreign study-contractor is s&cted for 22 specific project,

t?r;ilturd attitudes tower& authority and responsibiI%y must be accummoda~d jn the organizat&~~ A reward and penalty system m;ty be develtoped &I enhance motivation and TV encore innovatiun. The st&f and the executives must be provided tith incentives to conduct high quality work at all levels and ta acquire a reasonable sense of dedication to the objectives of the program. This goal cannot be achieved merely by slogans, reminders or wordy sermons. Incentive compensation, communication, parC5pation of the ur~~~atiun members in decision-mtig &ruugh decen&Gzation, and adeqmls disM3ution of xespon~ihiGties are essenti& The major contemporary cultural characterMics of the Zac& include: r~~&_~~ent of direct orders and authorities supported by tierachy

302 AmF. ABDUEFA’XTAH AND A.A. HUSSELNY

of uxganizations; mistrust of tfie jtoya&y and dedi-tion of alien workers; ax&idence in recaaamendatium by foreign experts with Iit& appreciation of theix role in conducting the work; and little concern ti regard to high quali~ workmanship and regul&ed procedures other than red tape book- keeping and auditing, Many of the educated elite resent receiving training for and conduct&g the %ype of work performed by technicians and lZ3bOlX?IS

ORGANIZATION

Top management htroduction of nuclear energy in non-nuclear cuunt;zries may require

the estib&hment of independent guvernment agencies t0 supervise the process of transfer of nuclear technology and related activities, Close interactions between these agencies and other governmental sectors is essential for optimum utilization of manpower and finmcial resources, Strong rommunication links among various agencies will ehminate dupli- cation and provide consistent policies. A passible integration scheme of nuclear enera; activities in the existing government adtibtion in Saudi Arabia ir; Xlustrated in Fig. 8 for the top management of a nuclear program for dezxlination, power generation and other applications.

The Saline Water Conversion Corporation @WCC) operates under the control of the Council of Ministries (COM). Close links are established be&veen SWCC and other governmental ministxi~s and agencies, especially those responsible for water and electic power production; namely, the Ministry of Agrictiture and Water (MAW) and the Minis- of Electricity (ME), respectively. Finance of all national projects is usually provided by the B4inistry of Finance and N&ion& Economy (MFNE). IXstributian is the r*esponsibihty of the MAW and the Minis&y of Municipalities (MM), Several new guvernment agencies are intrroduced in the proposed chart shown in Fig. 8. These include -the Saudi Arabian Nuchzar Energy Corn- mission (SANEC) and its branches and the nuclear operations controlled by SWCC, The SANEC should be independent and reports directly to the COM. The responsibility for administering the nuclear island and any related f&lities must be delq@ed to SAC, The conunission shtmld hwe the authority to inspect, tist, license, canceJ or suspend any of the nuclear projects. The commission encolnpasses three bran&es: the Regulations and Standards Authority (RSA), the Licensing and Environ- ment Protection Office (LEPQ), md the Transfer of Nuclear Technology Administration (TNTA). Table I lists the activ”Ities involved in each branch of the SANEC,

A close coaperation must be mzGr&ined between &e SANEC and the SWCC to exchange information and to coordinate efforts in developing the desalination technology programs and in transferring nuclwu

304 A-F, ABDUL-FAnAH AND A-A. HUSSElNY

TABLE I

ACTIVI’I’IES AND RESPONSIBILlTIES OF THE SAUDI ARABIAN NUCLEAR ENERGY COMMISSION (SANEC)

Brunch Responsibilities

Regulations and Standards 1.

Z: 4.

Licensing and Environmental Protection Office (LEPO)

5,

1. 2.

3,

7. Nuclear material assay and accountability.

Transfer of XucIear Technology Administration

1. 2. 3.

4.

5.

Providing guides, regulations and standards pertaining to nuclear energy utilization. Nuclear plants inspection_ Enforcement of nuclear regulatory ruIes Supervision of implementation of quality assurance programs. Testing of components and equipment_

Issuing construction and operation permits. Examination of environmental impact statements. Licensing of operators. Operator training. Review of site selection procedures_ Monitoring of effluents and discharges from nuclear plants to assure releases within permissible levels,

Providing information and data. Development of supporting industries. Acquisition of spare parts and administration of warehouses. Providing national research and development base, Exploration of viability of using advanced nuclear systems,

technology and related R&D. Also, communication must be established between SANEC and the MAW to provide appropriate information relevant to planning and development of water ;resources. Similar feedback needs to be established with both the ME and the MM. The communication may be developed through formal channels and through a special executive level committee within the SANEC with members from each of the ministries and the SWCC to oversee the nuclear program coordination. Success of the program will depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the coordination and communication plans. The SWCC may become responsible for preliminary studies, planning, coordination and conceptual designs in nuclear projects. Applications for construction or operation permits for nuclear desalination and/or power plants should be submitted to the LEPO section of the SANEC. The presence of a single licensing agency would accelerati issuance of permits and licenses and shorten the

COStly lead time inwolwed_ In the US,, constmction permits have taken up to 59 m~nkhs, avezzaging about 20 munthS* to process* operating l&xxx33 have been ksued in a period from Q-30 months, averaging about 20 months, The main function of the RSA would include directing the quality ass~ce procspams during the ~E%&II, construction and operation. r3owev@r, other quaBy z%sWBmce pru~ must be eseabbhed by con- tmcturs and tie operation h@adqu~~ manwemenk, The RSA wiu. a&a be rvzsponsible for adapting k~ternational skndards and regukkions in ad&tion 4x3 &W&Jping new onJz%S $3xId Eel: saitig gWYfk lxzguk%tiw probtems. Desi~, construction and operation mdes a~2 procedures will! be needed and shcmld be available in the ltocal langu~@ and in other Xanguages if necessary. As shown in Fig, 8, the plant staff argzznizations arEf responsible $o the nu&%Sr progz%UD headqu&rs staff a~~ization far safe oper&ion and rnai~~ten~ce af the pfmt. Both the headquark= st&f and the plant staff organization cooperate with SANEC, especially in the safety aspects ST the project.

The respunsibili$y of the nuclear progmm headquarters staff is the study, design, aperatbn and future design modificatiuns for all nuclear destination plants in Saudi Arabb, The SWCC, with proper cuordirratiion with the ME and the MAW, controls the headquxters staff organization and the desalination plant staff o~~~atiuns~ The SWCC est&lishes the scope of project z&u&~ and evaluates bids to sekct the study constitit, Fig, 9 shows the proposed headquartrzfs staff for nucfe~ desalinatian in Saudi Arabia, The number of individuals in each unit is estimated. The fu.n&ionaI responsibilities of some of the organization units are given in Table IL Some groups report di;rectiy to the SWCC; namely, the sbndaxd- iz&ion, ~@XWIYD plax~tig and txansfer of tecbobgy g~ups, The s&&L& and inf~rraation agencies may be astablis~ed independently to suppjty &he SWCC, the SANEC and other organix&ions in the countq with necessary scientific infurmatisn, technic;zf tools and doctrments. As skown in Fig, 9, the engineering sectar is separated fkom the administrative sectur, and both reporh directly to the suprintendent, Hawever, both secrtors must mziMai.n a&qua* Iinks GhrougEr proper communication channels,

The high level of management in the organization may fcxm a group to work clasely with the preliminary studies contractor. This sponsarSng a&ha&y group wutid play an imporkmt x&z in the organizatiun since it would be fam3iar witi the ruies of the COB&, SWCC, MFNE, and other government branches. At the same tkne, members of the work~g gruup wotid be in da&~ direct contact tith all groups responsible for the planning and supervision of the projects_ Consequently, the gruup arould be able Lo report to the EGgher authotities and Lo other groups in t;he study team,

308

TABLE EI (continued)

A_F_ ABDUGFA-M’AH AND A_A- HUSSEJNY

Indiuidual or group Functional responsibilities

Project group [headed by the project manager]

Coordinates activities between different enginneering sections; reviews and approves designs, bidders’ lists, purchase specifications, drawings, and plans submitted by the architect--engineer; makes drawings; maintains a comprehensive quality asurance program

Computation group

Procurement group

Provides serpices to the project manager and the technical groups

Reviews and checks equipment list and process conditions to reduce final design costs

Project engineer Performs assignments from the assistant project manager related to the project groups for the safe operation of the plant; guides his staff

Electrical group Reviews the electrical designs: installs all electrical

systems including plant power and lighting, emergency power supplies, protective relaying, and plant generation output to the switchyard

Nuclear group I

Nulcear group II

Reviews logic, equipment, arrangement, and installation of nucfear detection, radiation monitoring, plant protection, and emergency instrumentation and control systems; evaluates the nuclear fuel cycle ; reviews accident analyses and radioactive effluent releases

Establishes and coordinates environmental programs; reviews designs, equipment specifications, and arrangement of the nuclear steam supply system (NSSS), radwaste system, engineered safeguard systems, and nuclear auxiliary systems; reviews designs, equipment specifications, and arrangement of the turbine generator systems and auxiliaries

Quality assurance manager

Directs the quality assurance programs

The planning and scheduling group would play an especially important role in tbe cse of the long construction periods required for large nuclear desalination plants. The cost estikation group selects, in cooperation with engineering divisions, the most reliable and economi.cal equipment, componenti and- sources of energy for each part _ of th_e

project. This responsibility involves many details. For example, to produce 3.78 x 10’ m3 /day (100 mgd) distilled water, about three million tons per ..day (700 mgd) of water are needed in addition to the substantial amount of energy needed to transport, heat, cool or filter this huge

amount of water (X3), Ac~omp~~~nt; of this task requires careful sekxtion of an economic& sowce of en- as well as groper equipment and ma&&.ls, An optimal se2ecticx1 can restit in a signifi~t mdu&ion in the tot& cost of the project. The effect of each phase of the project on its overdll cost has to be continuously checked.

As shown in Fig, gY great emphasis is placed on the wawh~wx, the research, csmputea: fa&Iities axed qua@ assurazxce, All the supewissr~ of the= u&x repart directly to the project manager due to the impartance of their tasks, especialty in nan-nuclear countries, fn developed com~es, the existence of suppo&ing industries provides a.n ~~~~~d supply of spare parts, computer codes and reseaxeh fa&Uies which is not available in developling countries such as Saudi Arabia, Thus, the headquarters urgaxxization is responsiblle for tie avaiIabii$y of supp&Zr~g services and suppU,es of aJ4 ~ompom~~ts and too&*

Qualiw ._assuramx (QA) sbauld_be__given more..emphasis in Saudi Arabia than in developed cauntries due to the lack of lacal experience in o&err Lndustries md due to the turnkey ztrrarzgements used in mzuxy of the existing industrial operations, Cunsequemtiy, 8 strong QA program needs to be estabLished to checkdesigns and specif%xtiuns before any equipment is received. The QA group should be adcsquately trained to supervise all phases of purchase, design, cons~ction and operatian. Table III shows personnel. involved in the QA commiHxx~_ Complete records of QA should be documented for all stages of design, procurement, mzmufacturing, ins~atian and construction, &&up and operation.

The labor evaluation azd motivation group, under the supervision of the project engi.neer (Fig, !3)> is essentiiaa and has a wide reI;ponsibilie a& the start of the pxograrn. The evaluation of the labor should include conduct at Ihe job, abirrty to adapt, speed in comprehensian arrd perfurm- ZLMB, atii%xde t%w~~ds supervisory and subordinates, coaperatiun with others, e& The ~fllroup may become responsiMe for testing and certification of labor and far making recommendations on length af ~~.~rking shiff;s axed frequency af remg, Motivation of the labor force should be under conGnuous s~~etiance to develop apprupriati incentive campensation PwF==*

A typkaf plant staff or~~~a~oR is Blustxated in Fig, 90, The number of fuSl-time employees proposed at the nuclear desalination plant is X69. In addition, some foreign experts may be assigned to each group. Again, great emphasis is placed on the warehouse gruup. Table IV shows the functiondf zsponsibIities uf some groups in the pfant staff organization. The chief Engiwer of Operation has absoluti authotity %CI shut down the reactur in the case uf emergency. The operations group consists of 39 persons headed by the operation supervisor who must be a ficensed SH&X operatax*

310 kF_ ABIXJtFATTAH: AND A,A. HUSSETNY

TAB= III

PERSONNEL FOR QVALiTY ASSURANCE COMMITTEES FOR THE DFSKH, PROCUREMENT, CONSTRUCTKIN, AND OPERATION

Project manager

QA manager

QA engineers

Safety committee

Warehouse group

Siting and safety 8FOUP

Design review group

Planning and scheduling group

Project manager

QA marisger

QA enginwrs

Procurement group

Warehouse gzuup

Safety committee

Pkrming and schedubg gwup

Vice superintendent (engineering)

Pr&?ct manager

QA manager QA engineers

Maager site construction

Safety cummittei3

Planning and scheduling group

Chief engineer of operatiun

Vice superintetndent (engineering)

Project manager

QA manager QA en@neers

Operation and testing gruup

Safety committee Plant safety commitIxw

Planning md scheduling group

Chief en*eer of oper;tlion

AssisfzUkt chief engineer of operation

The nuclear prop wodd greatly benefit ikm Qncouragemenf of local research in nuclear desalination I conducted by Saudi Arabian specialkts from different disciplines. This can be rertlized by cooperation between the SWCC and the local diversities. Graduate studies may be estabkhed with the goal of prep&g graduate students to conduct research work at both the uGver&ies and the SWCC- Also, communication between researchen and local industry would help the planners obtain acc~te data on water and electric power demand for their industries.

Possible communication chann4s among government;, industry, SWCC, ad diversities a~@ schematic~y shown in Fig. 13. The Depart- ment of Planning and Development of Nuclear Desafinatiun may specifjr the demand including that of local industries. The function of the Head- quakers St&fing Organization in this case is ta conduct prelhninary research studies to identify relevant problems for the research institutions to assure the practicality of research objectives. The organizatiun wouId also fiEer and check research results tu examine their appEcab%ty. The

c

SR

LlH

E W

ATER

CO

HVtR

SIDH

SU

PPLY

IHG

HilTE

R AN

D EL

ECTR

lC

POW

ER

------

=-I

1

KIHC

AD

OUL-

AZIZ

I

FORM

ULAT

IOII

. TH

E PR

r)llL

CHS

PREL

IMIN

ARY

PROP

OSAL

S FO

R NE

EDS

PLAN

HING

AN

D -

- -

- -

* D

ESA

LIN

A~

IOI~

=

a m

-

- -

- -

OF

DEW

lH

ATlfl

~

-----

RESE

ARCH

*

I

PROC

EED

THE

PLAt

dNiIG

A!

#

DEYE

LOPm

T

1 I f

I I I I I 1 L TR

AHSH

IT UA

CK

TO

cI---

11..--

--c1

RESE

ARCH

u~

~IY

FASI

TIES

Fig,

11,

Pro

pose

d ch

art

to i

llust

rate

the

com

mun

icat

ion

betw

een

the

SW

CC

, ind

ustlr

y nn

d re

sear

ch u

nive

rsiti

es i

n Sa

udi

Ara

bia,

NUCLEAR DESALINATIUN PLANT MANAGEMEW IN SAUDI ARABIA 3x3

TJ%_HJz rv

FUNCTiONAL RESPONSIBTL~ OF SOME OF THE NUCLEAR DESALINATION PLANT STAFF (SAUDI ARABXA)

Chief engineer of operation

Operation supeti ;or

Radiation protictiun engineer

Chetit

Operation group

Warehouse group

Reactor and plant performiurce group

Radiation and protection graup

Administration ~sp”ioup

Records and ledger

Operation; safety -shut

and openrtes nuclear, mechanic& and electrical equipment, fuel handling, and radiation and chemistry surveiHance

Advises tile chief engineer af operation concerning reactir operatian and expetixnents

Rwponsible! for daily repaiirs and adjustment-s, eqnipmrmt ins~e&ioa, overhauls, aitepaEions, modificaEions

Respxwibfe fur maintenance, inspection;, and modific&ions of a31 electrical equipment, inswmentition, and controls

Responsible for pur&aGng, stocking, and pr&ding spare parts

Responsible for plant tests; nuclear performance; special nuclear material and fuel accountabiliw; turbo-gener&or and thermal cycXe performance

Responsible for watEIs treatment, and waste dispcrsat ; radiation protection and shielding; routine radiatian monitoring; laboratory ansllysis

Keeps records af: (a) operation at each power level including routinely petiinent data regarding system operation, operators action, and details of abnormalities occurring; (b) all maintenance activities; (c) periodic checks and inspections; (d) radiuaclivity levels in liquid and gaseous wastes rvtieased to the environmc?nt; (e) radiation exposures far all persons entiring the controlled areas in the plant; (f) routine @ant radiation and contamination surveys; and (g) off&e ertvirunment monitoring surveys

314 AF. ABDUL-FATTAH AND A.A. HUSSEIN-Y

research institutions would be mainly formed within local universities; Riyadh, King Abdul-A&,- King Faisal and Petroleum and Mineral Resources. Some research, however, can be conducted by private consul& anti or foreign universities and especially by Saudi Arabian graduati students studying in foreign countries. The R&D programs may be conducted under the auspices of the TWA. The newly formed King Faisal Foundation in Saudi Arabia could sponsor additional research programs. The nuclear desalination R&D may include: safety and environmental aspects; solar, geothermal, advanced energy systems and Red Sea minerals; nuclear energy development (fission, fusion, nuclear material production, nuclear fuel), and conservation (water, electricity, fuel economy).

The success of the research undertaken by local universities is Limited due to unavailability of sufficient information and to the difficulty of being engaged in missionariented studies.

MANPOWER ASSESSMENT

Labor force Labor force limitations in Saudi Arabia are the potential major con-

straints on the development of the county. The growth rates of the Saudi Arabian and foreign labor forces during the execution of the first five-year plan (1970-1975) are estimated at 3.7% and 4.2%, respectively (33). Table V shows the number of workers in the eslzblishments of the private sector by regions in 1973 (33, 34). The non-Saudi workers in private establishments are about double the Saudi workers. In reality, the foreign labor market is the most important source of workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at all occupational levels as shown in Table VI, Operation, equipment service and sales and &cultural jobs which require special skills are usually held by Arabs from outiide the peninsula. Europeans dominate the manpower market in fields which require technical, scientific, or management expertise. Most of the office workers are Asians,

The structure of the labor force is continuously changing (33) as shown in Table VII. The manpower in the agriculture sector decreased from 28.3% in 1970 to 20.5% in 1975 while in the construction sector the manpower increased from 12.8% to 20.6% in the same period.

Scientific and technicd personnel The lack of skilled Saudi Arabian m-anpower was clearly recognized

in the first five-year plan (1970-1975). The shortage is greater yet in meeting the development demands of the second five-year plan (1975-1980). Both the government and industry are expending a great effort to provide adequate local supplies of skilled and trained manpower to meet the requirements of development and industrial expansion in the future- Rapid hamessing of the human resource necessitates increase in

TABLE V

WURmRS fN THE PRIVATE SECTOR ESTABLISHMENTS BY REGIONS (1972)

Centml I.6 a69 1159 x7 3914 2&,4 5073

Western 26 105 1480 21.7 3512 25.3 4992

East;ern 9931 3151 55 4594 33.1 8345

Northern 2205 184 2-7 888 6.4 lU72

South?mz 428X 246 3.6 972 7 1218

TOti 58 691 6820 IOU 13 880 roa 20 700

FQREXGN WORKERS ENTERING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN 1973, BY OCCUPATIONAL GROUP

Skiiled operation and equipment

Technical and scientific

service

Office

Mappl”S

Salesmen

Agriculture

Toti

45.3

35.8

8.1

5.3

3.7

I.0

0.8

I.00

wages, provisicm of rnoti~atian, attm&%m of h&h qualit;y fureign skilled personnel arid mixirtg of these skilled personmA tith the Saudis, and initiation of ir&nsive traiG~g programs withirr the country and abroad. Table VIII shows an estimation of the work force during $he second five- yea.P plan (X975--19&0) (33).

Seveti pmgrams am underway $0 expand $he educaf;ian& and &raining sy&ms ixx the Kingdom and t;o im~mve their quali@_ Tablte UE gives the expected increase in the number of students to be graduated in 1975 and 1980. In addition, a t;al-al of 2 546 Saudis \vere sent abroad at the end of 1975 to study in foreign universities in various disciplines including nu&xix mg%mxring_ Those include I603 KS. and Baa&, 362 M-A. and

316 A_F. ABDUL-FA’ITAH AND A.A. JXtJSSEINY

TABLE VII

EMPLOYMENT BY ECONOMIC ACTIVITY (1970 and 1975)

Activity Number employed Petcentuge Percen tuge fthousods) change distribution

1970 1975 1970-1975 1970 1975

Agriculture, fishing 311.9

Nomadic 133.9

Mining and quarrying 25.7

Mmufacturing 36-l

Utilities 12.2

Construction 141.5

Commerce 130.2

Transport, communication, storage 62.2

Community, social and personal service 137-5

Subtotai private sector 991.1

Public administration* 60.8

Education 38.5

Health 13.4

Subtotal public sector 112.7

Total 1103.8

311.2 0.2 28.3 20.5

114-g 14.2 12.1 7.5

45.6 77.4 2.3 3.0

46.5 28.8 3.2 3.0

18.3 50.0 1.1 1.2

314.2 122.0 12.8 20.6

2’11.0 62.1 11.8 13.9

133.2 66.2 5.6 6-S

188.4 37.0 12.5 12.4

1353.3 36.5 89.8 88.9

83.2 40.1 5.5 5.6

62.5 62.3 3.5 4.1

21.1 57.5 1.2 1-O

168.8 49.8 10.2 I1

1522.1 37.9 100 1OG

* Includes civilian defense employees.

M.S., and 581 Ph.D. students. Statistics on women’s education is not included in Table IX since women’s participation in the industrial development of the Kingdom is Limited by the religious and social sWxku.r~ of the ccuntry.

Human resources development The Manpower Planning Department was created within the Central

Planning Organization of Saudi Arabia to coordinate the overall development and utilization of human resources both in Saudi and non-Saudi segments of the labor force (33). Also, the Institute of Public Admirmtra- tion (IPA) has launched a campaign to assist in personnel training for government administtation, industrial management and financing. The goal of the IPA program is to reach a training level of 27 000 persons by the year 1980, compared to 4000 trainees in 1975.

TABLE vm

ESJXMATED REQUIRED MANPOWER BY ClCCUPATiONAL GROUP, 1975 AND 1980 (THOUSANDS)

Occupationul gruup Saudi Nun-Saudi

I975 I980 h”W-CUS@ 1975 1980 hx.azLz tQ?&-@U 1975--M

Managers, officials

Professian&

Technicians iincx sub-professionals

Clerical workers

Sales workers

Service workers

Operatives

Skied workers

Semiskilled wurkers

TUtat

7.4 8-7 1*3 6.3 12.4 6.l

48.4 52.9 4.5 15.7 23.5 7.8

25.0 33.4 8.4 31.4

67.5 99.6 32.1 31.4

82.3 97.2 14.9 47.1

105.2 134.5 29.3 47.1

40-G 57.x. l.7.?. 25.1

70.1 93.5 23.4 47.1

170.0 265.0 95.0 62.8

615.9 841,9 226 314.0

82.3 49.9

121.8 90.4

112.6 65.5

145.2 98.1

51.4 26.3

lOL9 54.8

162.5 99.7

812.6 498.6

TAELE M

ESTIMATED GRADUATES BY EDUCATKINAL PROGRAM (1975 AND 1980)

Educational pro~m Number of graduates

1975 1980 Increase I975-IQ80

Elementay

Intermediate

General secondary

Industrial secandary

Canmerrial secondary

Agricultural secondary

Science’aad mathematics

Higher ~omtncrcial

Higher irrdustrial

Cuu5ge educratian.

Tutal

297

328

-

-

-..

42

1062

51766

58 536 27418

28 207 13 490

9404 5202

1650 1353

1146 818

131 l$l

1099 1099

312 312

106 64

3747 2685

104 338 52 572

318 GF, ABDULFATTAH AND A.A. EIUSSEW

. Pwsmf 1974-75

PLaNED 197~1980

Fig. 12. Existing and planned labor offices (33)_

TABLE X

LABOR AFFAIRS TRAINEES (1975-1980)

Program LocaCion of training

Labor inspection

Labor health and safety services

Labor services

Labor disputez settlement

Labor information and general adminihation

Total

Saudi Arabia A b&ad Total

15 33 48

20 18 38

60 - 60

75 - 75

165 12 177

335 63 398

Further steps were taken to develop the human resources in Saudi Arabia: for example, the establishment of the Labor Affairs Program of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. The activities of. this program include legislation of labor laws and providing labor smkes, information and training. Labor offices are located in 25 areas as shown in Fig. 12.

The tmining progrsuns which are plt;znned for the 1916~-1580 period me Ii&& in Table X*

Present @ns caIl for: an ticrease in the number of students emoIled in schools ticluding universities_ The number of university students in the 1975-1980 p1z.n is about double that in the pretiuus five-year plan, Emphasis is atso put on technical. education. The cement fiveyear pIan includes provisions to expand industr@ education programs at the high school (secondary school) level. The goal is to have at 1-t 1600 graduates mdy by the yea 1979-2.980 f33), Thr? enzolknent in Se H&&x tidustrial Institute is plazu& to increase &orm 105 students in the 1974-75 academic yea to 375 students in 1979-1980. New disciplines wi3 also be introduced to meet the future industrial needs.

Planned training for manpower in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia d&g the five-year period of 1975-1980 invohes twc, governmental agencies: the IPA within &WEE and the Vocational Training Depa&ment (VTP) wit&n the Ministry of Labor zmd Social Affaks, The VTP oXe= youth trGn.ing programs to provide manual skills for either the private or the public sector. Fe_ 13 shows the existing and planned vocational kaking centers. Three of the centers were established h 1974 in Riyzdh, J&d& and Dammam with the aim af providing boys 14-17 years old

* PRESE!fT 1911-75

0 PLAN!4ED 1975-13&o

with basic skiI.Is in industrki and cammerci~ trades (33). The expected graduatm of the VTP by 1980 ale shown in Fig. 14. In ad&&n to vocational trairkg, aU minlstriies have developed their awn speckl training progrms*

Superintendent

Standarization group

tong-term planning group

Transfer of technology group

vice: super’nf;endent (Admbistration)

Personnel

Public relatians

Licensing

Recruitment

Manpower and training

g-up

Vice superintendent (Engineering)

Bid evaluation

Praductian

Chemical group

Transmission and distributiun design graup

Safety cammittee

Gas systems group

Nuck?ar design gruup

Research and computer facilities graup

Wareballse gruqs

Engineering and construction

Piping and layout engineering

Process engineering

Enviranmentd engineering

Power generation

System faciiity planning

1

5

7

5

11. 2

2

3

3

5

1

5

3

5

9

9

4

7

7

5

5

4

4

6

3

5

Pruject marager

QuaIity assurance engineering

fkistant project manager

Siting and safety group

w+z?&ll analysis graup

Site construction group

Design review group

Planning and scheduling v=P

Operation and testing graUP

Sarvice for foreign expert=

Sponsoring authurity working group

Cost estimatian graup

Computation gruup

Prcacurement group

Enviranmentd group

Project engineer

Civil group leader

ETectrIc~ groxp

Nuclear group I

Process engineering group

Chemical engineering e~up

Piping and fayaut engineering gruup

Nuclear group II

Mechanical engineering

@-UP

X.&or evaluation and motivation

TOf;al

322 A_F. ABDUGFATTA_‘I AND kA- HUSSEINY

TABtE XII

PROPOSED PLANT STAFFING FOR 1, NUCLEAR DESALIN :\TION PLANT IN SAUDI ARABIA

:

Group or individual Number Group or individual Number

of of persons persons

Chief engineer of operation 1

Assistant chief engineer of operation

Warehouse group

3

20

Process engineering group 4

Security force

Operation group

Desalination units material group

Radiation protection group

12

40

4

13

Environmental group 4

Reactor and plant performance engineerhg group

EIectrical maintenance group

Piping and layout grc. up

Administrative group

Chemical engineering pc.aup

Mechanical maintenarlce group

Operation safety committee

Records snd ledger group

Total

7

14

7

7

4

15

9

5

169

energy opponents in nuclear countries has caused a drop in nuclear power plants being planned and has resulted in eliminal,ing or curbing nuclear appkation programs including nuclear desalination.

MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS FOR DUAL-PURPOSE NUCLEAR PLANTS

Tables XI and XJI show the estimated number of persons required for the headquarters and plant staffing, respectively, of a dual-purpose nuclear desalination and power plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tne plant staffing manpower should be multiplied by the number of the planned nuclear desalination plants to estimate the total required plant staffing manpower. Actually, bu..Wing more than one plant w-ill reduce the number of persons needed since many actitities w-ill be duplicated in different instailations and will have shared personrlel.

Qualifications and tminitlg Operation of dual-purpose nuclear desalhatior, plants requires a

certain level of qualifkations, kaining, and exp&ence. Table XIII lisk the minimum required qualifications and experknce for some of the &ills required in the plant sta%.nr,. Since there arc: no nuclear power plants or

324 A.F_ ABDULFA’ITAH AND GA. HUSSEINY

TABLE XIV

BASIC COURSES FOR THE ORGANIZATION STAFF SENIOR LICENSED OPERATOR, AND LICENSED OPERATORS

Basic courses for the organization stuff during training

Basic courses for operatorqa written tests

(1)

(2) (3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

Basic mathematics and general science

Basic nuclear physics

Reactor operation

Core performance

Radiation protection

Plant chemistry

Instrumentation and control

Operating characteristics

Desalination by multistage flash process

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8) (91

(10)

(11)

(12)

Principle of reactor operation

Features of facility design

General operating characteristics

Instruments and control

Safety and emergency systems

Standard and emergency operating procedures

Radiation control and safety

Reactor theory

Radioactive material handling, disposal, and hazards

Specific operating characteristics

Fuel handling and core parameters

Administrative procedures, conditions, and limitations

a The Iicensed op erator should have the first seven courses, and the licensed senior operators should have all the courses.

research reactcrs at the present time in the country and no construction, design or operation experience in 2:~ nuclear field, training of the first generation of Saudi workers ;r;ay be done in foreign countries. The training would include clasi oom instruction, operator training or plant simulators, and accr,rrain~&ce with actual operation of nuclear reactors similar to those whi& may be used in Saudi Arabia. Both the classroom instruction *and the simulator training may be conducted in Saudi Arabia. The instruction should include basic nuclear courses such as those listed in Table XIV. The second stage of training includes tests for operator licensing and two years work experience in plant :operation. The written test for an operator’s license and for a senior operator’s license should cover the topics listed in Table ,XIV (15). The fin& stage of training is achieved locally on the job. The trG.ning program should start step-by-step from the time of construction. Saudi Arabian workers will then gain more on-the-job experience in construction, startup and operation of nuclear

NUCLEAR DESALINATION PLANT MANAGEMENT IN SAUDI ARABIA 325

TABLE xv

NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS FQR THE: ORGANIZATION STAFF

1.

2,

3.

4.

6.

6.

Should have minimum information about desalination: a. general technology of desalination. b. the multistage-flash distillation process (MSF). c. heat transfer and fluid mechanics principles related to the MSF process.

Should have minimum information about nuclear reactors: a. general basics of nuclear reactors. b_ radiation and health protection. c, reactor safety. d. reactor heat transfer and fluid mechanics.

Should pass health examination before working in the plant.

Should have short courses in: a. installation. b. reactor physics. c_ reactor theory, d. health physics. e. radiation effects. f, radiation safety. g. des,alination heat transfer. h. corrosion problems. i. general safety procedure related to the plant

e.g. in case of fire.

For the manager or his assistant, the minimum required education is a B.S_ or an equivalent levei of training in engineering and science. He should also have at least a month of training in a nuclear desalination plant operation.

For a chief operator, a technical high school is required as a minimum education, in addition to at least one month of training in a nuclear desalination plant operation,

reactors. No similar experience can be gained on the desalination side of the plant; however, training may start in present non-nuclear desalination plants. Simulators may be designed to include the des&ation process for

operator training and licensing. In addition, building a small prototype nuclear desalination plant with a small reactor may be useful. Actually, prior to the introduction of nuclear energy as a source for power generation and water production by desalination, local research reactors and prototype experimental facilities must become available to provide realistic data and experience relevant to the nuclear desalination technology in the country_

Other necessary requirements for the organization staff of the nuclear desalination operation are given in Table XV. Det&s of the basic knowledge required of the engineer-in-charge, shift supervisor and shift operators have been described by Watson, including the topics to be covered on desalination (35).

Educational requirements for the headquarters and plant staff may be assessed using Table XIII and Figs. 9 and 10. The total nrrmber of personnel for every degree is tabulated in Table XVI. As a scenario, the recommendation to build four nuclear desalination plants in Saudi Arabia by the year 1991 may be considered (36). The training program may start by the year 1980. Consequently, a total of 20 Ph.D., 87 M-S., and 220 B.S. graduates and 348 technicians are required by 1980, It is possible to

326 AZ. ABDWrFATTAfE AND A.A. X-i?JSSEINY

TABLE XVI

ESTIMATIXI NUMBER UP REQWRED DEGREES FOR HEADQU~TERS AND PLAWZ- STAFFING FOR NZICLEZAR DESALENATffUN IN SAUDX ARABIA

Ph.Ikimnu&aren~neering

Ph.D. in chemistry

Ph. D. ia. chremicaf engineering

Ph.D, in &itnce or engineeririg PkD. in wmputeic science

MS. in nu&z.r engineering

MS. in &~mistky KS. in chemicaI engiuefzring MS.inscienceor engineering

P&S, in computer science

BSs. in mxc2ear engineering B.S. in &emistry

BS, in chemicdl engineering B.S. in science or engineering B.S. in ekct;rical engineering

B-S, in rnecfianid eagiueeriug

B.S. in Civil engineerirzg Hi&% schoot education pks two years technicai education (*xCtici~)

Tc&%k3

5

4

2.

7 2

8

5

2

31

5

16

9

12

48 16

8 4

179

- - - - - - - -

9 -

3

5

1

14

3

2 -

87 348

124 496

- - - -

36 -

12 20

4

56 12

8

Fig. 1.5, Number of Saudi Arabian students studying il; Other countries (1972, 1973).

NUCLEAR DESALLNATION PLANT MAETAGEIMENT IN SAUDI ARABIA 327

supply the college graduafes according to the data given in Table Ix and Fig. 15. Nevertheless, it may be hard to supply the number of technicians required since the number graduating in 1980 from .vocational and training institutions will be only 106 as given in Table Ix. Thus, in this case, the number of students in higher industrial education may need to be increased to make available 348 technicians for nuclear desahnakion plants, in addition to those reqtrired by other industrial sectors in the country. This can be done in three phases:

Phase I, 1979-l 983 1. start trainin g program for those who have acquired degrees. 2. Start an education program for a large enough number of persons

so that the required manpower becomes available at the end of the plan.

3. Start preliminary studies and the planning stage.

Phase II, 1983-l 987 1. Continue training for those who got their education during phase I. 2, Start the construction of the plants.

Phase III, 1987-l 991 1. Complete the plant construction, 2. Conduct plant surveillance testing, startup and ascension to power.

Safety personnel Special consideration is given here to the personnel safety groups and

committees due to the importance of their role in plant safety. Two safety committees d be discussed: the safety committee and the operation safety committee. Industrial safety in nuclear plants is not considered here because of its similarity to other industries. In addition, the construction contractor is responsible for most of the industrial safety provisions within the guidelines set by the lo&l government and labor organizations. Furthermore, most of the important items of industrial safety are included in nuclear safety.

The numbers of the Safety Committee should be hired on a part-time basis, except the secretary. A typical safety committee consists of the following members (I 7):

1. an experimentd reactor physicist, 2. theoretical reactor physic&s, 3. health physicist, 4. expert on nuclear rezt;or cperations and technology. 5, instrumentation and control engineer,

328 A.F. ABDULFATTAH AND A-A. HUSSEINY

6, nuclear engineer w%th experience in design, 7. reactor metallurgist, 8. reactor chemist, and 9. chemical engineer_ The first five members constitute a minimum recommended size. The

Committee should meet regularly two or three times a year and should ptiicipate early in the project to provide necessw .recommendations, especially at the start of construction and operation.

Operatim Safety Committee The Operation Safety Committee is responsible for all operations and

experiments, especially where modifications in operation procedures or schedules are made. The Committee may be similar to the Safety Com- mittee in size and qualifications but should draw on different personnel- The Committee is supervised by the Assistant Project Manager (Fig, 9) and meets once or twice per month. The Committee is considered as a part of the plant staffing organization, and reports direc-i;ly to the Chief Engineer of Operation.

IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEMS

Knowkdge transfer One of the most important and expected problems in the use of

nuclear desalination in non-nuclear cour+ies is knowledge transfer, including the lack of technical information and plant design documen- tation. Concerned governments could establish independent scientific agencies to provide computerized information retrieval, selective dissemi- nation of information, and translation of scientific books and documents in+ local languages. Such agencies may be encouraged to compete with each other to avoid stagnatiorE. However, cooperation with local universities and with institutions in neighboring countries is preferred. This would be a long-term strategy; however, necessary knowledge may be transferred in the short run during t;he period of planning and design through contacts between foreign experts and local scien-i;ists and engineers. In addition, a “Data Bank” may be established to store all information pertinent to design, maintenance, inspection, operation, optimization, quality assurance and all technical aspects of nuclear desalination.

Foreign experts The dependence of Saudi Arabia on foreign experts in the nuclea

desalination program may cause some difficulties in the future. These difficulties include frequent change of personnel since most foreigne= prefer short-term assignments and their presence is often needed fol longer periods to complete the work. Many of the imporkd skillet

personnel lack a sense of dedkaGon zmd objectitity, Since some fure$ners are not lacking for a bng-term czseer, they do not fuIly use their cape bihties, Foreign expert;s often use outdated or alien techniques which are not compatible with the local environment. T’he ruggedness of the nature and weather ezsxditions in addition ta . the Wing diffimNi;ic?s tn Saudi Ar;abia disCO~e high& qUalif”iC!d r”OE!ign@rs tu stZ%y for GXtWlded peduds and may a4I$Xact CXIly incompetent, §ESond*-W engineers or scientists In any situation, spthum use of e~pertsrequire that the Saudi .&Sari deskkxbmakers, scient~~, anct. engkeers participate? with for&@ expex%s irr ti a>inases of the progrzrn to provide insight into locdx. cundiHons and assure pauper planning and project execution, In addition, for&@ persun- nel are impurted from different countries, and cultUral and langua@ differences may therefore create prublems (35). If would be very useful for furr?ign skilled personnel to study the 1acaI language at feast for one year before starting un their jobs. However, this can hardly be done for: experts unless they are planning on lonr;;’ association witk the program.

Shortwe of la& skilled personnel is atttibutid to the fact that most of the peaple with no college degree prefer trade rather than technical careers due f;o the income dS%zrerrce, This proMem can be a&Mated by offering adequate wages and fringe benefits, by other motivatiun and by encaura.#ng technical students tu wurk in their fields. In addition, many workers may be highly compensated during training in the cons~ction of the nuctee.r desaEn&iun pfants, Another prospective mati~tion of college graduates is tu provide potential senior staff members with the uppurtunity to obtam orientation in operations of a sirnil= nature in foreign countries. Also, a zifroup af qu&.f%d nu&ar engineers may be encoura@XI to parki- pate in reactur design and to frequently visit nuclear instaBatiuns.

Ibxadequate mzxintenance and ~~~~~~~~§ in getting spare pti are expected ta be majur problems in the implementation of nuclear projects- Thk?s, a priur5 arrangements should be made to establish a reliable mansrgement prum for maintenance and to provide a first;-cl~s dare- house, It ti also necessary to encourage the grawth of local supporting industries. IIn additiun, *dn efficient maintenance program may be possible if the uperating and maintenance instructions are translated into the local language and assurances are made that the can&acts fur operation and maintenance wifl be awa&ed to the must highly qualified cumpanies.

Puur furscasting is commun in developing cuunties due to unplanned fast gruwth, For example: the actd peak demand of the dud-purpose

330 AF. ABDUL-FATTAH AND kA. HUSSEINS-

desalination plant of Sirk in Libya was 2 MW,, while the imtalkd capacity was 21Mw, (37); the Ganzour plant in Libya was built With. rated capacity of 23 OOG m3 /day, while the consumption is only 2100 m3 /day (37), In Saudi Arabia, the forecast of electric power demand has heen always subject to underestimation. Actually, the generated etectric power in several locations is less than the current demand in those loc&ties. Such disparity between short-term forecast. and acta demand is a result of fast growth in development apld is an indication of poor management prOCedURS.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This work has been supported by the Mini&y of High Education in Saudi Arabia and the University of Riyadh. Part of the research was &o supported by the Engineering Research Institute, Iowa State University.

REFERENCES

1.

2.

3_

4.

5.

6.

7.

8. 9.

10.

11.

12.

13,

14. 15,

16.

R. A. JOHNSON, F. E. KAST AND J. E. ROSENZWEIG, The Theory and Mon- agement ofSystems, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 1963. P_ M. BLAU, Bureaucmcy in Modern Society, Random House, New York, NY, 1956. H, H. GERTH AND C. W. MILLS, in: M. WEBER, ed., &says in Sociology, Oxford Univtmity Press, New York, NY, 1946, C. N. PARKINSON, Parkinson’s Low and Other Studies in Administration, Ballm- tine Books, New York, NY, 1957, W. H. NEWMAN AND C. E. SUMMER, Jr., !l7ze Process of Management, Prentice- Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1961. H. A. SIMON, The New Science of Management Decision, Harper and Brothers, New York, NY, 1960. J. D. MOONEY AND A. C. REILEY, OnulaFd Industry, Harper and Brothers, New York, NY, 1931. H. A. SIMON, Administrative Behauiour, Macmillan, New York, NY, 1957. L. E. URWICK, The Manager Span of Control, Hut-u. Bus. Rev., 34 (May-June 1956) 39. H. RUBEY, J. A. LOGAN AND W. W. MILNER, The Engineer and Professional Manugement, Iowa St&e University Press, Ames, IA, 1970. A. P. SBAN, Jr., My Years With General Motors, Macfadden-Bartell, New York, NY, 1965. H. SWEPARD, Supervisors and Subordinates in Research, J. Eus., 29 (October 1956) 261. W. G. BENNIS, Leadership Theory and Adminis trative Behaviour, Administrative St.5 Q., (December 1959) 263-266. J. G. MARCH AND H. A. SIMON, Organization, Wiley, Nem York, NY, 1968. USAEC, Utility Staffing for Nuclear Power, USAEC Report No. WASH-1130, July 1969. A. PEARSON AND C. G. LENNOX, Sensing And Control Instrume&ation, in T. J. THOMPSON and T, G. BECKERLEY, eds., The Technology of Nuclear Reactor Safety, Vol. 4, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1964, pp. 293-294.

17. 18.

19.

20. 21. 22.

23. 24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30. ax.

32.

3z5.

34.

35.

36.

37.

EAEA, Safe& Setias Ncr+ 4, Vienna, Austria, 1961, pp_ 51-89, USAEC, Utirity S&affbg and Training for Nucfear Poser, revised, USAH? Rq.~orf No- -NASH-I 130, X973. DUANE ARNOLD ENERGY CENTER, Fhzl S&b An&s& Report, Vd 1, Duane Arnold Enem Cen&~r, Corn R@t Fewer Cooperative, Gentrat Iowa Power Cooperative, and Jlowa Elect& Light and Power C~,mpa.ny. f&Id, vuhune dr sectian 13. I&id, vohune 5, Appendix D. IAEA, Safe Qpemtian af Nuclear Power Plants, &de af Practice arnd Tecbicczl. Appendices, Sofefy Seti~, No. 31, Vienna, Au&&a, 1969, p. 84. USAEC, The Nudear Industry, USAEC Report No. ttJASH-II 74-73.1973. U.S. Department of Tha hterior, Office of Saline Water* 2968 S&nz Water Conusrsimz Repart, Wzidaingtan, DC, 1968, p. 489. U.S. Department of The Intierior, Office of Saline Water, 1969-70 Saline Wutt~r Conversion Report, MTashhgtan, DC, 1970, p. 627. U.S. Department of The Interior, Office of Saline Water, 1970-71 Saline IV&w ConueMon Report, Warshington, DC, 1971, p. 569. U.S. Department of The Intxwmr, Office of Saline Water, 1972-73 &fine Wafer Conversion Summuty Rqmtt, Washingtan, DC, 1973, Appendix D. IAEA, Steps to Nuclear Power, A Guidebook, Technical Reports Series No. 164, International Atomic Energy Commission, Vienna, Austria, 1975. A. F. ABDUL-FAmAH, A, A, WUSSEINY AND 2. A. SABRI, Desalting in Saudi Arabia - Demand, Production, Management, Assotiated Power Generation and Future Plans, Desdination, 25 (19’78) 9-44. Conam Services, tic,, EWvate Communication, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 1975. F. M. ANAM, Des&nation: Its Potentiais and Limitations in The Economic Development Process of Saudi Arabia, Syracuse University, M.D. Thesis, X972 (unpublished). C. E. ENNIS GEJD W, PECHNICK, Organization of Large Desahnatian-Plant Studies, in Nuckar Desalinal”ion, Ekmier, Amsterdam, 1969, p. 805. Central PIarming Organization, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, sir&i Arabiu F&2 Year Han, 1975~-8Q, Distributed by the National Technical fnfurmation Service, U.S. Dep&meat of Commerce as PB-246572,1!3?5. Central Department of Statistics, Ministry of Finance and Nation& Economy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, T;lrlr S~a~&&xrl Indicdur, FmE Issue, X.976. B. M. WATSON, in: R. BAKISH, ed., hcfice uf Desdinofion, Noyes Data Carp,, Park Ridge, NJ, 1973, p. 205. A. F, ABDUL-FAnAH, A. A. HUSSEIHY AND 2. A. SABRI, Nu&ar Des&- nation for Saudi Arabia; An Appraisal, Desalination, 25 (19783 163-186. H. EL HAFXES RETD M. ASWED, Desalination in the Development af Libya, Problems of fmplamentaticrn and Impact on Environment, Desalination, 19 (1976) 249-256.

Engineering management of nuclear desalination plants—a case study, Saudi Arabia

Documents

Transcript of Engineering management of nuclear desalination plants—a case study, Saudi Arabia