6th International Conference on NPP Plant Life Management (PLiM-6)

Background

The IAEA’s latest high case projection for nuclear power capacity in 2050 sees a 150% increase from current levels to 992 gigawatts. This reflects decisions around the world supporting the long term operation (LTO) of existing reactors, new construction of large nuclear power plants, and the development and deployment of SMRs. As of June 2025, the average age of global operational nuclear power reactors is about 32 years, with over 67% of the total operating units being more than 30 years old. Approximately 38% of operating units are over 40 years old, and 9% are over 50 years old. To achieve the Net Zero Emission Goal by 2050 and ensure energy security under the complex geopolitical situation, LTO of nuclear power plants has become a top priority for many nuclear power fleets. In recent years, international organizations and countries have initiated various projects on LTO beyond 60 years to identify technical gaps and seek innovative solutions to support LTO.

In most Member States, the task of LTO of nuclear power plants is assigned to an engineering discipline called plant life management (PLiM). The effective ageing management of structures, systems and components (SSCs) is a key element in PLiM for the safe and reliable long-term operation (LTO) of NPPs. Plant life management can be defined as the integration of ageing management and economic planning for the purpose of maintaining a high level of safety and optimizing plant performance by addressing extended life ageing issues, maintenance prioritization, periodic safety reviews, education and training.

A PLiM programme is an effective tool that allows an operator to manage ageing effects in SSCs for LTO in a safe and cost‑effective manner. Such a programme helps facilitate decisions regarding when and how to repair, replace or modify SSCs in an economically optimized manner, while maintaining a high level of safety.

The IAEA previously organized International Conferences on Nuclear Power Plant Life Management from 4 to 8 November 2002 in Budapest, Hungary, from 15 to 18 October 2007 in Shanghai, China, from 14 to 18 May 2012 in Salt Lake City, United States of America, from 23 to 27 October 2017 in Lyon, France and from 28 November to 2 December 2022 in Vienna, Austria. Participants in these earlier conferences greatly appreciated the opportunities for information exchange and recommended that the IAEA continue to organize conferences every four to five years. Accordingly, the IAEA is organizing the sixth conference in the series from 7 to 11 December in Tokyo, Japan.

Themes, Topics and Structure

To facilitate the achievement of the conference objectives, each topical session will have the following format:

• A keynote speaker, who will present a paper by invitation;
• A set of presentations that supplement specific areas within the session topic and stimulate discussion among conference participants; and
• A set of detailed technical papers that present the state of the art in the subject area.

Opening Session: Opening, Plenary and Keynote Presentations

Opening addresses will be made by a senior representative of the IAEA, a representative of the Government of Japan and the Chairperson of the Conference. The session will set the conference objectives and provide background information on the status and trends in the field of PLiM. Keynote interventions will provide information about the development of PLiM technology that will emphasize the increasing reliance on a systematic and more effective approach to enhance the safe and economical operation of existing plants.

Session 1: Good Practices and Lessons Learned in Nuclear Power Plant Life Management

The aim of this session is to share information on, and best practices in, the application of PLiM for LTO from the safety and economic point of view. Topics to be addressed in the presentations include:

• Policies and strategies for the LTO of NPPs;
• Methodology for the development of PLiM and LTO programmes and their implementation;
• Methodology for integrated plant assessments, including the condition of SSCs;
• New NPP design features that consider PLiM experiences and feedback;
• Good practices and lessons learned from modernization/modification/refurbishment projects or power uprate projects for LTO, including a second long term operation period (subsequent license renewal).
• Aspects of SSC design modification, modernization, innovation, refurbishment and replacement;
• Safety analysis for design modification considering internal/external hazards;
• Potential business opportunities and risks, including power uprating issues related to PLiM;
• Economic analysis for decision making on LTO;
• Cost-effective strategies for modernization and replacement/refurbishment of SSCs;
• Cost-effective technologies/practices for maintenance, inspection and surveillance;
• Supply chain health, technological obsolescence and commercial grade dedication;
• Premature shutdown preparation strategy and procedures, including technical aspects;
• Long term strategies for spent fuel storage (on-site) and waste management;
• Replacement of large components (e.g. steam generators, reactor vessel heads and turbine generators);
• Flexible operation in response to increased grid variability;
• NPP Plant Life Management and the emergence of integrated energy systems.

Session 2: Innovation for the Nuclear Power Plant Life Management

The aim of this session is to discuss innovative approaches to address various issues in Nuclear Power Plant Life Management. Topics to be addressed in the presentations include:

• Digital twins for predictive performance & asset management;
• Additive manufacturing for obsolescence mitigation & component longevity;
• On-line monitoring & surveillance for proactive aging management;
• Data-driven decision support using artificial intelligence (AI) for LTO;
• Enhanced welding technologies;
• Application of robotics and drones;
• Enhanced regulatory interfaces through digital technologies;
• Verification and validation of new technologies;
• Cyber security considerations of new technologies; 
• Innovative approaches to ensure and/or strengthen cyber security; 
• Innovative financial approaches;
• Effective management of I&C, including modernization, methods and tools; and
• Lessons learned from the planning and implementation of advanced I&C systems.

Session 3: Ageing Management and Preparation of Long-Term Operation

The aim of this session is to share technical updates on ageing management issues for mechanical, electrical/instrumentation and control (I&C) components and civil structures, as well as to discuss challenges related to the preparation of safe LTO. Topics to be addressed in the presentations include:

• Scoping and screening of SSCs for LTO;
• Ageing management review, including understanding material degradation mechanisms.
• Use of the experience gained from implementation of the International Generic Ageing Lessons Learned (IGALL) programme;
• Development, implementation and improvement of effective ageing management programmes;
• Revalidation of time-limited ageing analysis;
• Supply chain and obsolescence management;
• Research to support LTO and ageing management;
• Technical and safety aspects for LTO beyond 60 years;
• Methodologies, strategies and practices for in-service inspection and non-destructive examination; and
• Equipment qualification, including time-based qualification and condition-based qualification.

Session 4: Important Engineering Aspects for Long Term Operation

The aim of this session is to share experiences on those important engineering aspects for the long term operation of nuclear power plants. Topics to be addressed in the presentations include:

• Configuration management, including design basis reconstitution;
• Maintenance optimization for LTO;
• Risk-insights for LTO, including ageing and margin management;
• Equipment Reliability;
• Environmental Impact to NPP Life, including mitigation to climate change;
• Safety analysis for design modification considering internal/external hazards;
• External hazard impact to NPP Life, and
• Advances in fuel development and management for LTO.

Session 5: Stakeholder Engagement, Human Resource Development and Knowledge/Competence management

The aim of this session is to share experiences and lessons learned in relation to system management and the successful resolution of the technical issues and challenges presented in the previous sessions, and to identify human factors and managerial aspects of the field. Topics to be addressed in the presentations include:

• Stakeholder engagement and public understanding, especially in the context of NPP LTO role in sustainable development and climate change mitigation;
• Human resource development, such as workforce planning, training and education for LTO to keep and prepare professionals; and
• Knowledge/competence management methods/processes.

Session 6: Regulatory Approaches and Safety Analysis Relevant to Long-Term Operation

The aim of this session is to discuss the distribution of roles and responsibilities among the parties involved and to address regulatory policy considerations. This session will prompt conversation between regulators and NPP operators. Topics to be addressed in the presentations include:

• Regulatory approaches to ageing management and LTO;
• Use of IAEA safety standards and security guidelines for the development of national regulations;
• Requirements for the LTO licensing process;
• Subsequent licence renewal and equivalent approaches;
• Interaction between periodic safety reviews and LTO;
• Use of operational experience in the regulations; and
• Lessons learned from Safety Aspects of Long-Term Operation (SALTO) missions.

Panel Discussions

To discuss technical challenges and experiences, several panel discussions will be organized for technical sessions 1–6 in parallel. The panellists and audiences will have a chance to discuss in depth their experiences and lessons learned with regard to the implementation of PLiM and LTO.

In addition to the parallel panel discussions, the keynote speeches on current challenges for LTO of NPPs are planned to take place during the plenary session. The keynote speeches by high level technical experts will consider:

• Technological issues;
• Regulatory issues;
• Policy issues;
• Human resources;
• Economic issues; and
• Stakeholder Engagement.

Closing Session

To conclude the conference, the session chairs will summarize the presentations and discussions of each technical session, and the President of the conference will present their conclusions and recommendations. 

Technical Tours
Technical tours of NPPs, as well as opportunities to visit research laboratories, nuclear installations and fuel cycle facilities in operation or under construction, are foreseen. Additional information about these tours will be made available on the IAEA web page for the conference

Key Deadlines and Dates