IMechE to address future of UK’s Nuclear sites at Manchester conference

The IMechE’s Managing Ageing Nuclear Assets and Decommissioning conference (22-23 May, Manchester City Football Club) is the latest technical event to inform and support the specialised community of engineers and safety professionals working in this sector.

The management of the UK's ageing nuclear fleet is a current priority for the power industry and its regulators. As nuclear power plants and associated infrastructure age and reach the end of their operational life, their systems, components and associated technologies will begin to wear and no longer meet safety and continuous development standards.

Comprised of two days of technical presentations and organised by the IMechE’s Nuclear Power committee members, the conference will provide a key forum for all engineers involved to address common challenges in this sector. Representatives from prominent site holders will showcase successful strategies and recent findings for nuclear asset management, with presentations from AWE, AtkinsRéalis , UK Atomic Energy Authority , EDF (UK) , Ultra Energy and others confirmed: view the full agenda .

Both the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will also outline clear regulatory expectations and guidance for nuclear asset management, with particular focus on decommissioning, human factors and appropriate safety cases underscored by recent projects.

Session highlights in this area include the UKAEA’s plans to decommission JET, the UK’s first fusion reactor and how it will influence the future of fusion and fission in UK, lessons learned during the retrieval of legacy waste and designing for end of life at Sellafield, and the ways in which EDF are tackling increasing obsolescence in their approach to fleet maintenance.

It is imperative that both the civil and defence sectors uphold effective strategies for maintaining the capability for safe and compliant operation, and the IMechE Nuclear Power committee warmly invites all engineers involved to be a part of discussions to secure the future of the UK’s nuclear sites.

For more information and to register for the Managing Ageing Nuclear Assets & Decommissioning conference, please visit the conference website or email the IMechE Event Enquiries team.