A Technology Enabled Approach to Nuclear Steam Generator Integrity

07 May 2026

Comprehensive, data-driven services for safe long-term asset performance

Much of today’s nuclear fleet was commissioned decades ago, designed with durability and long-term operation in mind. However, as these plants continue to age, maintaining the integrity of critical components requires increasingly advanced engineering, monitoring, and analytical approaches.

At the same time, the demand for reliable power is accelerating, driven by the rapid growth of data centers, electrification, and other large industrial loads. These trends are placing new expectations on nuclear operators: extend plant life, avoid unplanned outages, and maintain the highest safety standards, all while supporting grid stability.

Advanced Steam Generator Services for Long-Term Performance

Steam generators are among the most safety-critical and operationally significant components in a nuclear power plant. Over time, they are susceptible to degradation mechanisms such as stress corrosion cracking, wear, and fouling each of which can impact structural integrity and heat transfer efficiency.

Intertek provides comprehensive, data-driven steam generator services that enable utilities to proactively manage these challenges:

• Degradation Assessments (DA): We identify, characterize, and prioritize degradation mechanisms using inspection data, materials expertise, and predictive analytics. This allows plant operators to understand not only what degradation exists, but how it may evolve.
• Condition Monitoring (CM): Following each inspection cycle, we evaluate the “as-found” condition of steam generator tubing against established performance criteria to confirm structural and leakage integrity.
• Operational Assessments (OA): We project the future condition of the steam generator over the upcoming operating cycle, incorporating degradation growth rates, operating history, and plant-specific conditions to ensure continued safe operation.

At the core of our methodology is a fully integrated Condition Monitoring and Operational Assessment (CMOA) framework. This structured approach ensures both current and future system integrity are rigorously evaluated.

To enhance the accuracy, consistency, and defensibility of these evaluations, we leverage advanced platforms such as Intertek’s OPCON (Operational Assessment and Condition Monitoring System). This purpose-built software enables a more robust implementation of CMOA by integrating plant-specific data with predictive modeling capabilities.

With OPCON, our teams are able to:

• Perform multi-cycle degradation modeling using actual inspection and operating data
• Support fitness-for-service evaluations aligned with ASME Code Section XI
• Generate predictive insights into degradation growth and remaining useful life
• Provide a consistent, traceable basis for DA, CM, and OA decision-making

By combining these elements, we provide a defensible technical basis for continued operation supporting both regulatory compliance and operational confidence.

Alignment with NEI 97-06 and Industry Standards

Our work is grounded in strict adherence to industry and regulatory frameworks, ensuring consistency, traceability, and audit readiness:

• Implementation of NEI 97-06: We support full compliance with NEI 97-06 program requirements, guiding utilities through structured degradation assessments, condition monitoring, and operational assessments as part of an integrated steam generator management program. Intertek’s Operational Assessment and Condition Monitoring System provides utility engineers with the tools required to meet the demanding requirements of NEI 97-06.
• ASME Code Section XI Flaw Evaluations: Our engineers perform detailed flaw evaluations in accordance with ASME Section XI, including fracture mechanics analyses, flaw growth projections, and fitness-for-service determinations. These evaluations ensure that identified indications meet structural integrity requirements and regulatory acceptance criteria.

Supporting the Future of Nuclear Energy

As nuclear power continues to play a vital role in delivering reliable, carbon-free energy—especially in support of growing data center and industrial demand—the importance of maintaining critical plant systems cannot be overstated.

Through advanced steam generator services, rigorous CMOA methodologies, alignment with NEI 97-06, and compliance with ASME Code Section XI, our organization helps utilities navigate the challenges of aging infrastructure while meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving energy landscape.