On June 11-13, 2024, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) International Regulatory Development Partnership (IRDP) supported a regional conference in the Republic of Korea sponsored by the U.S. Department of State under the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) program. The conference was titled “South, Central, and East Asia FIRST Regional Conference on Advancing the Safe and Secure Deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).” The conference objective was to help officials in the region better understand the role of nuclear energy, particularly SMRs, in meeting their clean energy needs and climate goals in a safe and secure manner.
The conference was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK), and featured presentations by representatives of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Energy, World Institute for Nuclear Security, International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Institute, Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Canada Nuclear Safety Commission, Natural Resources Canada, and subject matter experts from FIRST. In addition, presenters from the ROK government included representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Korea Institute of Nonproliferation and Control, and Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety. The conference also featured presentations by representatives from over 14 countries and governmental and private organizations including Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom.
Mr. Stewart Magruder from NRC’s contractor, Advanced Systems Technology and Management, Inc. (AdSTM) made a presentation on developing a regulatory framework for SMRs in the United States. The conference participants were very engaged, and the conference objectives were clearly met.