This introductory workshop is a collaborative effort between the IAEA, USNRC and other international contributors, as appropriate. This workshop provides information on US and international Small Modular Reactor (SMR) designs that are scheduled for near-term licensing by the USNRC and/or international regulatory agency. Advanced reactors are also discussed but at a higher level of detail. The workshop will provide an overview of the SMR reactor technologies and their enhanced safety and security features. In addition, international regulators will be invited to present on their respective licensing process and/or proposed approach for licensing SMRs and advanced reactors in their countries.
This workshop will present information on the current SMR designs that are based on improvements in the presently licensed light-water-reactor (LWR) designs. It will discuss the technical enhancements to the SMR designs that improve safety, security and flexibility in siting and applications. Financial considerations inherent in SMRs will also be discussed to show how they are influencing international demand and markets for SMRs.
The workshop will also present information on the USNRC licensing processes in 10 CFR Parts 50, the two-step process and 52, “Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants,” which incorporates a combined construction and operating license (COL) approach to licensing. It will provide an overview of the environmental and safety reviews necessary for certification of the SMR designs. The USNRC uses a Standard Review Plan (SRP), NUREG-0800, to review licensing applications for reactor designs. The workshop will discuss how NUREG-800 was revised in 2014 to provide general review guidance for SMRs. This licensing overview will also provide information on how the USNRC will use risk-insights, design-specific review standards, existing analytical codes, and industry codes and standards.
Finally, the workshop will focus on why SMR deployment will be a global enterprise and how it will benefit from international collaboration on providing a framework for effective licensing and regulatory reviews. Discussions will center on what international collaborations are underway to assist in SMR development and licensing.