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REACTOR DESIGN | MAKING SMRs COMMERCIAL


Right: Factory production is one of the key benefits of SMRs Source: Rolls Royce SMR


The Promise of harmonised regulation


It’s difficult to overlook the regulatory maze surrounding SMRs and how this affects roll-out. Licences are needed for both design and operation. This applies to both the vendor where an SMR is being developed and to the end user. In most cases, these two parties will be in separate countries with different regulatory stipulations. Given the number of proposed SMR designs in development, progression through licensing has become a slow and intimidating process. Regulators are unfamiliar with many SMR designs, especially those relying on innovative reactors and novel manufacturing methods. Some of the more mature SMRs use established coolants,


such as pressurised water, whereas others rely on relatively newer approaches using liquid metal, helium, and molten salts. Any deviation or change from what is already known or approved will need thorough testing evidence to guarantee safety.


This is understandable and should not be regarded as an


obstacle to commercial success. After all, public confidence will be a requisite as local authorities bring nuclear power much closer to the places where people live and work. SMRs benefit from smaller reactor cores and, therefore, smaller radioactive inventories that, in theory, reduce shielding requirements and the size of emergency planning zones. Some also include an integral steam supply system in which the steam generator is directly connected to the reactor. These built-in passive safety systems provide SMRs with greater and, in some cases, indefinite coping times in the event of an offsite power failure. Still, the industry recognises the complexities of cross-


border regulation. In 2022, for example, the IAEA announced a Nuclear Harmonisation and Standardisation Initiative, which aims to simplify the process that would see SMRs readied for deployment worldwide. This also includes a framework for accepting factory-assembled parts that,


Above: The ESBWR is the design predecessor of the GWRX-300 SMR Source: GEH 40 | December 2023 | www.neimagazine.com


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