Towards harmonized regulation, standardized industrial approaches
“On the regulatory side, the aim is to increase regulatory collaboration, to establish common positions on technical and policy issues, to pave the way to greater harmonization, initially in the pre-licensing phase for SMRs, with an agreed expectation of high levels of safety and security for these advanced designs,” said Lydie Evrard, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security.
For SMRs to become an important part of the global decarbonization efforts, a fundamental paradigm shift is needed, one that takes the approach of looking at nuclear as a global fleet, said Rumina Velshi, President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. “I have long argued that the harmonization of international standards and requirements wherever possible, as well as the possible harmonization of licensing and approval processes is essential for the safe and effective widespread deployment of SMRs,” she said.
Under the NHSI, the IAEA will bring together decision makers from governments, regulators, designers, technology holders, operators and other international organizations under two separate complementary tracks: one for technology holders and operators and another for regulators. These tracks, facilitated by the Agency, will then join up in 2024 under an IAEA framework to further advance the initiative, culminating in roadmaps with concrete action plans.
“For industry, the initiative will seek to provide a list of concrete actions and milestones for technology holders and operators to develop more standardized industrial approaches for design, manufacturing, construction, commissioning and operation of SMRs as well as generic user requirements and criteria,” said Aline des Cloizeaux, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Power.
China supports global deployment of SMRs as part of the clean energy transition, and has joined the IAEA’s initiative, said Jianfeng Yu, Chairman of the China National Nuclear Corporation. “We are looking forward to participating in relevant work and making efforts and contributions in reaching harmonized SMR standards with the global nuclear industry,” he wrote in a letter to Mr Grossi.
The IAEA has in recent years intensified its work in providing support to Member States in the development and licensing of SMRs. In 2021, it established the Agency-wide Platform on SMRs and their Applications providing a ‘one-stop-shop’ for IAEA Member States and other stakeholders interested in the development and deployment of the SMR technology. The IAEA is also reviewing the applicability of IAEA Safety Standards to SMRs and has supported, sine 2015, the SMR Regulators’ Forum, in which national regulators discuss approaches to this new technology. The IAEA has completed the review of over 60 safety standards to guide their application to a range of SMRs and innovative technology lifecycles and will publish a safety report this year.
