The deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) is gaining momentum thanks to the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI). The NHSI recently released a working paper that highlights the importance of integrating non-nuclear codes and standards into SMR production to reduce costs and deployment time significantly. This initiative aims to harmonize standards across different jurisdictions to facilitate the rapid deployment of SMRs worldwide.
In order to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants, they must comply with a variety of standards set by nuclear regulatory bodies. However, they also need to adhere to general industrial codes related to aspects such as exit routes, voltages, and environmental regulations. The wide variation in these standards across jurisdictions can lead to increased costs and deployment delays when designing plants to meet different national or regional requirements. To address this challenge and speed up the deployment of SMRs, enhanced regional and international cooperation is essential.
The Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Power, Aline des Cloizeaux, emphasized the importance of harmonizing non-nuclear codes within and between countries to support faster deployments of SMRs and other advanced reactors. The NHSI, launched in 2022, focuses on harmonizing regulatory approaches and developing standardized industrial practices for SMR manufacturing, construction, operations, and management.
Industry Track Topic Group 2 (TG2) is working on identifying ways to address the challenges posed by non-nuclear codes and standards in nuclear power projects. By collecting relevant codes and standards and seeking areas for harmonization, TG2 aims to facilitate the deployment of SMRs. Standardization is crucial for the international deployment of SMRs, as it minimizes costs, build schedules, and the cost of electricity while maximizing safety and operational experience.
TG2 is exploring various approaches to managing different requirements across jurisdictions, such as the ‘enveloping’ approach and the ‘product-as-is’ approach. These strategies aim to streamline the design and deployment of SMRs by incorporating the most demanding requirements and minimizing redesign efforts. Achieving harmonization will require proactive engagement between project owners, operators, regulators, and suppliers from the early stages of a project.
The group is currently meeting in Vienna to discuss additional strategies for streamlining SMR project implementation, including compiling fire and building codes from various countries where SMRs are expected to be deployed soon. By learning from successful standardization methodologies in other industries, such as the commercial aircraft sector, the nuclear power industry can accelerate the deployment of SMRs and contribute to global net zero goals.
