Licensing Modernization Project for Advanced Reactor Technologies: FY 2018 Project Status Report
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
The promise of new nuclear technology and the future of commercial power in the United States (U.S.) are linked to the existence of an efficient and safety-focused regulatory review and licensing process. With an appropriate regulatory framework, reactor suppliers and regulators can design, license, build, and export advanced reactor units more effectively and efficiently and thereby help meet the growing need for clean and reliable energy. To help address the challenge of maintaining compatibility between the regulatory environment and new commercial nuclear plant designs, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting an industry-led effort called the Licensing Modernization Project (LMP). This cost-shared initiative, started in 2016 and scheduled to continue through mid-2019, targets amendment to key elements of the U.S. nuclear power reactor regulatory framework to specifically address licensing barriers in advanced-reactor concepts. The project is focused on updating guidance for certain technical licensing requirements that are largely incompatible with non-light-water reactors (non-LWR) and establish a new pathway for design-safety evaluations and license-application development. Upon completion, the project will have created a new pathway, founded on modern probabilistic assessment techniques, that offers developers, suppliers, regulators, and owner/operatorowner-operators greater clarity and assurance in design and licensing decisions. The LMP employs a team of advanced reactor technology and licensing subject matter experts working closely with U.S. regulators, affected industries, and interested members of the public. The project is managed by Southern Company and supported through a cost share arrangement with DOE. Technical contributions are also provided to the project from the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Regulatory Development area, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The LMP identified a suite of high priority issues that provided significant uncertainty within the regulated non-LWR community. It was determined that much of this uncertainty could be retired by issuing updated licensing guidance founded on safety performance demonstrations and modern probabilistic methodologies. The success criteria for the project were established as: • Generate sets of technology inclusive (TI), risk-informed, and performance-based (TI-RIPB) technical requirements, recommendations, and proposals that could be reviewed, amended, and adopted for use by both NRC staff and industry. The proposals would create an optional-use regulatory framework without imposing additional (i.e., mandatory) requirements. • Support LMP the recommended updates of LMP such that they can be finalized, endorsed by NRC, and used by applicants within 5 years. This also supports the DOE advanced- reactor development and deployment goal of completing licensing reviews for technically mature non-LWR concepts sufficient to allow construction to proceed by the early 2030’s. • Further overall programmatic objectives established by DOE’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative by resolving technology-inclusive policy issues that adversely impact regulatory reviews, siting, permitting, and/or licensing of non-LWRs. This would provide significantly more regulatory certainty for advanced reactor developers.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517
- OSTI ID:
- 1471714
- Report Number(s):
- INL/EXT--18-46151-Rev000
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Regulatory Risk Reduction for Advanced Reactor Technologies: FY 2017 Framework Modernization Proposals and Status
Modernization of Technical Requirements for Licensing of Advanced Non-Light Water Reactors: Probabilistic Risk Assessment Approach
A New Look at Licensing Basis Events for the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment
Technical Report
·
Thu Aug 10 00:00:00 EDT 2017
·
OSTI ID:1408735
Modernization of Technical Requirements for Licensing of Advanced Non-Light Water Reactors: Probabilistic Risk Assessment Approach
Technical Report
·
Sat Feb 29 23:00:00 EST 2020
·
OSTI ID:1700670
A New Look at Licensing Basis Events for the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment
Technical Report
·
Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018
·
OSTI ID:1479780