SMR Development and Safeguards by Design in Canada

Abstract of the technical presentation presented at:

Prepared by:

Henry Gao

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Abstract

In recent years, small modular reactors (SMRs) have gained wide interest in the nuclear industry around the world. In Canada, SMRs are considered as an advanced technology to meet energy requirements and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently more than 10 SMR designs have been proposed in Canada with potential deployment to on-grid, and remote off-grid areas. Natural Resources Canada engaged stakeholders across Canada to develop a roadmap on the future of SMRs to support SMR development. Global First Power has filed a licence to prepare site application to build a Micro Modular Reactor at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, and in January 2022, Ontario Power Generation announced its selection of the GE-H BWRX-300 SMR to be built at Darlington site.

In the proposed SMRs, various novel fuel forms, designs, and deployment models are pursued by the vendors. These new features of SMRs may introduce challenges to safety, security, and safeguards due to limited operational experience with these reactors. To address these potential challenges, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) issued a discussion paper on SMRs in 2016 and optimized regulatory framework to regulate the SMRs in future. The CNSC also offers a pre-licensing vendor design review (VDR) as an optional service in which the safeguards by design (SBD) principle is applied by vendors in the SMR designs. Currently, nine vendors have applied such VDR on their SMRs. The CNSC encourages the vendors to apply the SBD approach and engages the IAEA and vendors to ensure that safeguards is considered in their SMR’s design and the regulatory requirements can be met in the operating of these SMRs. This paper discusses the SMR development, pre-licensing VDR, potential safeguards challenges, and the application of SBD in Canada.

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