Towards innovative reactors licensing - ALFRED approach

Before having an operational reactor with an innovative design, it is mandatory to demonstrate to safety authorities the license condition compliance with the regulations and proper management of the safety. Even if the process itself seems clear, in case of innovative reactors, significant challenges may arise. As the demonstrator of the Lead-cooled Fast Reactors (LFR) technology, ALFRED (Advanced Lead-cooled Fast Reactor European Demonstrator) aims to represent the solid cornerstone in LFR deployment strategy. Specific design solutions (e.g., no intermediate circuit, simplified and robust component design, passive heat removal systems), combined with an efficient thermal cycle, are used, aiming to provide an extensive proof of the safety performances envisaged for the LFR fleet. Romania expressed in 2014 the availability to host and implement ALFRED, choosing as reference site the Mioveni nuclear platform. Until the decision to implement ALFRED in Romania, the existing Romanian regulation framework was applied to obtain the license for construction and operation only for already validated reactor designs. There are no regulatory standards or policy statements specifically developed for GenIV reactors, and particularly for ALFRED design, and this leaves room for many uncertainties during the licensing process for the innovative reactors. Even from the beginning of the interactions, both parties, Romanian National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) and FALCON (Fostering ALFRED Construction) Consortium, agreed that adding a preparation phase will be beneficial to the whole licensing process. Going through a pre-licensing stage should help in developing and using strong safety, security, and radiation protection arguments in the licensing application. Unfortunately, there is no clear guidance on how to proceed on this stage to reach the desired objective. Wishing to shed somehow clarity in this new proposed phase of the licensing process, elaborating and agreeing on a plan for the proposed involvement of all actors of the licensing process was considered as necessary. The paper will present the shaping element for this phase and its specifics for ALFRED, specifying the initial planning for the process, the main milestones and expected outcomes. The on-going and future efforts to prepare the ALFRED licensing process and the staged approach proposed to be followed for the ALFRED licensing process will be highlighted. (author)