Applicability of IAEA Safety Standard SSR-2/1 to Water-Cooled Small Modular Reactors

In 2016, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted a study on the graded approach application of the IAEA design safety requirements contained in SSR-2/1, Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Design, to small modular reactors (SMRs) with a focus on water-cooled and high temperature gas reactors. Each of the eighty-two SSR-2/1 design safety requirements was evaluated for their applicability to SMR designs by a team of international experts that included vendors, regulators and internal personnel. The approach utilized was to bin the requirements into one of the following five categories: applicable as is; applicable with modification; applicable with interpretation; new criteria; and not applicable. For water-cooled SMRs, proposed changes were made to thirteen SSR-2/1 design safety requirements and one new design safety requirement was suggested. The results of the study will be used as an input to the development of future IAEA safety standard review processes in order to reflect practices in this area and foster their practical applicability to SMRs. (author)