U.S. Approves Advanced Reactor Licensing Guidance
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S. NRC) has finalized 10 documents that will help simplify the licensing process for non-light water reactor applicants.
The Guidance includes approval of the industry-leading Technology Inclusive Content of Application Project (TICAP), which aims to provide a more technologically advanced review of the safety analysis report. The documents also provide for the public disclosure of interim instructions for project staff to provide applicants and interested members of the public with a transparent view of the licensing process.
The new Guidance places additional emphasis on those parts of the design and operation that directly affect safety and is seen as an important step towards establishing an efficient and cost-effective approach to licensing non-light water reactors. The Guidance is expected to reduce regulatory uncertainty for new reactor concepts that differ from conventional technologies.
The TICAP approval is a direct result of a six-year collaboration between industry, the U.S. NRC, DoE, and national laboratories to support the near-term deployment of new reactor technologies. The TICAP is part of a larger project led by the U.S. NRC to provide recommendations in applications for construction permits, operating licenses, manufacturing licenses, standard design approval, design certification, and combined licenses.
The U.S. NRC expects several license applications for non-light water projects to be submitted over the next five years.
According to Nuclear Engineering International