Rolls-Royce SMR progresses to final step of UK assessment

GDA is a three-step process carried out by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to assess the safety, security, and environmental protection aspects of a nuclear power plant design that is intended to be deployed in Great Britain. Successful completion of the GDA culminates in the issue of a Design Acceptance Confirmation from the ONR and a Statement of Design Acceptability from the EA.

In May 2021, the UK's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) opened the GDA process to advanced nuclear technologies, including SMRs.

In November 2021, Rolls-Royce SMR Limited submitted a Notice of Intention to apply for GDA Entry for its SMR design, which is based on a small pressurised water reactor. The design was accepted for review in March 2022.

Step 1 of the GDA began in April 2022 and involved agreeing the scope of the GDA based on information supplied by Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd to the ONR, the Environment Agency and NRW.

Step 2 - the first substantive technical assessment step of GDA, building upon the work to agree the scope and project arrangements undertaken during Step 1 - has now been successfully completed.

ONR said this followed "significant work by Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd and the regulators, leading to the granting, for the first time since the modernised GDA process was launched, of Step 2 GDA statements". It added: "Today also marks the start of Step 3 for the Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd GDA."

"The Rolls-Royce SMR GDA is one of firsts," said ONR's Head of Generic Design Assessment Rob Exley. "We are the first regulators to assess this reactor design, determining whether it meets our robust safety, security, safeguards and environmental protection standards in Great Britain. It is also the first time we have followed the modernised GDA process, looking at an SMR design.

"ONR is satisfied that Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd are progressing and as regulators, we can now continue into Step 3 assessing in more detail the evidence that supports the claims made about the design in the Step 2 submissions."

Helena Perry, Rolls-Royce SMR's Safety and Regulatory Affairs Director, said: "The completion of Step 2 of the GDA is the most important milestone to date in advancing deployment of Rolls-Royce SMRs in the UK. We have built fantastic momentum, and the team will move directly into Step 3 of this rigorous independent assessment of our technology – ideally positioning us to deliver low-carbon nuclear power and support the UK transition to net-zero."

The overall duration for the Rolls-Royce SMR GDA is expected to be 53 months, completing in August 2026.

The Rolls-Royce SMR is one of six SMR designs selected in October by Great British Nuclear on a shortlist for the UK's SMR selection competition and one of the five vendors to submit a bid by the 8 July deadline. The aim is for a final investment decision on two or three of the designs to be taken in 2029.

Earlier this month, the Nuclear Industry Association applied to the UK government for a justification decision for Rolls-Royce SMR's small modular reactor, a decision required for the operation of a new nuclear technology in the country. It marks the first ever application for justification of a UK reactor design.