TerraPower hopes to apply for a construction permit in August 2023 and an operating licence in March 2026 for its Natrium fast reactor, according to a regulatory engagement plan (REP) it has sent to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Regulation & Safety 18 June 2021
For small modular reactors to play their part in the clean energy transition, it is crucial that vendors and regulators engage early to clarify the degree of design maturity required to start the licensing process, according to a new report published today by World Nuclear Association. National regulators should collaborate through bilateral and multinational agreements on design and safety reviews, share technical reviews, establish common positions on safety criteria, and make appropriate use of existing reference SMR design reviews to streamline SMR licensing processes, it says.
Regulation & Safety 08 June 2021
Russian nuclear fuel manufacturer TVEL has announced the start of construction of a 300 MW nuclear power unit enabled with the innovative BREST-OD-300 lead-cooled fast reactor at the site of the Siberian Chemical Combine, in Seversk. The reactor will run on mixed uranium-plutonium nitride fuel, specially developed for this facility as the "optimal solution" for fast reactors.
New Nuclear 08 June 2021