ML21109A261

NEIMA Section 103(e) Enclosure - Report to Congress

ML21109A261
Person / Time
Issue date:	07/15/2021
From:	Christopher Hanson NRC/Chairman
To:	Carper T, Pallone F US SEN, Comm on Environment & Public Works
Hoellman J
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ML21109A263	List: ML21109A261 ML21109A262
References
CORR-21-0046, SRM-OGC190122-21
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Text

COMPLETING A RULEMAKING TOESTABLISH A

TECHNOLOGY-INCLUSIVE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR OPTIONAL USEBYCOMMERCIAL ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTOR TECHNOLOGIES INNEWREACTOR LICENSEAPPLICATIONS ANDTOENHANCECOMMISSION EXPERTISE RELATING TOADVANCEDNUCLEARREACTOR TECHNOLOGlES A

Report for U.S.Senate Committee on Environment andPublic Works U.S.HouseofRepresentatives Committee onEnergyandCommerce ABREGf4A 09 a

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YAA AY U.S.Nuclear Regulatory Commission July2021 Enclosure

INTRODUCTION The U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) developed this report asrequired by Section 103(e) oftheNuclear Energy Innovation andModernization Act(NEIMA ortheAct),

which requires theNRCtosubmit totheappropriate congressional committees areport for (1) completing a rulemaking toestablish atechnology-inclusive regulatory framework for optional useby applicants inlicensing commercial advanced nuclear reactor technologies in newreactor license applications and(2) ensuring that theNRChasadequate expertise,

modeling, andsimulation capabilities, oraccess tothose capabilities, tosupport theevaluation ofcommercial advanced reactor license applications, including thequalification ofadvanced nuclear reactor fuel.

The Act includes requirementsforthedevelopment ofthis

report, including coordinating andseeking stakeholder input inits development, providing costandschedule estimates, andevaluating various policy andtechnical issues associated withadvanced nuclear reactor technologies.

TheAct defines "advanced nuclear reactor" asanuclear fission orfusion

reactor, including aprototype plant, with significant improvementscompared tocommercial nuclear reactors under construction as of thedateofenactment oftheAct.

TheNRCisanindependent regulatory agency whose mission istolicense andregulate the Nation's civilian useofradioactive materialsto protect public health andsafety, promote the commondefense andsecurity, andprotect theenvironment.

TheNRCandtheU.S.

Department ofEnergy(DOE) havedistinct

roles, but have workedjointly through several memoranda ofunderstanding (MOUs)

(as describedin SECY-21-0010, "Advanced Reactor Program Status,"

datedFebruary 1,2021(Ref.

1)).

The NRC andtheDOE'sOffice ofFusion Energy Sciences haveinitiated routine interactions todevelop longer termstrategies forthe possible deployment ofsafe fusion energy systems.

Thisreport addresses eachoftherequirements ofNEIMASection 103(e),

"ReportToComplete aRulemaking ToEstablish aTechnology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for OptionalUseby Commercial Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies inNewReactorLicense Applications and ToEnhance Commission Expertise Relating toAdvanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies."

In July 2019,asrequired byNElMASection 103(b) andSection 103(c),

theNRC sent tworeports toCongress:

(1)

"Approaches forExpediting andEstablishing Stages intheLicensing Process forCommercial Advanced Nuclear Reactors" and(2)

"Increasing theUseofRisk-Informed and Performance-Based Evaluation Techniques andRegulatory Guidance inLicensing Commercial Advanced Nuclear Reactors" (Ref.

2).

Thesereports provide additional details onspecific aspects related totheNRC'spreparation forlicensing advanced nuclear reactors.

BACKGROUND TheNRC'sPolicy Statement ontheRegulation ofAdvanced Nuclear PowerPlants, issued on July 8,1986,inVolume51oftheFederal Register (FR),

page24643(51 FR24643)

(Ref.

3),

andreissued asthePolicy Statement ontheRegulation ofAdvanced Reactors onOctober 14, 2008,inVolume73oftheFR,page60612(73 FR60612)

(Ref 4),provides all interested

parties, including thepublic, theCommission's viewsconcerning thecharacteristics ofadvanced reactor designs.

Thepolicy statement identifies attributes that theCommission anticipated wouldbeconsidered inadvanced nuclear reactor

designs, including highly reliable andless complex heatremoval

systems, longer timeconstants before reaching safety system challenges, reduced potential forsevere accidents andtheir consequences, anduseofthe defense-in-depth philosophy ofmaintaining multiple barriers against radiation release.

Inthe policy statement, theCommission alsoencouraged theearliest possible interaction of applicants,

vendors, other government

agencies, andtheNRCtoprovide fortheearly 1

identification ofregulatory requirements foradvanced reactors.

Suchinteraction provides all interested parties, including thepublic, withatimely, independent assessment ofthesafety and security characteristics ofadvanced reactor designs.

Theseinteractions alsocontribute towards minimizing complexity andadding stability andpredictability inthelicensing andregulation of advancedreactors.

Following theissuance oftheadvanced reactor policy statement in1986,theNRCinteracted withtheDOEandreactor developers onthepotential forreviewing andlicensing advanced reactor designs based in partondesign information provided intheformofapreliminary safety information document.These activities resulted inthepublication ofassessments ofpreliminary designs suchasNUREG-1368, "Preapplication Safety Evaluation Report forthePowerReactor innovative Small Module (PRISM) Liquid-Metal Reactor,"

issued February 1994(Ref.

5),and NUREG-1338, "Draft Preapplication Safety EvaluationReport fortheModular High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor

[MHTGR),"

issued March1989(Ref.

6).

TheNRCstaff identified several potential policy issues during its assessments ofadvanced reactor designs andproposed approaches toresolve some oftheseissues inSECY-93-092, "Issues Pertaining totheAdvanced Reactor (PRISM,

MHTGR, and PIUS[Process Inherent Ultimate Safety))

and CANDU3[Canadian Deuterium Uranium)

Designs andTheir Relationship toCurrent Regulatory Requirements,"

dated April 8,1993(Ref.

7).

The Commission approved theNRCstaff's proposed approaches inastaff requirements memorandum (SRM) datedJuly 30,1993(Ref.

8).

During the1990s,theNRCcontinued todevelop review and licensing approachesforadvanced reactors.

Theseactivities weredoneinparallel, andsometimes interwoven, with theNRC's efforts toimprove risk-informed andperformance-based approaches withintheagency(e.g.,

the Commission's policy statement, "UseofProbabilistic Risk Assessment Methods inNuclear Regulatory Activities,"

published onAugust 16,1995(60 FR42622) (Ref. 9)).

TheCommission provided further clarification inthewhite

paper, "Risk-Informed andPerformance-Based Regulation,"

datedMarch1,1999(Ref.

10).

Intheearly 2000s,theNRC continued toidentify andresolve policy andtechnical issues during pre-application activities onadvanced reactor

designs, including thegasturbine modular helium reactor andthepebble bed modular reactor.

InAugust 2008,theNRCandtheDOEjointly

issued, "Next Generation Nuclear Plant Licensing

Strategy, AReport toCongress" (Ref.

11).

TheNRCstaff continued activities related to advanced reactors following thespecific workrelated totheNextGeneration Nuclear Plant.

In August 2012,theNRCpublished its strategy forandapproach topreparing forthe licensing of advanced reactors inits"Report toCongress:

Advanced Reactor Licensing" (Ref.

12).

In2016,theNRCissued its "NRCVision andStrategy:

Safely Achieving Effective andEfficient Non-Light-Water Mission Readiness" (Advanced Reactor Vision andStrategy Document)

(Ref.

13),

inresponse toincreasing interest inadvanced reactor

designs, including possible legislation.

TheNRCconsidered theDOE'sadvanced reactor deployment goals developed in the2016timeframe whensetting priorities foritsreadiness activities andcontinues toreassess its activities tosupport theDOE'sdeployment goals.

Toachieve thegoals andobjectives stated intheNRC'sAdvanced Reactor Vision andStrategy

Document, theNRCdeveloped implementation action plans(IAPs).

TheIAPsidentified the specific activities theNRCwouldconduct inthenear-term (within 5years),

mid-term (5to 10years),

andlong-term (beyond 10years).

TheNRCreleased itsdraft IAPstoobtain stakeholder feedback during aseries ofpublic meetings heldbetween October 2016and March2017.TheNRCstaff alsobriefed theAdvisory Committee onReactor Safeguards (ACRS) onMarch8and9,2017.TheNRCstaff considered theACRScommentsand 2

stakeholder feedback inthefinal near-term IAPs(Ref.

14) andmid-term andlong-term IAPs (Ref. 15),dated July2017.

Thenear-term IAPsaddress sixindividual strategies:

(1)

Acquire/develop sufficient knowledge, technical

skills, andcapacity toperform non-light water reactor (non-LWR) regulatory reviews.

(2)

Acquire/develop sufficient computer codesandtools toperform non-LWRregulatory reviews.

(3)

Develop guidance for aflexiblenon-LWRregulatory review process within the bounds ofexistingregulations, including theuseofconceptual design reviews and staged-review processes.

(4)

Facilitate endorsing, asappropriate, industrycodesandstandards needed tosupport thenon-LWRlife cycle (including fuels andmaterials).

(5) identify andresolve technology-inclusive policyissues (not specific toaparticular non-LWRdesign orcategory) that impact regulatory

reviews, siting, permitting, and/or licensing ofnon-LWR nuclear power plants.

(6)

Develop andimplement astructured, integrated strategy tocommunicatewith internal andexternal stakeholders having interests innon-LWR technologies.

Basedoninput received fromstakeholders onthedraft near-term IAPs andACRS recommendations, theNRCassigned highest priority toits execution ofStrategies 3and5;

however, activities areongoing insupport ofall sixstrategies.

TheNRC staff issued SECY-21-0010, "Advanced Reactor Program Status,"

onFebruary 1,2021 (Ref. 1).

Thisisthe fourth annual paper that provides thestatus oftheNRCstaff's activities related toadvanced

reactors, including theprogress andpathforward oneachoftheIAPstrategies.

Italsoprovides anoverview ofthevarious external factors informing theNRCstaff's activities to prepare forthe review andpotential licensing ofadvanced reactors.

Inthe2016Advanced Reactor Vision andStrategy Document andmid-term andlong-term IAPs,theNRCidentified thepotential needtoinitiate anddevelop anewrisk-informed, performance-based, andtechnology-inclusive regulatory framework that focuses NRCstaff review efforts commensurate withtherisks posedbytheadvanced nuclear reactor design under consideration.

InNEIMA,Congress directed theNRCtoestablish this newregulatory framework; theNRCplans todevelop inTitle 10oftheCodeofFederal Regulations (10CFR)

Part53,"Licensing andregulation ofadvanced nuclear reactors,"

byOctober 2024.

COORDINATION ANDSTAKEHOLDER INPUT(NE1MA Section 103(e)(2))

TheNRCstaff coordinated withtheDOEandother stakeholders indeveloping this report.

Specifically, theNRCdiscussed plans forthepreparation ofthis report withDOE representatives onOctober 23,2020,andreceived DOEinput onthedraft report inMay2021 TheNRCalso discussed plans forthepreparation ofthis report during public meetings on November 5,2020,andonApril 15,2021,toseekinput fromlicensees, trade associations, a

diverse setoftechnology developers,

vendors, members ofthepublic, andother stakeholders.

3

The NRC staff initiated extensive stakeholder interactions inaseries ofpublic

meetings, aswell asregular engagement withtheACRS,andthesediscussions haveinformed thedevelopment ofthis report.

Aspart ofthese interactions, theNRCstaff isimplementing anovel rulemaking approach of periodically releasing preliminary proposed rule language tofacilitate public discussion. This allows forearly public input astherule language isrefined.

TheNRC successfully managed thechallengespresented bytheCOVID-19 public health emergency without anysignificant impact tothedevelopment ofPart 53byquickly adapting toavirtual working environment and conducting virtual public meetings andworkshops tofully engage and encourage stakeholder participation.

Stakeholdershaveprovided diverse andsignificant input onthepreliminary proposed rule language during public

meetings, withsomecommenters expressing their desire tosee additional changes inresponse totheir comments.

TheNRCstaff isevaluating thecomments and will consider thevarying stakeholder perspectives asit continues development ofPart 53.

TheNRCwill continue tointeract with the DOE andother stakeholders togather information to inform thedevelopment ofPart 53aswellas other NRCadvanced reactor readiness activities.

TheNRCstaff updates its public Website and the associated docket onRegulations.gov (Docket IDNRC-2019-0062) asnewinformation becomes availableandcompiles all released preliminary proposed rule language inonelocation (Ref. 16).TheNRCwill continue toengage with stakeholders asappropriate throughout therulemaking process.

Since July 2016,theNRChasconducted about50publicstakeholder meetings,approximately oneevery 6weeks,todiscuss advanced reactor topics ofinterest, including Part 53,advanced reactor content ofapplication

efforts, staged licensing, advanced reactor fuel qualification,and consensus codesandstandards.

TheNRChasalso conductedadvanced reactorsessions at itsannual Regulatory information Conference andconducted several briefings tothevarious ACRSsubcommittees andtheACRSfull committee, whichwereopento the public. TheNRC staff will continue toconduct public meetings withstakeholders approximately every 6weeksin addition totheseparate public meetings dedicated tothedevelopment ofPart

53. TheNRC staff alsohasroutine public meetings withdevelopers ofspecific advanced reactors related to

design, review, andlicensing issues.

TheNRCandtheDOE'sOffice ofFusion Energy Sciences havealsoinitiated routine interactions toinform theNRCstaff anddevelop longer termstrategies forthereview andpossible licensing offusion energy

systems, andthese interactions havebeenaccelerated tosupport thedevelopment ofPart 53.

THEABILITY OFTHECOMMISSION TOCOMPLETE A RULEMAKING TOESTABLISH A

TECHNOLOGYINCLUSIVE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FORLICENSING COMMERCIAL ADVANCEDNUCLEARREACTORTECHNLOGlES BYDECEMBER 31,2027(NEIMA Section 103(e)(4)(A))

Consistent withNElMASection 103,theNRCstaff will establish byDecember 31,2027,arisk-

informed, technology-inclusive regulatory framework foradvanced reactors foroptional useby applicants fornewcommercial advanced nuclear reactor licenses.

TheNRCstaff presented its proposed planforthis rulemaking totheCommission forapproval inSECY-20-0032, "Rulemaking Planon'Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework forAdvanced Reactors (RIN-3150-AK31, NRC-2019-0062),"

dated April 13,2020(Ref.

17).

OnOctober 2,

2020,theCommission approved thestaff's proposed approach inSRM-SECY-20-0032 (Ref.

18) anddirected thestaff toaccelerate its timeline andprovide theCommission a

schedule withmilestones andresource requirements toachieve publication ofthefinal rule by October 2024.TheSRMalso directed theNRCstaff toinform theCommission ofkey 4

uncertainties impacting publication ofthefinal rule byOctober 2024.OnNovember 2,2020,the staff provided aresponse toSRM-SECY-20-0032 (Ref.

19) outlining aschedule forpreparing a

rulemaking package thatconforms totheCommission's direction toachieve publication ofthe final rule byOctober 2024.

Asdescribed intherulemaking

plan, Part53will define technology-inclusive, performance-based requirements for advanced nuclear reactors.

TheNRCstaff plans tofocus the rulemaking onrisk-informed functionalrequirements bybuilding onconcepts andlanguage found inexisting NRC requirements, Commission policy statements, andrecent activities undertaken toimplement the NRC'sAdvanced Reactor Vision andStrategy.

Theperformance-basedrequirements willsupport a risk-informed approach that will acknowledge design features that prevent adverse consequences.

Thenewrule will (1) continue toprovide reasonable assurance ofadequate protection ofpublichealth andsafety andpromote thecommondefense andsecurity; (2) promote regulatory stability, predictability, andclarity; (3) reduce theneedfor exemptions fromthecurrent requirements in10CFRPart 50,"Domestic licensing ofproduction andutilization facilities" (Ref.

20),

and 10 CFR Part 52,"Licenses, certifications, andapprovals fornuclear powerplants" (Ref.

21);

(4)establish newrequirements toaddress non-LWR technologies; (5) recognize technologicaladvancements inreactor

design, whereappropriate; and(6) credit theresponse ofadvanced nuclear reactors topostulated accidents, where appropriate, including slower transient responsetimes andrelativelysmall andslowrelease of fission products.

Consistent with Commission direction inSRM-SECY-20-0032, theNRCstaff isconsidering appropriate treatment offusion energy systems intheregulatory structure.

TheNRCstaff's assessments ofthepotential risks posedbyvarious fusion technologies andpossible regulatory approaches forfusion energy systems will bedoneinparallel with development ofthedraft proposed rulemaking package forPart 53,andstaff will develop an options paperfor Commission consideration.

Thedraft proposed Part 53rule will bedeveloped with theaimof accommodating fusion technologies asmuchaspossible tomaintain flexibility forfuture Commission direction.

TheNRCstaff isconsidering aseparate rulemaking to address fusion energy systems that wouldextend beyond 2024butwouldbecompleted before

2027, which will allow additional timetoassess fusion technologies tobetter incorporate them into atechnology-inclusive regulatory framework.

THEEXTENTTOWHICHADDITIONAL LEGISLATION, ORCOMMISSION ACTIONOR MODIFICATION OFPOLICY,ISNEEDEDTOIMPLEMENT ANYPARTOFTHENEW REGULATORY FRAMEWORK(NElMA Section 103(e)(4)(B))

Therequirements of10CFRPart 53will beconsistent with theframework oftheAtomic Energy Actof1954,asamended (AEA),

including promoting thecommondefense andsecurity and adequately protecting public health andsafety.

TheNRCstaff evaluated theAEAand determined that itprovides anappropriate safety andlegal construct tosupport theuseofrisk-informed andperformance-based evaluation techniques.

TheNRCstaff iscommitted to developing aframework that achieves thegoals oftheCommission's advanced reactor policy statement (Ref.

4)andtheNRC'sprinciples ofgoodregulation (independence,

openness, efficiency,

clarity, andreliability).

Therefore, atthis time,fornuclear fission

reactors, theNRC staff hasnotidentified additional legislation, Commission

action, ormodification ofpolicy needed toimplement anewregulatory framework.

5

THE NEED FORADDITIONALCOMMISSION EXPERTISE, MODELING,ANDSIMULATION CAPABILITIES, ORACCESSTOTHOSECAPABILITIES, TOSUPPORT THEEVALUATION OFLICENSING APPLICATIONS FORCOMMERCIAL ADVANCED NUCLEARREACTORS ANDRESEARCH ANDTESTREACTORS,INCLUDING APPLICATIONS THATUSE ALTERNATIVE COOLANTS ORALTERNATIVEFUELS,OPERATEATORNEAR ATMOSPHERIC

PRESSURE, ANDUSEPASSIVESAFETYSTRATEGlES (NEIMA Section 103(e)(4)(C))

Forthepurpose ofthis section ofthereport, theNRChasfocused onthefollowing technologies:

light-water small modular reactors; non-LWRs,including high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs),liquid metal fast reactors (e.g.,

sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs)),

andmolten salt reactors (MSRs);

andmicroreactors.

Aspartofaholistic effort toensure the NRChasaccess toadequate expertise, modeling, andsimulation capabilities tosupport the NRCstaff's evaluation ofcommercial advanced reactor license applications andresearch and test reactors (RTRs),

theNRChastaken steps toaugmentexisting capabilities inthefollowing areas:

e NRCstaff training andknowledge management e

acquiring anddeveloping analytical tools Givenavailable resources andthepotentially long lead times foradding capability toexisting computer codes,theNRC'splanning isbased onacurrent understanding ofindustry plans.

Changes intheadvanced reactor landscape ordevelopers' accelerated efforts could result ina needtorevise thepriorities assigned toaugmenting analytical tools.

Inparticular,theNRChas verylimited expertise onfusion energy.

Atpresent, theNRCstaff isworking with theDOE Office ofFusion EnergySciences staff andinteracting with stakeholders todevelopknowledge andcapabilities.

TheNRChasadequate staffing andexpertise toaddress its current advancedreactor activities anddoesnotexpect staffing tobeachallenge forreviewing anticipated future advanced reactor licensing applications.

IAPStrategy 1focuses onstaff development andknowledge management andsupports theobjective ofenhancing advanced reactor technical readiness.

Asdescribed

below, theNRChastaken substantial actions toincrease NRCstaff knowledge of advanced reactors andtheuseofrisk-informed andperformance-based licensing approaches.

TheNRCalsohasassessed thestaff's technical readiness andidentified andfilled critical skills necessary toreview advanced reactor applications.

TheNRCstaff hasalsoincreased its capability andcapacity toaccelerate development ofregulations andguidance.

Theseefforts will continue aspartofthenormal management ofagency programs.

TheNRChascontracted with experts fromnational laboratories todevelop andprovide training onvarious technology

types, including anMSRtraining coursedeveloped andprovided byOak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL),

SFRtraining developed andprovided byArgonne National Laboratory (ANL),

andHTGRtraining developed andprovided byANL.Thetraining materials forthese courses havebeenmadepublicly available, andthetraining wasvideo recorded to facilitate training additional staff asneeded.

Further, several staff membershavereceived more specialized training intheuseoftheDOE'sMultiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) code,GRIFFIN neutron

physics, Grizzly structural analysis code,and BISONfuel performance code.TheDOENuclear Energy Advanced Modeling andSimulation (NEAMS) project actively develops these codes.

6

The NRC staff hasalsocollaborated onaseries ofinternal seminars onadvanced reactor technical andregulatorytopics suchasprobabilistic risk assessment, microreactors, and accident source terms.TheNRCstaff hasbegunleveraging NRCinternal tools torecord this information and provide ittoawider NRCstaff audience.

TheNRCstaff will continue toassess andfulfill training needstofacilitate reviews ofanticipated technologies using a variety oflicensing processes.

Inaddition tothetraining available on various advancedreactor technologies, online andinstructor-led course material isavailable on RTRtechnology, oversight, andlicensing.Incoordination withits Technical Training

Center, theNRCalsooffers staff hands-on training onRTRoperation attheUniversity ofTexasat Austin

Training, Research,Isotopes, GeneralAtomics (TRIGA) reactor.

Additional training material isunder development to familiarize staff withRTRtechnology andregulation inthe eventthat advanced reactor developers choosetopursue RTRsaspartoftheir regulatory engagement plans(or licensing project plans).

Significant information isavailable ontechnical, policy,andregulatory issues associated with reviewing andlicensing advanced reactordesigns.

TheNRCstaff hastaken steps toorganize andconsolidate alarge number ofexisting documents andtraining materials tomakethem moreeasily accessible andsearchable andtodevelop additional knowledge management resources asneeded tosupport staff development.

In March 2019,thestaff completed

areport, "Advanced Non-Light-Water Reactors Materials andOperational Experience" (Ref.

22),

summarizing theavailable domestic andinternational operational experience forbothadvanced powerandresearch reactors with regard tomaterials andstructural performance.

Thereport focuses onSFRsandHTGRsandpresents valuable knowledge tosupport NRCstaff development andreadiness activities inthis area.

Additionally, theNRCstaff contracted withBrookhaven National Laboratory todevelopareport, "NRCRegulatory History ofNon-Light WaterReactors (1950-2019)"

(Ref. 23), that comprehensively describes theNRC'shistory with advanced reactor technology.

Thisreport hasandwill continue toassist theNRCstaff inunderstanding thehistory ofadvanced reactor technologies andwill facilitate future reviews ofthese technologies.

Inaddition, the NRC has contracts inplace withmanyofthenational laboratories tosupplement staff knowledge, support development ofregulatory infrastructure, andsupport future application reviews.

TheNRCentered into twoMOUswiththeDOEontheproposed Versatile TestReactor atIdaho National Laboratory andontheNuclear Energy Innovation andCapabilities Acttoshare technical expertise andknowledge andtoensure that theNRChassufficient technical expertise toreview advanced reactor licensing applications.

TheNRCplans toobserve andparticipate in theDOE'sVersatile TestReactor safety review teamtocontinue toexpand staff knowledge and capacity toconduct regulatory reviews offuture advanced reactor licensing applications.

The NRCandtheDOEarealsocollaborating with theU.S.Department ofDefense (DOD) on microreactor

research, development, anddemonstration toguide interagency cooperation on DOD-sponsored fixed-site andmobile microreactor activities.

Currently, theNRCstaff haslimited expertise related tofusion energy.

TheNRCexpects that manyoftheregulatory enhancements underway fornon-LWRs will inform strategies forthe licensing offusion energy systems andNRChasformed aworking group toenhance its expertise inthis area.TheNRCandtheDOE'sOffice ofFusion Energy Sciences haveinitiated routine interactions todevelop longer termstrategies forthereview ofpossible fusion energy

systems, andtheDOEisproviding expertise andadvice.

Inaddition totheDOE,theNRCis 7

interacting with fusion developers, theindustry-led Fusion Industry Association, andtheStates through theConference ofRadiation Control Program Directors.

TheNRChasheldpublic meetings toexchange information onitsdevelopment ofaregulatory framework forthereview andpossible licensing offusion energy systems.

TheNRCwill needtoexpand expertise in termsofboth staff andsimulationcapabilities tosupport this regulatory framework.

Near-term IAPStrategy 2isdevoted toacquiring anddeveloping adequate computer codesand tools toperform non-LWR regulatory reviews.

Modeling andsimulation ofmanynon-LWR designs involve certain physical processes andphenomena that either donotoccurinLWRsor occurinregimes outside those well understood forexisting designs.

Therefore, theNRCstaff hascompleted efforts to(1) identify and evaluate theexisting computer

codes, tools, and supporting information; (2) identifygaps inboth analytical capabilities andsupporting information anddata;and(3) interactwith domestic andinternational organizations working on non-LWRtechnologies toidentify opportunities tocollaborate andcooperate inclosing thegaps while avoiding conflicts ofinterest.

Thestaff has alsomadesignificant progress infilling these gaps.

TheNRCstaff hasdocumented its continuing approach for developing computer codes ina series ofrecently published reports.

Theintroductory document (Ref.

24) gives anoverview of andtherationale fortheNRC'sapproach tocode development insupportofadvanced reactor reviews.

Volume1(Ref.

25) focuses onin-reactor andplant systems analyses;Volume2(Ref.

26) focuses onfuel performance analyses; Volume3(Ref.

27) focuses onanalyses ofsevere accidents that mayleadtorelease ofradioactive materials andoffsite consequences; Volume 4

(Ref.

28) focuses onlicensing andsiting doseassessments; andVolume 5(Ref.

29) focuses on criticality andshielding analyses forthefront andbackendsofthenuclear fuelcycle.

NRCstaff efforts related tosafety analysis codeshaveconcentrated onensuring theNRChas adequate capabilities toevaluate thebroad spectrum ofaccident scenarios for designs expected tobesubmitted forreview, including gas-cooled, liquid

metal, moltensalt, andheat pipe-cooled reactor designs.

Duetothecomplexities involved inhowdifferent designs formulate their safety

strategy, there isavarying emphasis oninteraction between safety analyses forplant

systems, fuel performance, andconsequence analysis.

Further, the technological maturity ofthese designs

differs, andtheprojected timelines for application submittals totheNRCcontinue toevolve.

TheNRCstaff hasallocated resources for modeling andsimulation capabilities basedonthese factors.

Aspartoftheeffort involved inidentifying andselecting these computer codes,theNRCstaff alsoevaluated whereexisting capabilities andvalidation areneededfornon-LWRapplications.

TheNRChasanMOUwiththeDOEthat provides NRCaccess toDOEcodesforregulatory purposes (Ref.

30).

TheDOEhasprimary responsibility forgenerically applicable code development, verification, andvalidation activities fortheNEAMScodes.

TheNRChasthus focused itsefforts ondeveloping modelsusing DOEcodestotest their efficacy fordifferent designs andtoidentify whereadditional efforts onthecodesmayberequired, aswell as augmenting NRCcodeswheretheyareappropriate forthetaskathand.Continued efforts to close technical gapsbetween theexisting anddesired codecapabilities include areassuchas augmenting material property databases, adding additional modeling options toreflect design safety solutions thatnon-LWRapplicants areexpected

tochoose, andvalidating thecodes using testdata.

8

The proposed codesuite fornon-LWRsafety analysis ofin-reactor andplant systemsmakes use ofexisting NRCcodeswherepractical andintegrates themwith several codesdeveloped through theDOE'sNEAMSprogram into theComprehensive Reactor Analysis Bundle(CRAB).

Useof the NEAMS codeshelps fill modelling andanalysis gapsintheNRC'scodeswhichhave been developed overthedecades tolargely support operating reactor fleet safety analyses.

This "BlueCRAB" codesuite consists ofaselection ofNRCcodes(e.g.,

SCALEreactor

physics, criticality

safety, radiation shieldingcode,PARCSreactor coresimulator code,TRACEthermal hydraulics in-reactor and plant system code,andFASTfuel performance code),

updated and usedwithin their demonstrated ranges ofapplicability, coupled with asetofDOEcodes(e.g.,

MAMMOTH reactor physics code,Pronghornthermal hydraulics code,BISON,SAMreactor transient analysis code,and Nek5000 computational fluid dynamics code).

Thesecodes are interconnected byMOOSE, which provides ahigh-level interface andcoupling forcomputational analysis.

BlueCRAB isfurther augmented byaninternationally developed cross-section and burnup code(SERPENT) anda commercial computational fluid dynamics code(FLUENT).

The BlueCRAB suite ofcodeswasselected toperform analyses onawiderangeofnon-LWR

designs, including SFR,HTGR,MSR, and microreactor designs.

Through theestablishment of aMOUbetween theNRCandtheDOE's National Reactorinnovation Center (NRIC),

theNRC anticipates being abletoutilize computer code models developedthrough NRICtoaugmentthe analytical capabilities oftheNRC's BlueCRAB suite ofcodes.ThisMOUresults incostsavings totheNRC.

Forfuel performance

analyses, which focus onspecific phenomena that maydiffer foreachfuel

concept, theNRCstaff hascontinued todevelop its ownFAST code.FASTalready includes manyofthephysics models andmaterial properties needed to analyze non-LWRfuel forms.

TheNRCstaff hasidentified andundertaken efforts toclosegaps between thecodecapability andtheneeded capability forreviewing non-LWRdesigns, focusing ontristructural isotropic (TRISO)-fuel andmetallic fuel toaccommodate near-term interestin SFRs, HTGRs,andheat pipe-cooled reactors.

Additionally, theNRCstaff, working closely with the NEAMS BISONfuel performance codedevelopment team,havebecomeproficient inusingBISON, andseveral BISONmodels havebeenincorporated into theFASTcode.This collaboration andtheNRC staff's ability tousetheBISONcodehaveresulted inadditional fuel performance analysis capability that will support theNRC'ssafety analyses foralladvanced fuel types and reactors.

Inevaluating severeaccidents andoffsite consequences, theNRCstaff hasidentified areas to expandtheNRC'smodeling andsimulation capabilities foraccident progression, source term, andconsequence analysis fornon-LWRtechnologies.

Theseefforts involve three NRC computer codes.

Thefirst isMELCOR,theNRCcodedeveloped bySandia National Laboratories andusedforaccident progression andsource termanalyses.

MELCORisalso usedinternationally andthroughout thenuclear industry forcalculating source termsandiswell validated forLWRdesigns.

TheNRCstaff hasdeveloped alist ofspecific dataandmodel needstoupdate thecodeforuseacross avariety ofnon-LWRdesigns.

Thestaff hasprioritized making updates tothecodebasedonthedegree ofchanges required within MELCORcoupled withthetechnological maturity ofthenon-LWRreactor designs.

Thesecond codeisSCALE,a reactor

physics, criticality

safety, radiation shielding codedeveloped byORNL.MELCORrelies ontheSCALEcodetoprovide fission product andradionuclide inventories aswell asreactor thermal andkinetics parameters.

TheNRCstaff hasidentified additional dataandvalidation tasks neededandisupdating SCALEforuseacross aspectrum ofnon-LWRtechnology types.

Thethird codeistheMELCORAccident Consequence CodeSystem(MACCS).

MACCSis usedtomodelatmospheric releases ofradioactive materials into theenvironment andthe consequences ofsuchreleases.

Ithasalong, active development history andabroad user base,including theNRC,theDOE,thenuclear

industry, academia, anddomestic and 9

international research organizations.

WhileMACCSislargely technology neutral inapplication, the NRC haspreviouslyvalidated itsuseforlarge releases fromlarge LWRs.TheNRCstaff hasidentified andisintheprocess ofperforming evaluations ofMACCS'ability toaccount for smallersites andthepotential different chemical andradionuclide makeupofnon-LWRdesigns.

Forthe licensing and doseassessmentcodes, theNRCstaff hasidentified several codes to support dose assessments forinitial licensing

reviews, National Environmental Policy Act

reviews, siting

reviews, emergency

response, andother health physics calculations unique to non-LWR technologies.

The NRCstaff hasdeveloped astrategy forupdating, consolidating, andapplying thesuite of NRC licensing andsiting doseassessment codesinorder tobetter evaluate non-LWR designs.

The strategy isgenerally oriented toward generic activities that benefit allnon-LWRs designs; however, theNRCstaff hasidentified knownissues forspecific technologies andisaddressingthem.

Specific tasks theNRCiscurrently undertaking include (1) codeconsolidation andmodernization; (2) source termdetermination accounting fornormal (routine) reactor coolant source

terms, accident source terms,andtransportation source terms; (3) atmospheric transport anddispersion modeling toinclude near-field atmospheric transport anddispersion modeling updates; (4) selection ofdosecoefficients;and(5) aquatic

pathway, environmental accumulation, andhumanand non-human biota consequence

modeling, including tritium andcarbon-14 modeling.

TheNRCstaff hasdeveloped aplantoevaluate thenuclear fuel cycle (e.g.,

transportation of materials usedtomanufacture

fuel, fuel fabrication operations, andspentfuel storage and transportation) fornon-LWRapplications.

Thegoalistounderstand,

control, andpredict the behavior ofsystems that contain radioactive material.

Thisis accomplished using neutronics andradionuclide characterization computer codesthat are fast,portable, well

assessed, understood, andeasy-to-use.

Theplanleverages existing NRCcomputer codes(i.e.,

SCALE andMELCOR) andconsequence tools suchasMACCStoestablishNRC non-LWR fuel cycle safety analysis capabilities.

Aspreviously discussed, theNRCstaff continues tointeract withtheDOE,the Electric Power Research institute (EPRI),

national laboratories, reactor developers, utilities, and the international community related tocomputer

codes, analytical

tools, andadvanced reactor fuel qualification.

Asmentioned, theNRChasanMOUwiththeDOE,andtheNRCandDOE staff collaborate extensively onthedevelopment andusageoftheNEAMSandBlueCRAB codes.

InMay2019,EPRIsubmitted atopical report totheNRCintended toprovide afoundational basis forestablishing thefuel performance ofTRISOparticles.

Thisreport isunique inthat it provides ajustification forfuel performance independent ofthefinal fuel formorreactor design.

Thereport represents thefirst stageinqualifying fuel foraTRISO-based reactor design and lays thegroundwork formultiple advanced reactor vendors tosupport qualification oftheir respective fuel designs.

TheNRCstaff issued its final safety evaluation (Ref.

31) approving the topical report inAugust 2020.Topical Report EPRI-AR-1(NP)-A, "Uranium Oxycarbide (UCO)

Tristructural Isotropic (TRISO)-Coated Particle FuelPerformance,"

issued November 2020(Ref.

32),

isnowapproved foruseinfuture licensing actions.

Also,inMay2019,ANLsubmitted atopical report totheNRCdescribing thequality assurance program planforSFRmetallic fuel dataqualification.

Thetopical report describes thequality assurance process(es) bywhichattributes ofhistorical, analytical, andother dataassociated withSFRmetallic fuel will beevaluated.

TheNRCstaff issued itsfinal safety evaluation (Ref.

33) approving thetopical report inApril 2020.Topical

Report, "Quality Assurance Program Plan 10

for SFR MetallicFuelDataQualification ANL/NE-16/17-NP-A,"

issued October 2020(Ref.

34),

is now approved foruseinfuture licensing actions.

Aspart of arelated effort under NEIMA,theNRCstaff isintheprocess ofdeveloping guidance related to the qualification ofadvanced nuclear reactor fuel.

NRCstaff efforts havebeen informed by interactions amonganextensive group ofexternal stakeholders, including the Working Group on theSafetyofAdvanced Reactors through theNuclear Energy

Agency, ORNL,ANL,and the industry-led Accelerated FuelQualification Working

Group, amongothers.

Fuel qualification isimportant indemonstrating that fuel behaves asestablished inthe applicable licensing

basis, andtheNRCstaff will continue toengageexternal stakeholders to ensure ithasadequateexpertise tosupport theevaluation ofcommercial advanced reactor fuel.

THEBUDGETSANDTIMEFRAMES FORAQUIRINGORACCESSING THENECESSARY EXPERTISE TOSUPPORT THE EVALUATION OFLICENSEAPPLICATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTORS ANDRESEARCH ANDTEST REACTORS(NEIMA Section 103(e)(4)(D))

Asdiscussed intheAdvanced Reactor Vision and Strategy Document andIAPs,theNRCplans toachieve its overarching advanced reactorreadiness strategicgoals andobjectives bynolater than2025,including assuring readiness toeffectively andefficiently review andregulate advanced reactors toensure safety.

Aspreviously mentioned, currently theNRCstaff has limited expertise related tofusion

energy, andtheNRC has initiated routine interactions with DOE,thefusion

industry, Agreement

States, andotherstakeholders toexpand itsexpertise with fusion technologies.

TheNRCstaff hasimplemented strategies for enhancing commercial advanced reactor andRTRtechnical readiness tofulfill the near-term objectives ofidentifying workrequirements, critical

skills, andstaff capacity requirements; assessing theNRCstaff's current advanced reactor technical readiness; andclosing gapsintechnical readiness. The NRCstaff hasaccelerated readiness activities toprepare toreview potential advanced reactor applications andwill continue toassess technical readiness andidentify critical skillstoexpand itscapability andcapacity, asneeded.

NRCefforts arefocused ontechnology-inclusive capabilities forNRCcodes, and on enhancing understanding andregulatory readiness related totechnologies andmaterials anticipated tobe proposed foruseinadvanced reactors.

TheNRCexpects that itsreviews will become more effective andefficient asits codesandexpertise evolve andmature.Ifadditional fundsare neededforcodedevelopment foremergent

designs, suchfunding wouldbesought through the budget process.

COSTESTIMATES,BUDGETS,ANDTIMEFRAMES FORDEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A TECHNOLOGY-INCLUSIVE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK,INCLUDING COMPLETION OFA RULEMAKING(NEIMA Section 103(e)(3))

TheNRCstaff will develop atechnology-inclusive regulatory framework andwill provide adraft Final RuletotheCommission inMarchof2024,toallow forpublication ofthefinal ruleby October 2024.Thestaff's timeline forthecompletion oftherule, including specific milestones, isoutlined inthestaff response toSRM-SECY-20-0032 (Ref.

19).

TheNRCexpects a

consistent level ofoff-fee basedfunding.

Thosefunds will beusedtocontinue efforts related to thedevelopment ofrisk-informed andperformance-based evaluation techniques andguidance forlicensing commercial advanced nuclear reactors.

Ifadditional funds areneeded toensure publication ofthePart 53final rule byOctober 2024,suchfunding wouldbesought through the budget process.

Toprepare forthereview ofpotential near-term applications, theNRCstaff 11

prioritized activitiestoincrease theuseoftechnology-inclusive, risk-informed, andperformance-based licensing approacheswithin theexisting regulatory framework, andthese activities continue toinform Part53development.

CONCLUSION TheAdvancedReactor VisionandStrategy Document hasguided thedevelopment ofIAPsthat support the achievement oftheagency's overarching strategic goals andobjectives, including ensuring readiness to review andregulate advanced reactors effectively andefficiently to ensure safety.

TheAdvanced Reactor Vision andStrategy

Document, related IAPs,and subsequent status papers(e.g. SECY-21-0010) describe theobjectives, strategies, and contributing activities necessary toachieve advanced reactor mission readiness.

Theenactment ofNEIMAandsubsequent direction fromtheCommission haveaccelerated the NRCstaff's efforts todevelop thenew regulatory frameworkforoptional usebyapplicants in licensing commercial advanced nuclear reactor technologies (10 CFRPart53).

TheNRCstaff initiated extensive stakeholder interactions through theiterative release ofpreliminary proposed rule language andaseries ofdedicated public meetings onPart 53aswell asregular engagement with theACRS.These interactions have informed thedevelopment ofPart53.

TheNRCwill continue tointeract withtheDOEand other stakeholders togather information to inform thedevelopment ofPart 53aswell asother NRC advanced reactor readiness activities.

TheNRChasimplemented activities totrain

staff, isenhancing safety analysis codes,and continues tointeract withexternal experts tobest facilitate access toadequate expertise,

modeling, andsimulation capabilities tosupport theNRCstaff's review oflicense applications forcommercial advanced nuclear reactor designs.

Asthere areawide variety ofnon-LWR

designs, theNRCstaff hasprioritized itsefforts basedonthe advanced reactor landscape considering anticipated licensing submittals onthenear-andlong-termhorizons.

Asthis landscape

evolves, theNRCstaff will continue toassess its technical readiness andaccessto expertise,

modeling, andsimulation capabilities tobestposition theagency to review commercial advanced reactor license applications ofnon-LWRdesigns.

12

ACRONYMS ACRS AdvisoryCommittee onReactor Safeguards AEA AtomicEnergy Actof1954,asamended ANL Argonne National Laboratory CANDU Canadian Deuterium Uranium CFR Code ofFederalRegulations CRAB Comprehensive Reactor Analysis Bundle DOE U.S. Department ofEnergy EPRI Electric Power Research Institute FAST Fuel Analysis under Steady-state andTransients FR Federal Register HTGR high-temperature gas-cooled reactor IAP implementation action plan LWR light water reactor MACCS MELCORAccident Consequence CodeSystem MHTGR modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactor MOOSE Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment MOU memorandum ofunderstanding MSR molten salt reactor NEAMS Nuclear Engineering Advanced Modeling andSimulation NElMA Nuclear Energy Innovation andModernization Act Non-LWR non-light waterreactor NRC U.S.Nuclear Regulatory Commission ORNL OakRidge National Laboratory PARCS PurdueAdvanced Reactor CoreSimulator PIUS Process Inherent Ultimate Safety PRISM PowerReactor Innovative Small Module RTR research andtest reactor SAM SystemAnalysis Module SCALE Standardized Computer Analyses forLicensing Evaluation SFR sodium-cooled fast reactor SRM staff requirements memorandum TRACE TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine TRIGA

Training, Research,

Isotopes, General Atomics TRISO tristructural isotropic 13

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16