ML24103A051
| ML24103A051 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/12/2024 |
| From: | Bernie White Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML24103A051 (1) | |
Text
NRC Perspectives on Micro-Reactor Spent Fuel Management
NEI Used Fuel Management Conference Bernard White Senior Project Manager Division of Fuel Management U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
1 Purpose
- Provide an over view and regulatory considerations for post-operation stages of micro-reactor deployment lifecycle
- Discuss the importance and benefit of timely p re-application engagements in the regulatory process
2 Micro-Reactor Deployment Lifecycle
NRC issued S EC Y 0008, Micro -Reactor Licensing and Deployment Considerations:
Fuel Loading and Operational Testing at a Factory
3 Considerations for Storing Spent Fuel from a Micro-Reactor
- How spent fuel is stored may determine how it is licensed - see definition of spent fuel in 10 CFR 72.3
- Cooled at least 1 year
- Withdrawn from reactor
- Storage location or co-located facilities may determine type of license
4 Considerations for Transporting Spent Micro-Reactors
- Evaluate transportation safety concurrently with reactor safety
- Features to preclude criticality
- Alternate package approvals
- Alternate environmental and test conditions (§71.41(c))
- Exemptions
- Department of Transportation co-regulates radioactive material transport:
Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 173, Subpart I, Class 7 (Radioactive) Materials
5 Importance of Pre-Application Engagements
- Provide NRC with knowledge on specific designs and technologies
- Enhances quality of applications and review efficiency
- Helps NRC to understand future needs and inform its budget
- Ensures shared understanding of
- the applicable requirements
- review approach and
- whether data gaps exist (e. g., testing) that need to be addressed, as these may be the critical path, impacting the overall schedule
- Allows NRC to schedule application reviews
- DFM Division Instruction LIC -FM-1: Expectations of the Certification and Licensing ProcessOver view and
6 Closing Remarks
- NRC is ready to review applications for micro-reactors
- NRC regulatory framework is adequate for approving transportable micro-reactors
- Package approval method could be reactor dependent
- NRC is aware of numerous transportable microreactor designs but has not had pre-application engagement on most of them
7 References
- Micro -reactors Licensing Strategies,andML23264A803 ( ML23264A802
- Project Pele Risk-informed Methodology (ML23268A331)
- Draft Methodology Review Evaluation for Project Pele risk-informed methodology ( ML23296A083)
- Summary Report of the 711th Meeting of ACRS December 6-7, 2023, (ML23354A012)
- N RC Advanced Reactor Webpage
- LIC-FMCertification and Licensing Process-1: Overview and Expectations of the
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