ML25085A085
| ML25085A085 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/27/2025 |
| From: | Katie Wagner NRC/NRR/DANU/UAL1 |
| To: | Michael Wentzel Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| Download: ML25085A085 (8) | |
Text
March 27, 2025 MEMORANDUM TO:
Michael Wentzel, Chief Advanced Reactor Policy Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Katherine Wagner, Project Manager /RA/
Advanced Reactor Licensing Branch 1 Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF MARCH 2, 2023, PERIODIC ADVANCED REACTOR STAKEHOLDER PUBLIC MEETING On March 2, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held an information meeting with a question-and-answer session with stakeholders to discuss advanced reactor topics including:
Update on SCALE/MELCOR Advanced Reactor Source Term Demonstration Project Advanced Reactor Construction Oversight Program (ARCOP)
Advance Contracting Requirement Under Section 302(b) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act Micro-Reactor Deployment Policy Topics Transportation and Storage for Advanced Reactor Fuel and Transportable Micro-Reactors Guidance for Reviewing a Non-Power Liquid Fueled Molten Salt Reactor License Application Pre-Application Engagement on Materials Qualification Issues for Advanced Reactor Licensing Advanced Reactor Materials Interim Staff Guidance Status of Two Draft Regulatory Guides on Risk-Informed Performance-Based Seismic Design and Seismic Isolation for Commercial Nuclear Powerplants The meeting notice is available in the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at Accession No. ML23054A456, and the presentation slides are available under Accession No. ML23059A457. The Enclosure to this summary provides the attendees for the meeting as captured by Microsoft Teams.
CONTACT: Katherine Wagner, NRR/DANU 301-415-6202
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For each topic listed above, the NRC staff provided information and allotted time for stakeholder comments and questions. Stakeholders provided feedback on several topics and asked clarifying questions. NRC staff stated that the feedback was appreciated. No follow-up actions were identified.
The NRC staff provided information regarding recent highlights of the advanced reactor program and invited the public to browse further information now available at the Integrated Review Schedule Dashboard.
The NRC staff presented an update on its public workshops that described new SCALE and MELCOR capabilities for non-light-water-reactor accident analysis and presented sample simulations for heat-pipe, high-temperature gas-cooled, fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature, molten-salt-fueled, and sodium-cooled fast reactor types. The NRC staff also discussed its plan for targeted model improvements that were being developed and demonstrated in 2023.
The NRC staff provided an overview of its efforts to begin development of an advanced reactor construction oversight program. The goal of ARCOP is to develop the best oversight program possible that ensures safety and security, considers the diversity of technology and its risk profile, adapts to facility-specific insights, and leverages the NRC staffs collective experience, while remaining adaptable to respond to future opportunities and challenges. Key considerations for ARCOP development include the reactor technology attributes, manufacturing and construction techniques, and the licensing pathway. The ARCOP will address each aspect of an effective oversight program (i.e.,inspection, enforcement, and assessment). The NRC staff presented a timeline for development of the program including beginning to identify policy issues and guidance in calendar year 2023 to support near term applicants proposed construction schedules. The NRC staff made a subsequent presentation regarding the ARCOP program at the June 7, 2023, Periodic Advanced Reactor Stakeholder Public Meeting (Slides 82-93, ML23157A018).
A member of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the NRC staff provided a joint presentation on advance contracting requirements under section 302(b) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA). The presentation was provided in response to a request for such a discussion during a previous advanced reactor stakeholder meeting. The DOE representative provided an overview of the requirement that licensed owners or generators of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) or high-level waste (HLW) have a contract with the Secretary of Energy for the disposal of such waste. The DOE representative provided contact information for questions related to these contracting requirements. The NRC representative provided an overview of the guidance and safety evaluations that document the staffs review associated with compliance with Section 302(b) of the NWPA.
The NRC staff presented on factory-fabricated micro-reactor licensing and deployment topics that it was considering for inclusion in a draft white paper. The purpose of the presentation was to inform stakeholders of the topics currently under consideration and obtain feedback on whether there are additional topics that the NRC staff should consider in the near term. The NRC staff provided background on previous NRC papers addressing micro-reactor topics, including SECY-20-0093, Policy and Licensing Considerations Related to Micro-Reactors (ML20254A363), and a draft white paper titled, Micro-reactors Licensing Strategies (ML21328A189). The NRC staff described each topic under consideration and explained that the NRC staff would further develop the list of topics based on stakeholder feedback and identify potential policy issues that would require the staff to engage with the Commission.
Stakeholders provided feedback on several of the topics and encouraged the NRC staff to
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consider micro-reactor deployment and licensing topics more broadly because some of the topics may be important to developers of larger advanced reactors or small modular reactors.
The NRC staff provided a brief presentation on draft guidance for reviewing licensing applications for a non-power liquid fueled molten salt reactor. The draft guidance was developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and follows the format and structure of NUREG-1537, Part 1, Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-Power Reactors:
Format and Contents (ML042430055) and NUREG-1537, Part 2, Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-Power Reactors: Standard Review Plan and Acceptance Criteria (ML042430048). The NRC staff made the report available on the NRC public website in Summer 2020 (ML20219A771). The NRC staff is currently considering options to issue the draft guidance for use by applicants and the NRC staff.
The NRC staff presented on the importance of pre-application engagement of materials qualification. The NRC staff summarized key issues to be addressed as part of pre-application engagement and encouraged prospective applicants for advanced reactor designs to consider these issues as part of future pre-application activities.
The NRC staff presented the Advanced Reactor Materials ISG. This ISG provides guidance to ensure consistency and clarity for reviewing applications using materials allowed under the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III, Rules for the Construction of Nuclear Facility Components, Division 5, High Temperature Reactors. With the exception of irradiation, temperature effects, and oxidation on graphite, the 2017 edition of ASME Section III, Division 5, does not address material compatibility issues in high temperature reactors. The public comment period ended on May 8, 2023 and a public version of the document (ML23234A233) was presented to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards on August 23, 2023. A Federal Register notice was issued February 16, 2024 (89 FR 12383), regarding the final issuance of DANU-interim staff guidance 2023-01, Material Compatibility for non-Light Water Reactors (ML23188A178).
Mr. Stamatakos (Southwest Research Institute) provided a presentation on the status of the NRC staffs development of two seismic draft Regulatory Guides (RGs). In October 2022, the NRC published the pre-decisional draft guide on Technology-Inclusive, Risk-Informed, and Performance-Based Methodology for Seismic Design of Commercial Nuclear Plants (ML22276A149) and the pre-decisional draft guide on Seismically Isolated Nuclear Plants (ML22276A154). The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) provided comments on these two documents in December 2022. Mr. Stamatakos discussed the changes to Draft RG-1410 and Draft RG-1307 since publication of the pre-decisional guides and presented a full accounting on the resolution of NEI comments. The advanced reactor stakeholder meeting on October 25, 2023, included a presentation with updated information about these draft RGs, including the plans and schedule (Slides 7-14, ML23337A001).
To see information regarding previously held periodic advanced reactor stakeholder public meetings, please visit the NRCs public website at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced/get-involved/meetings.html.
Please direct any inquires to Katherine Wagner at 301-415-6202 or via email at Katie.Wagner@nrc.gov.
Enclosure:
Attendance List
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SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF MARCH 2, 2023, PERIODIC ADVANCED REACTOR STAKEHOLDER PUBLIC MEETING DATED: MARCH 27, 2025 DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC RidsNrrDanu Resource RidsNrrDanuUarp Resource MWentzel, NRR KWagner, NRR MAudrain, NRR WKennedy, NRR ADAMS Accession Number: ML25085A085 NRC-001 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UAL1/PM NRR/DANU/UARP/BC NRR/DANU/UAL1/PM NAME KWagner MWentzel KWagner DATE 3/26/2025 3/27/2025 3/27/2025 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Enclosure Periodic Advanced Reactor Stakeholder Public Meeting Attendance List*
March 2, 2023 Name Organization Ben Adams U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Meg Audrain NRC Courtney Banks NRC Bob Beall NRC Benjamin Beasley NRC Brian Bettes NRC Eric Bowman NRC Alex Chereskin NRC Samuel Cuadrado de Jesus NRC Amy Cubbage NRC Candace de Messieres NRC Robert Fisher NRC Ossy Font NRC Norma Garcia Santos NRC Ramon Gascot Lozada NRC Joseph Giacinto NRC Anders Gilbertson NRC Matthew Gordon NRC Vladimir Graizer NRC Nicolas Hansing NRC Jordan Hoellman NRC Rick Jervey NRC William Jessup NRC Steve Jones NRC Ian Jung NRC William Kennedy NRC Huan Li NRC Steven Lynch NRC Chris Markley NRC Lauren Mayros NRC Carrie McCann NRC Tim McCartin NRC Adrian Muniz NRC Jinsuo Nie NRC Greg Oberson NRC Phil O'Bryan NRC James O'Driscoll NRC Stephen Philpott NRC Jose Pires NRC Andrew Proffitt NRC William Reckley NRC
David Rudland NRC Jason Schaperow NRC Dogan Seber NRC Joseph Sebrosky NRC John Segala NRC Mohamed Shams NRC Belkys Sosa NRC Zee St Hilaire NRC Marty Stutzke NRC Dinesh Taneja NRC Scott Tonsfeldt NRC Boyce Travis NRC Katie Wagner NRC Weijun Wang NRC Robert Weisman NRC Michael Wentzel NRC Bernie White NRC Donna Williams NRC Michael Kido U.S. Department of Energy Frank Akstulewicz Public Kati Austgen Public Donald Behnke Public Randy Belles Public Jana Bergman Public Tom Braudt Public Rob Burg Public Brian Burgos Public Travis Chapman Public Ben Chen Public Nilesh Chokshi Public Christopher Chwasz Public Braden Clayton Public Renae Connell Public Bill Corwin Public Luis Cruz Rosado Public Cyril Draffin Public Don Eggett Public Timothy Enfinger Public Jon Facemire Public Thomas Fanning Public Madeline Feltus Public Sarah Fields Public Darrell Gardner Public Charlotte Geiger Public Mark Giles Public Jim Gleason Public
Cyril Draffin Public Don Eggett Public Timothy Enfinger Public Jon Facemire Public Thomas Fanning Public Madeline Feltus Public Sarah Fields Public Darrell Gardner Public Charlotte Geiger Public Mark Giles Public Jim Gleason Public Hans Gougar Public Lee Grzeck Public Matthew Hahn Public Kurt Harris Public Peter Hastings Public Ryan Henderson Public Matt Henrickson Public David Holcomb Public Boris Jeremic Public Ben Jordon Public Philip Keb Public Randy Keefer Public Mike Keller Public Randy Keppeler Public Peter Kissinger Public Palash Kumar Bhowmik Public Svetlana Lawrence Public Sue Lesica Public Diana Li Public DeLeah Lockridge Public Michael Lockwood Public Edwin Lyman Public Matthew Marzano Public Adam Masten Public Brian Mays Public Clint Medlock Public Randall Munsell Public Steven Nesbit Public Marc Nichol Public Ingrid Nordby Public Brandon Norris Public Eric Oesterle Public Trace Orf Public Jay Patel Public Lisa Peterson Public
Alyse Peterson Public Frances Pimentel Public Narasimha Prasad Kadambi Public Emma Redfoot Public Everett Redmond Public Jonathan Rund Public Robert Schaaf Public Farshid Shahrokhi Public Ting-Leung Sham Public Jeff Sharkey Public Charlyne Smith Public Frederick Sock Public Amanda Spalding Public Rick Stadtlander Public John Stamatakos Public Wesley Steh Public Adam Stein Public Eric Thornsbury Public Rodolfo Vaghetto Public Daniel Vetter Public George Wilson Public Michael Wilt Public Bob Wolfgang Public Altheia Wyche Public Joe Yeagler Public Andrew Zach Public
- Attendance list based on Microsoft Teams Participant list (note that the data could be incomplete due to the large number of meeting participants). This list does not include individuals that connected via phone.