ML23335A033

Presentation to Health Physics Community on Navigating the Future Oversight of Fusion Systems

ML23335A033
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Issue date:	11/30/2023
From:	White A NRC/NMSS/DMSST
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Navigating the Future Oversight of Fusion Systems Duncan White Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards November 30, 2023

U.S. Strategic Approach to Fusion:

Bold Decadal Vision

• Objectives:

o Realize an operating fusion pilot plant on a decadal timescale and prepare the path broadly to fusion commercialization and scale-up.

o Leverage fusion technologies to realize transformative civil, defense, and space capabilities and dominance.

o Identify strategic interagency collaborative opportunities.

• Key Basis Documents:

o National Academies of Sciences: Bringing Fusion to the U.S. Grid o U.S. Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committees long range strategic plan 2

Participating Agencies

• Department of Energy o Lead agency in fusion energy R&D and coordinating the path to commercialization

• Department of State o Coordination on international collaborations and cooperation

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission o Fusion regulatory framework, licensing, and public engagement on public safety

• Department of Commerce o Export control and standards

• National Science Foundation o Partnerships on staffing & training and workforce development

• Department of Education o Partnerships on fusion-related educational curricula

• Supporting Agencies: Department of Defense and NASA 3

Legislation and Commission Direction

• The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA; Public Law 115-439) requires NRC to establish a technology inclusive regulatory framework for fusion energy systems by December 31, 2027 o Definition of advanced reactor includes fusion reactor

• On April 13, 2023, the Commission issued SRM-SECY-23-0001 Options for Licensing and Regulating Fusion Energy Systems (ML23103A449) directing the staff to implement a byproduct material approach to regulating near-term fusion energy systems o Modify existing 10 CFR Part 30 to include a Fusion Energy Systems framework o Develop a new volume of NUREG-1556, Consolidated Guidance About Materials Licenses, dedicated to Fusion Energy Systems o If a design presents hazards sufficiently beyond near-term technologies, staff should notify the Commission and make recommendations for appropriate action.

Oversight of fusion systems will be performed by both NRC and Agreement States 4

Characteristics of Near-Term Fusion Systems

• Safety focus of near-term fusion systems will be the control, confinement, and shielding of radioactive material present rather than on the performance and control of the device.

• Near-term fusion systems are expected to have:

o Active engineered features to achieve a self-sustaining fusion reaction o No fissile material present and a self-sustaining neutron chain reaction is not possible o Energy and radioactive material production from fusion reactions cease without any intervention in off-normal events or accident scenarios o Active post shutdown cooling of the fusion device structures containing radioactive material is not necessary to prevent a loss of radiological confinement o Credible accident scenarios from any radionuclides present at the licensed facility are expected to result in low doses to workers and less than 1 rem effective dose equivalent to a member of the public offsite 5

U.S. Academic/Commercial Fusion Landscape

• Fusion Regulation and Regulatory Guidance Needed Now o Several academic/commercial fusion research and development facilities currently licensed by Agreement States o 25 commercial companies currently pursuing fusion in U.S. for energy, heat, propulsion, etc.

o Over $6 billion dollars in private investment o Two commercial companies currently constructing proof of concept fusion system facilities o Tokamak (magnetic) design currently under construction, operational by 2025 (CFS)

License application submitted to Agreement State o Field reverse configuration with magnetic confinement (magneto-inertial) design currently under construction, operational by 2025 (Helion)

Earlier prototype licensed by Agreement State, application for current design expected in 2024 Signed two purchase agreements to provide electricity by 2030 6

Fusion Basics Deuterium - Tritium (D - T)

Deuterium -

Deuterium (D - D)

Deuterium - Helium 3 (D - 3He) 7

Fusion Basics Breeding Blanket Deuterium (2H) Neutron (1n) 1. Shielding:

moderate and Captured in absorb neutrons breeding blanket to shield magnets

2. Heat Capture:

14.1 MeV generate power

3. Tritium breeding:

Make more Exhaust tritium for fuel (Lithium +

neutron) 3.5 MeV Tritium (3H) Helium (4He) 8

Lawson Criteria To initiate a fusion reaction, you must confine the energy long enough in a fuel that is dense enough at a temperature that is high enough. The relationship that quantifies this is called the Lawson criterion.

Sources:

Horvath, A., Rachlew, E. Nuclear power in the 21st century:

Challenges and possibilities. Ambio 45, 38-49 (2016).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-015-0732-y Figure 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawson_criterion 9

Fusion is Hard: Status of the Technology and Performance Challenges 10

Three General Approaches to Fusion Magneto - Inertial Pulsed Inertial Magnetic Pulsed Continuous 11

https://www.iter.org/mach https://www.iter.org/mach https://www.iter.org/mach https://www.iter.org/mach https://www.iter.org/mach https://www.iter.org/mach Commonwealth Fusion Systems

- Devens, MA

SPARC Facility at Commonwealth Fusion Systems https://cfs.energy/technology/sparc

https://www.helionenergy.com/technology/

Challenge - Diversity of Designs and Hazards under One Framework Fusion Reactions (Fuel)

• Deuterium - Tritium (DT) Design Elements

• Deuterium - Helium 3

• Shielding

• Deuterium - Deuterium (DD)

• Breeding Blankets

• Proton - Boron 11

• System Controls (cryogenic, etc.)

• Access Control, etc.

Radiological Hazards

• Tritium Programmatic Elements

• Activation Products

• Radiation Protection

• Neutrons

• Training Fusion Technologies

• Waste Management

• Magnetic

• Accountability, etc.

• Inertial

• Magneto-Inertial 22

Radioactive Material

• Tritium o 10 - 20 grams for R&D o <500 grams for commercial 1 gram of tritium = 9620 curies o HT or HTO is important for dosimetry

• Activation products o Quantity and Type unknown o Highly dependent on selection of materials o Area of extensive research o Mostly in structural materials

• Dust o Quantity and type dependent on inner wall o Small metallic particles from plasma and inner vessel wall interactions o Contains tritium and activation products o Contributor to offsite doses 23

Scope of Fusion Rulemaking Activities Rulemaking:

• Based on 11e.(3) definition in AEA of byproduct material (statutory)

- Radioactive material for research, commercial or medical purposes

- Accelerator-produced

• Limited-scope rulemaking in Title 10, Part 30 of Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 30) to cover only near-term, known fusion energy system designs

- Definitions

- Content-of-application requirements specific to fusion - Use standard Part 30 processes where applicable

- Other fusion-specific requirements, as needed, to address specialized topics

• Agreement State regulations required to be compatible 24

Preliminary Proposed Rule Language Definitions in Parts 20 and 30 Approach for New and Amended Definitions

• Focus on byproduct material and associated radiation

- Emphasis on containing, processing, or controlling radiation and radioactive materials

• Limited to specific components - not facility-wide

• No impact on current licensees

• Enhance regulatory clarity and predictability 25

Preliminary Proposed Rule Language Content of Application in Part 30 Approach for Content of Application

• Supplement existing Part 30 regulations to address fusion system specific application o General description of fusion system o Operating and emergency procedures o Organization structure related to radiation safety o Training o Inspection and Maintenance o Material Inventory 26

Preliminary Proposed Rule Language Content of Application in Part 30 Approach for Content of Application - continued

• Alternative Approach o Radiation safety description of fusion system o Encourage pre-application communications

• Regulations are intended to apply to fusion systems during research and development or commercial deployment

• Issuance of license 27

Preliminary Proposed Rule Language Changes to Part 20 Approach for disposal of fusion systems byproduct material

• New construction materials potentially resulting in activation products consisting of different radionuclides and in different quantities than previously considered

- Waste streams not considered in the development of the Part 61 tables may require disposal

- Staff considering whether applications should include an assessment of the disposal pathway as part of the decommissioning funding plan

• Allow waste from fusion systems to be disposed at existing LLW disposal sites

• Use risk-informed approach based on site-specific intrusion assessment at LLW disposal facility to allow disposal of novel waste streams

- Does not require changes to Part 61

- Does not require changes to other sections and appendices in Part 20

- Consistent with LLW rulemaking currently underway 28

Scope of Fusion Rulemaking Activities

• Licensing Guidance:

o New NUREG-1556 licensing volume o Well established structure - 21 volumes o Focus on topics that distinguish fusion from other uses of radioactive materials o Address range of fusion technologies o Technology-inclusive o Scale safety requirements o Use standard content from guidance documents to the extent possible o NRC, Agreement State, and DOE o No other licensing guidance development anticipated o Agreement State guidance required to be compatible

• Other Related Activities:

o Technology-specific implementation o Inspection guidance o Training for NRC and Agreement State staff o Public Outreach 29

Challenges - Regulatory and Guidance Development Several regulatory and safety issues need to be addressed during the rulemaking and guidance development process

• Sharing design approvals across the National Materials Program

• Composition of materials used in fusion systems o Area of active research to minimize production of activation products and minimize radiation damage o Radionuclides and quantities affect source term for emergency preparedness evaluation, decommissioning costs, waste disposal, maintenance and inspection protocols, etc.

• Radiation safety o Shielding of high energy neutrons and production of photons and x-rays o Dosimetry considerations for gaseous tritium v. tritiated water (HTO) v. special tritiated products o Worker protection during maintenance of vacuum vessel o Tritium handling systems and containment of tritium contamination 30

Engagement and Outreach Leverage Existing Diverse Stakeholder Engagement Timeframe Communication Avenues

• Start of official rulemaking Engagement

• State-Tribal

• Middle of draft development

• Agreement States Communication letters

• After publication of proposed

• Tribal Nations

• Government-to- rule (official public comment

• CRCPD Government meetings period)

• OAS

• Public Meetings Meetings as needed

• Federal Agencies

• User Groups

• Fusion Industry Association

• Professional Associations Leverage Existing Regulatory Build Capabilities and

• Utilities Experience Knowledge

• Universities

• Agreement States

• Workshops

• International community

• Office of Regulatory Research (RES)

• Seminars

• Non-Government

• Department of Energy (DOE) Organizations

• ARPA-E

• Training

• Standards Development

• Staff rotations/details Organizations (ASME, ANS)

• International 31

Thank You!

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