1、STP-NU-072SMALL MODULAR REACTOR (SMR) ROADMAPSTP-NU-072 SMALL MODULAR REACTOR (SMR) ROADMAP Prepared by: Richard Black Gene Imbro Advanced Systems Technology and Management, Inc. Date of Issuance: June 27, 2014 This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by ASME Nuclear Codes thus setti
2、ng the standard for the development of international Codes and Standards. The first BPVC (1914 edition) published in 1915 was one book, 114 pages long. The 2010 edition of the BPVC is more than 16,000 pages and contains 12 Sections. The 12 Sections of the BPVC either provide the rules for constructi
3、ng pressure-retaining components, or are “service codes”, such as Materials (Section II, Parts A through D), Nondestructive Examination (Section V), and Welding and Brazing Qualifications (Section IX) or, provide guidelines for care and operation of boilers. Sections VI and VII provide guidelines fo
4、r the care and operation of power and heating boilers. (Section VI: Recommended Rules for the Care and Operation of Heating Boilers Section VII: Recommended Guidelines for the Care of Power Boilers). The so-called service codes are referenced by both nuclear and nonnuclear Sections of the BPVC. Code
5、 Cases provide rules that permit the use of materials and alternative methods of construction that are not covered by existing BPVC rules. ASME develops and revises standards based on market needs through a consensus process whose meetings dealing with standards-related actions are open to all membe
6、rs of the public. ASME consensus committees are comprised of volunteer subject matter experts from a diverse range of interests, including manufacturers, users, government, and general interest. ASME standards and subsequent revisions are based upon review of reliable technical data by the consensus
7、 committee and its sub-tier committees. The ASME is accredited by the ANSI. ANSI facilitates the development of American National Standards (ANS) by accrediting the procedures of SDOs. Accreditation by ANSI signifies that the procedures used by the standards body in connection with the development o
8、f American National Standards meets ANSIs essential requirements for openness, balance, consensus and due process. The ASME process includes a broad public review for all of its standards actions. Any interested member of the general public may review and comment on proposed ASME standards or revisi
9、ons, as well as initiate an appeal based on previously submitted concerns. ASMEs voluntary standards may be adopted by jurisdictional authorities as a means of complying with their governing regulatory requirements. The NRC, the federal agency responsible for issuing construction permits, operating
10、licenses, or combined (construction and operating) licenses for new nuclear power plants, requires conformance with certain ASME Codes and Standards in its regulations. Therefore, to obtain a license to construct or operate a nuclear power plant, a plant owner and its subcontractors designing and su
11、pplying nuclear components must meet the requirements of these codes. The NRC incorporates by reference certain industry Codes and Standards including Section III and Section XI of the BPVC and the OM Code into its regulations. Section III of the BPVC, “Rules for Construction of Nuclear Facility Com
12、ponents,” provides rules for the materials selection, design, fabrication, installation, examination, and testing of nuclear components. Section III was first published in 1964 to address the larger and more complex designs of the emerging commercial nuclear power industry. STP-NU-072: Small Modular
13、 Reactor (SMR) Roadmap4 To address the safe operation of nuclear reactors, ASME developed and published Section XI, “Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components,” and the OM Code, “Code for Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants,” to ensure that continued safe operati
14、on is maintained over the life of the plant. These two codes are also required by NRC regulations, making the periodic inspection and testing of components and meeting specified acceptance standards a federal requirement for maintaining a license to continue operation. This gives the NRC and the pub
15、lic a level of confidence that any degradation of the plant during the period of operation will be detected early, adequately corrected, and will not reduce safety below an acceptable level. These and other standards incorporated by reference in the NRCs regulations are treated like any other proper
16、ly issued regulation and have the force of law. In addition to Sections III and XI of the BPVC and the OM Code, ASME has other nuclear-related Codes and Standards. All of the ASME nuclear-related Codes and Standards committees report to the ASME Board on Nuclear Codes and Standards (BNCS). These com
17、mittees include: Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA), Cranes for Nuclear Facilities (CNF), Committee on Nuclear Air and Gas Treatment (CONAGT), Committee on Nuclear Risk Management (CNRM), and Qualification of Mechanical Equipment (QME). Under each of these committees are one or more standards. For exam
18、ple, there are two standards for nuclear cranes. NUM-1, “Rules for Construction of Cranes, Monorails, and Hoists (with Bridge or Trolley or Hoist of the Underhung Type)” and NOG-1, “Rules for Construction of Overhead and Gantry Cranes (Top Running Bridge, Multiple Girder).” The Figure 1 illustrates
19、the ASME Codes and Standards Organization. The Committees highlighted in Green are nuclear-related. Figure 2-1: ASME Codes and Standards Organization (Committees Highlighted in Green are Nuclear-Related) STP-NU-072: Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Roadmap 5 3 STAKEHOLDERS FOR ROADMAP OUTREACH To support
20、 the information and insights in this SMR Roadmap, the following entities were engaged in discussions: NuScale Power B improved security; and increased flexibility in siting and application. Financial considerations that favor new SMRs include: lower upfront capital costs; greater quality and consis
21、tency by production in factory settings; an easier ability to deploy additional modules to meet projected electrical demand; lower construction cost and schedule by “plug and play” fabrication at the site; and better compatibility with local electrical grid infrastructure. After a large earthquake a
22、nd resulting tsunami in Japan destroyed 4 of the 6 units of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011, the promise of enhanced safety and plant resilience of SMRs has become a critical technical and financial consideration in all countries seeking nuclear power as an energy option. The use of SMRs
23、 is particularly important for countries seeking a nuclear power option that do not have a robust electric grid where the installation of a large nuclear power plant could result in potential grid instabilities if the nuclear power plant suddenly shuts down and its large source of power is removed f
24、rom the grid. In response to the international interest in SMRs, vendors with new designs have begun interaction with the NRC regarding regulatory licensing of their designs. The licensing and regulation of SMRs in the U.S. will be done by the NRC. SMR licensing in other countries will be performed
25、by the regulatory bodies having jurisdiction in that country. Regardless of licensing, the commercial deployment of SMRs will be a global enterprise that requires interactions and collaborations between countries. Vendors will apply for licensing approval of their designs in the country of design or
26、igin (i.e., where the vendor is located). SMR vendors external to the U.S. may also wish to obtain an NRC license for their designs to enhance marketability in the U.S. and other countries. The approved SMR designs will then be manufactured largely in the country of origin, marketed globally, and li
27、censed for operation in the country of deployment. In the U.S., SMR vendors will apply to the NRC for approval of their designs under the provisions of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) either Part 50 or Part 52. These licensing processes and their Codes and Standards implications
28、 are a substantial consideration in this SMR Roadmap. If a U.S. SMR design receives regulatory approval from the NRC, it will likely be marketed and deployed both in the U.S. and internationally. Internationally, a countrys specific regulatory requirements and the specific information required to be
29、 provided by the SMR vendor to obtain regulatory approval for SMR systems and components might present a challenge to the host countries regulatory authorities in assuring that their regulatory requirements are met. The licensing/regulatory authority must be able to license and regulate SMRs in a ma
30、nner that adequately assures all safety, environmental, regulatory and policy issues are addressed and resolved, particularly in the post-Fukushima environment. Importantly, the licensing authority must be able to assess the enhanced safety characteristics of SMR designs to support approval or certi
31、fication of these advanced reactor technologies and their subsequent licensing. SMR designs having enhanced safety features and significantly reduced risk to the public may afford the licensing authority the ability to use a risk-informed or a graded approach to review and approve SMR designs. A gra
32、ded approach STP-NU-072: Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Roadmap 7 to licensing when used in this context permits the licensing authority to alter the scope and depth of its licensing review based on local safety or environmental considerations; or unique features of the SMR design under consideration.
33、If the SMR design has been previously approved by a competent regulatory authority such as the NRC, the host regulatory authority might alter the scope and depth of its licensing review based on that prior regulatory review and approval. While this SMR Roadmap only focuses on SMR designs being devel
34、oped in the U.S., reactor developers world-wide are seeking to develop SMR designs to meet the large anticipated market demand. Designs are being developed by both traditional reactor vendors and new start-up companies. Some SMR concepts are being developed by research organizations, typically chara
35、cterized by advanced fuels, materials and coolants, and often with unique first-of-a-kind design features that may require decades to develop and qualify for commercial application. All of the SMRs within the scope of this SMR Roadmap are actively being developed by companies in the U.S. and these c
36、ompanies have had some level of engagement with potential customers and the NRC. These designs are considered to have the potential to be licensed and deployed within the next 10-15 years, depending on developer resource commitment and customer interest. Because of the near-term commercial potential
37、, it is important to address and resolve, in a timely manner, all Code and Standards issues that may impede licensing or commercial development and deployment of SMRs in both domestic and international markets. 4.2 Near-Term Commercial SMRs SMRs are defined broadly to include a range of technologies
38、, particularly a range of diverse fuels and coolants. U.S. SMR reactor technology currently chosen for NRC licensing and near-term commercial deployment is based on proven LWR technology. Most of these SMRs will be integral pressurized water reactors (iPWRs) that contain both the reactor and the ste
39、am generator in the same containment vessel.1 LWRs have a well-established framework of regulatory requirements, a technical basis for these requirements, and supporting regulatory guidance that provides acceptable approaches for meeting NRC requirements. The NRC uses a Standard Review Plan (SRP), N
40、UREG-0800, to review licensing applications for these reactor designs. The SRP is a guidance document used by the NRC Staff that provides regulatory consistency in the review of new applications submitted for licensing. Since the SMR designs are different than the current U.S. operating fleet of lar
41、ge LWRs, some of the guidance in the SRP may not be applicable to SMRs. NUREG-0800 was revised in January 2014 to provide general review guidance for SMRs. This revision incorporates the review philosophy and framework for the staffs review of light-water SMRs licensing applications filed under 10 C
42、FR Part 52, and how the staff will use risk-insights (described later). The NRC will require design-specific review standards (DSRSs) for the licensing of each SMR. These DSRSs are under development by the NRC and SMR vendors and it is expected that the mPower DSRS will be published in mid-2014. Thi
43、s DSRS will be used to support the NRC review of the mPower SMR licensing application which currently is scheduled to be submitted in 2015. Further, some of the regulatory required criteria in Section III, Section XI and OM Code may not be applicable or acceptable to the NRC for SMR designs. This is
44、 discussed further below. A description of these SMRs and their basic characteristics are contained in Appendix A. Additionally, the NRC has a well-established set of validated analytical codes for LWR technologies that may be applicable to SMRs and a well-established infrastructure for conducting s
45、afety research needed to support its 1 The Holtec SMR design is not technically an iPWR, but the design is considered by Holtec to be an “integrated” PWR because of its unique coupling of the reactor to the steam generators. Other SMRs are being developed in the U.S. for licensing and deployment suc
46、h as the GE PRISM and the Gen4 reactors. The PRISM is a sodium-cooled fast reactor and the Gen4 is a lead-bismuth cooled reactor. These reactors are not included in the scope of this Roadmap because they are not scheduled for near-term licensing or commercialization. STP-NU-072: Small Modular Reacto
47、r (SMR) Roadmap 8 independent safety review of a nuclear power plant design and the technical adequacy of a licensing application. It should be emphasized that the SMRs, particularly the iPWRs, will be subject to the same NRC licensing processes as other large LWRs. The safety requirements and stand
48、ards imposed on SMRs by the regulator will likely be similar to those imposed on the new large LWRs, such as the AP-1000, with possible modification to address the SMR designs and enhanced safety features. The result will be no diminution of public health and safety. 4.3 NRC Licensing of SMRs New SM
49、Rs can be licensed by NRC under either of two existing regulatory approaches. The first approach is the traditional “two-step” process described in 10 CFR Part 50, “Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities”, which requires first a construction permit (CP) and then a separate operating license (OL). The second approach is the new “one-step” licensing process described in 10 CFR Part 52, “Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants,” which incorporates a combined construction and operating license (COL) approach to licensing. It should be not
