Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Oct 23: The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has finalised a rule allowing commercial nuclear reactor developers to use relevant findings from federal demonstration programmes in their licence applications, while retaining the requirement for independent safety reviews.
The framework allows applicants to submit analyses, test data and other technical information generated through reactor demonstration programmes conducted by the Department of Energy (DOE) or the Department of War (DOW).
The NRC said the change aims to improve the efficiency of licensing reviews by allowing developers to build on existing technical evidence. Applicants, however, will still be required to demonstrate that their proposed commercial projects meet the commission's regulatory requirements.
The rule will take effect 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register, which the commission said was expected next week.
“This rule delivers the EO 14300 vision for an expedited path from DOE and DOW projects to NRC commercial licensing,” NRC Chairman Ho K. Nieh said.
“High-quality applications showing how DOE and DOW results apply to NRC requirements will help us review them more efficiently,” he added.
The final rule establishes a framework for considering relevant information from federally supported demonstration projects while assessing applications for commercial reactors.
The commission noted that differences between demonstration projects and proposed commercial installations could involve reactor design, the proposed site or potential hazards affecting safety. Developers will remain responsible for explaining how the submitted evidence applies to the specific requirements of the NRC.
The agency emphasised that it would independently assess the safety of proposed commercial reactor projects, even when applications rely on evidence generated through other federal programmes.
The NRC proposed the rule on April 2 and received 136 unique submissions during the public consultation process. The agency said detailed responses to the comments would be made available on its website and through its Agencywide Documents Access and Management System.
The announcement did not specify how many months the new framework could save in licensing reviews or estimate the potential cost savings for applicants.
The stated objective is to make better use of technical evidence already generated through federal demonstration programmes while ensuring that developers address the specific circumstances and safety requirements of their proposed commercial projects.
The NRC described the measure as the first major change to its reactor regulations finalised under Executive Order 14300, which directs the agency to accelerate the licensing of safe nuclear technologies.
The rule applies to domestic nuclear licensing in the United States. The announcement did not indicate any change in nuclear cooperation arrangements with India or grant approval to any foreign reactor project.