Readiness for Regulating Advanced Reactor Projects

1. Readiness for Regulating Advanced Reactor Projects 2nd Nuclear Regulatory Information Conference May 17, 2018 Indaba Hotel &Conference Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa Liane Sauer Director General, Strategic Planning Directorate Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

2. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) Our Mandate • Regulates the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect health,safety, and security and the environment • Implements Canada's international commitments on the peacefuluse of nuclear energy • Disseminates objective scientific, technical and regulatory information to the public We will never compromise safety nuclearsafety.gc.ca

3. The CNSC Regulates All Nuclear Facilities And Activities In Canada Nuclear research and educational activities Uranium mines and mills Transportation of nuclear substances Uranium fuel fabrication and processing Nuclear security and safeguards Nuclear power plants Import and export controls Nuclear substance processing Industrial and medical applications Waste management facilities nuclearsafety.gc.ca

4. Current Situation Domestic Environmental Scan: • Sixty years of operating and regulatory experience with CANDU reactors • Nuclear energy is 15% of Canada’s electricity mix; 60% of Ontario’s • Several possible applications: • On-grid power generation to replace fossil fuels (~150-300 MWe) • On and off-grid combined heat and power for resource extraction and heavy industry; for example, oil sands or metal mining (~10-50 MWe) • Off-grid diesel replacement for electricity, district heating, and desalination in remote communities (<10 MWe, many <2.5 MWe) nuclearsafety.gc.ca

5. Current Situation Government and Industry Initiatives: • Federal Standing Committee on Natural Resources • June 2017 report, The Nuclear Sector at a Crossroads: Fostering Innovation and Energy Security for Canada and the World and the Government ‘s October 2017 Response • Natural Resources Canada-led pan-Canadian SMR Roadmap • Federal, provincial, and territorial government(s); utilities and stakeholders • Four workshops to discuss possible SMR applications in Canada • Final version ready for Fall 2018 • Generation Energy: Dialogue on Canada’s path to a low-carbon future • Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ Invitation for SMR Demonstration Projects nuclearsafety.gc.ca

6. The CNSC’s Role and Regulatory Approach • The Nuclear Safety and Control Act, regulations and complete suite of regulatory documents ensure safety requirements in all aspects of design, construction, operation, and decommissioning • There are a wide range of technologies and power levels under consideration • Many developers are proposing to use novel and integrated technological approaches for design, construction and operation Novel technologies and approaches are allowed, provided safety objectives are met nuclearsafety.gc.ca

7. What Is Different with SMRs/Advanced Reactors? Novel technologies Can differ significantly from existing water-based reactors • Use of technologies common in other industries but novel to reactors • Coolant (metal, sodium, molten fuel, gas) • Different approaches to defence in depth (passive features, containment provisions) Novel approaches to deployment Examples • Operating model (reduced staffing / remote operation) • Transportable reactors • Security by design • Fleets of reactors (environmental assessment (EA), licensing, credit for prior reviews) No standard or Canadian definition of ‘SMR’: Typically smaller than traditional designs with novel technologies used to achieve safety and economy nuclearsafety.gc.ca

8. Regulatory ChallengesIdentified in Discussion With Industry Design review EA and licence to prepare site Licence to construct Licence to operate • R&D to support safety case • Safeguards • Deterministic safety assessment /probabilistic safety assessment • Defence in depth and mitigation of accidents • Site security • Waste and decommissioning • Subsurface civil structures • Management system • Licensing of modular reactors • Emergency planning zones • Licensing approach for demonstration reactor • Transportable reactors • Management system • Minimum shift complement • Increased use of automation / human-machine interface • Financial guarantees CNSC discussion paper DIS-16-04, Small Modular Reactors: Regulatory Strategy, Approaches and Challenges nuclearsafety.gc.ca

9. The CNSC’s SMR Regulatory Tools Regulatory Documents and Guides • Discussion Paper, SMRs: Regulatory Strategy, Approaches and Challenges (DIS-16-04) • Guidance Document GD-385, Pre-licensing Review of a Vendor’s Reactor Design • Draft REGDOC-1.1.5: Licence Application Guide for Licensing SMR Facilities Process • Vendor Design Reviews (VDRs) nuclearsafety.gc.ca

10. Vendor Design Review Pre-licensing A vendor design review: • considers areas of design related to reactor safety, security and safeguards • provides feedback on how Canadian requirements are addressed in design and safety analysis • provides early feedback on the use of new design features and approaches • promotes early identification of key issues and fundamental barriers • identifies research activities that will support the design review and future licensing • ensure fairness and predictability of results, timeliness and cost The Commission retains the final licensing decision

11. Vendor Design ReviewLicensing Stages of a New Reactor Facility Environmental assessment Optionalpre-licensing Licensing Design review Site preparation Operation Construction Decommissioning • Under licence to prepare site • Licence Application Guide (REGDOC-1.1.1 - draft) • Under licence to operate • Licence Application Guide (REGDOC-1.1.3 - draft) • Under licence to construct • Licence Application Guide (RD/GD-369) • Under licence to decommission • Under vendor design review process • GD 385 The VDR provides information that can be leveraged to inform licensing for a specific project – it is neither a design certification nor a licence nuclearsafety.gc.ca

12. Pre-licensingEngagement Vendor Design Review Benefits: • Enables vendors and utilities to communicate • Identify and address regulatory issues early enough so that delays in licensing and facility construction can be minimized • Higher quality licence applications • Efficient and effective licensing process • Assists decision makers in quantifying project risks 3 phases of review Phase 1: Compliance with regulatory requirements (~18 months) Phase 2: Pre-licensing assessment (~ 24 months) Phase 3: Pre-construction follow-up

13. Vendor Design ReviewsCNSC VDRs in Progress * Phase 1 objectives will be addressed within the Phase 2 scope of work nuclearsafety.gc.ca

14. Objectives CNSC Strategy for Readiness Increased regulatory certainty - fairness, rigour, efficiency, transparency Establishment of technical readiness - knowledge and capacity, enabling processes Establishment of priorities - what needs to be done and by when Increased awareness - internally and with external stakeholders nuclearsafety.gc.ca

15. International Cooperation Benchmarking, informing and exchanging with other countries facing similar challenges, in a number of forums • IAEA’s SMR Regulators’ Forum; the NEA’s Working Group on the Regulation of New Reactors (WGRNR), Multinational Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP), Group on the Safety of Advanced Reactors (GSAR); and bilateral exchanges • The CNSC has 23 memoranda of understanding (MOU) for regulatory cooperation and exchange of information with regulators and TSOs from 21 countries The CNSC technical reviews can be informed by other regulators’ assessments while maintaining our independence nuclearsafety.gc.ca

16. Next Steps Publication of draft REGDOC-1.1.5: Licence Application Guide for Licensing SMR Facilities Continue vendor design review process • Ten currently underway with more expected Maintain regulatory readiness • Ensure staff have the necessary capabilities and training; continue to benchmark with other regulators; and continue to modernize the regulatory framework nuclearsafety.gc.ca

17. Conclusions • Current regulatory framework allows for flexibility in the licensing of projects using advanced technologies • needs solid management system processes and capable workforce • Necessary strategy, tools and process are either in place or are being developed to ensure regulatory clarity and effectiveness • CNSC senior management are providing leadership to set the foundation for the regulation of SMRs • Executive Vice-President chairs the internal SMR Steering Committee nuclearsafety.gc.ca

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