Previous IAEA publications

To support the preparation of this and the previous report [2], an IAEA technical meeting Innovative small and medium sized reactors design features, safety approaches and R D trends was held on 7-11 June 2004 in Vienna, and its final report was published as IAEA-TECDOC-1451 in May 2005 [1]. That TECDOC presented a variety of innovative water cooled, gas cooled, liquid metal cooled and non-conventional SMR designs developed worldwide and examined the technology and infrastructure development needs that are common to several concepts or lines of such reactors. It also introduced the definition of small reactors without on-site refuelling, which is referred to in this report. Both, the technical meeting and the report [1] provided recommendations on the objectives, structure, scope and content of this report and the report [2]. 

It was with these, previous developments in mind that IAEA recommended to prepare a new report on design status of the small reactors without on-site refuelling. 

Upon the advice and with the support of IAEA Member States, the IAEA provides a forum for the exchange of information by experts and policy makers from industrialized and developing countries on the technical, economic, environmental, and social aspects of SMRs development and implementation in the 21 century, and makes this information available to all interested Member States by producing status reports and other publications dedicated to advances in SMR technology [10, 11]. 

In the field of SMRs, the last status report published was IAEA-TECDOC-881 [10], issued in 1995. Since that time many developments took place for some designs the development activities have resulted in a significant progress towards detailed design and licensing, while for the others development activities for whatever reasons have been stopped. Many new developments for innovative SMRs have originated and progressed since that time. 

A more recent review of the progress of evolutionary and innovative SMRs, issued in 2001, can be found in [11]. It is noted that this publication belongs to the category of proceedings and, therefore, provides the summaries and descriptions of SMRs in an unevenly structured form, generally as found appropriate by the authors. 

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The scope of this report is limited to reactors without on-site refuelling, i.e. small reactors of less than 300 MW(e) effective output that are designed for infrequent replacement of well-contained fuel cassettes in a manner that impedes clandestine diversion of nuclear fuel material. SMRs with conventional refuelling schemes have been addressed in previous IAEA publications. 

Achieved design and regulatory status and its progress since previous IAEA publications. 

For all innovative SMRs addressed in this report. Table 2 provides a summary of the user-related features, the targeted deployment dates, the achieved design and regulatory status and its progress since previous IAEA publications, identifies fuel cycle options and specifies the recommended sources of additional information. 

Progress in the design and regulatory status since previous IAEA publications (IAEA-TECDOC-88I, 1995 [10]) can be assessed only for the CAREM, the MARS and the RUTA-70 other SMRs were either not addressed or not started in development at that time. 

The AHTR concept is relatively new it was not addressed in previous IAEA publications. User-appreciated special features... 

Up to the time of publication of the previous edition of the IAEA Regulations, in 1985, Safety Series No. 37 had reached its third edition. Meanwhile, Safety Series No. 7, which embodied information on the scientific basis and rationale of the Regulations, had been retitled Explanatory Material for the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material and, embodying mainly information on the scientific basis and rationale of the Regulations, was in its second edition. 

As mentioned previously, several earlier IAEA nuclear safety publications have partially discussed EOPs and can be used as a basis for reviewing EOPs. However the present publication, which relies on state of the art experience, is intended to comprehensively discuss all aspects of the development, implementation and review of plant specific EOPs for all reactor technologies. Included in the discussion are the limitations and expectations inherent in the review process and the importance of the advance preparatory work. This publication is intended to serve as a reference for IAEA teams of experts in charge of the development or review of EOPs, or for plant managers and operational staff at specific nuclear power plants. 

Recommendations on design for protection from the effects of external events, which previously appeared in Ref. [2] and earlier IAEA safety standards, have been included in this publication, with the exception of recommendations on site protection measures which are retained in the relevant Safety Guides on site evaluation. 

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