Small Modular Reactors: T’s & C’s Session Name: Panel Session 3: Small Modular Reactors Speaker Details: Frik van Niekerk

2nd NUCLEAR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE Presentation Outline The potential of SMRs Overview of SMR developments Challenges and concerns SMR Safety T’s & C’s – raising the bar

Potential of SMRs Increased safety and security Economic benefits Passive nuclear safety concepts Inherently safe, passive heat removal, “catastrophy free” (potential) Reduction of the source term and radioactive inventory Potential to mitigate external impacts: seismic, tsunami , aircraft impacts, (war?, terrorism?) Some designs are proliferation resistant Economic benefits ~ Flexibility 2019/05/10 1 World Nuclear Association, http://www.world-nuclear.org

Potential of SMRs Increased safety and security Economic benefits ~ Economic benefits Easier financing Modularity of fabrication (in-factory), higher quality standards Modularity: multiple units on a site Lower operational cost, fewer staff to run Less onerous decommissioning: remove reactor module or in-situ Some designs: Breeder concepts Higher burn-up rates and longer fuel cycles Flexibility 2019/05/10 1 World Nuclear Association, http://www.world-nuclear.org

Potential of SMRs Increased safety and security Economic benefits ~ Economic benefits Flexibility Load following capability Less dependent on location limitations (cooling water): Ideal for electricity and process heat (remote regions, mining, desalination H2) Ideal in countries with smaller grids, less nuclear power experience Other 2019/05/10 1 World Nuclear Association, http://www.world-nuclear.org

2nd NUCLEAR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE Presentation Outline The potential of SMRs Overview of SMR developments Challenges and concerns SMR Safety T’s & C’s – raising the bar

Overview of SMR developments 2019/05/10 Source: www.world-nuclear.org

Overview of SMR developments 2019/05/10 Source: www.world-nuclear.org

Overview of SMR developments 2019/05/10

Overview of SMR developments 2019/05/10

Overview of SMR developments www.world-nuclear.org 2019/05/10 Source: www.world-nuclear.org

2nd NUCLEAR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE Presentation Outline The potential of SMRs Overview of SMR developments Challenges and concerns SMR Safety T’s & C’s – raising the bar

Challenges and Concerns Economy of scale (business case horison) Current licensing regime Nuclear waste Nuclear proliferation Public acceptance Cost Emergent disruptive new technologies Renewable energy Energy storage advantages 2019/05/10 1 World Nuclear Association, http://www.world-nuclear.org

2nd NUCLEAR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE Presentation Outline The potential of SMRs Overview of SMR developments Challenges and concerns SMR Safety T’s & C’s – raising the bar

Gauging the threat Fukushima Japan - 2011 http://wirednewyork.com 2019/05/10 http://wirednewyork.com

Nuclear Safety: new requirements Nuclear power may have a place in a world with rising energy demand, amidst the reality of global warming due to i.a. the use of fossil fuels, provided the challenges of a raised bar for nuclear technology can be met: Safety, security, cost Competing disruptive new technologies Public acceptance New safety quality in nuclear engineering requires catastrophe-free nuclear technology. Reactor protection building designs for retaining a core meltdown or designs of reactors which would never melt are ways in which the goal formulated is to be attained. 2019/05/10 VDI-Berichte; v. 1076; 227 p; ISBN 3-18-091076-3; ; 1994; p. 93-107 Source: KFZ: Juelich, 1990

SMR safety characteristics 2019/05/10 Source: www.world-nuclear.org

SMR safety characteristics 2019/05/10 Source: www.world-nuclear.org

SMR safety characteristics 2019/05/10 Source: www.world-nuclear.org

Catastrophy free nuclear plants Following an accident: Consequences of an accident have to be restricted to the plant itself: No immediate fatalities outside the nuclear power plant No traceable late fatalities in the population outside the plant No unallowable land contamination outside nuclear power plant No evacuation and no later resettlement of people No limitations of use of food and water after a nuclear accident This exclusion must not be realized in a probabilistic sense, but it must be founded deterministically and proven. External impacts which exceed the current assumptions, require specific considerations (very strong earthquakes, extreme terrorist and military attack). 2019/05/10 VDI-Berichte; v. 1076; 227 p; ISBN 3-18-091076-3; ; 1994; p. 93-107 Source: KFZ: Juelich, 1990

2nd NUCLEAR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE Presentation Outline The potential of SMRs Overview of SMR developments Challenges and concerns SMR Safety T’s & C’s – raising the bar Safety, security, cost Competitive disruptive new technologies Public acceptance

Thank you for listening! 2nd NUCLEAR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE Thank you for listening! Q&A

Reactor designs 2019/05/10

Reactor designs 2019/05/10