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

2. 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

3. 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,

4. 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,

5. 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,

6. 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

7. Overview of SMR developments
2019/05/10
Source:

8. Overview of SMR developments
2019/05/10
Source:

9. Overview of SMR developments
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10. Overview of SMR developments
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11. Overview of SMR developments
2019/05/10
Source:

12. 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

13. 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,

14. 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

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

16. 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 ; ; 1994; p
Source: KFZ: Juelich, 1990

17. SMR safety characteristics
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Source:

18. SMR safety characteristics
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Source:

19. SMR safety characteristics
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Source:

20. 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 ; ; 1994; p
Source: KFZ: Juelich, 1990

21. 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

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

23. Reactor designs
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24. Reactor designs
2019/05/10