NuScale’s SMR design clears phase 4 of NRC’s review process

• 4 years ago (2019-12-13)
• David Flin

North America 1021 Nuclear 659

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NuScale Power has announced that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed the fourth phase of review of the design certification application (DCA) for the company’s small modular reactor (SMR). The review process now enters Phases 5 and 6.

Phase 4 of the NRC’s DCA review represents completion of the advanced safety evaluation report (SER) with no open items. Completion of Phase 4 signifies near-completion of the technical review. The NRC will issue its Final SER in September 2020.

John Hopkins, Chairman and CEO of NuScale, said: “The completion of Phase 4 of the NRC’s design review certification process is an unprecedented step forward for our company and for the advanced nuclear industry overall. We appreciate the tremendous effort the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dedicated to its thorough and rigorous review of our ground-breaking technology thus far.”

Phases 5 and 6 of the NRC review remain. Phase 5 entails a review by the NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ARCS). The ACRS is an independent advisor to the NRC that reviews and reports on safety studies and reactor facility license and license renewal applications.