IAEA Initiative Sets Ambitious Goals to Support the Safe and Secure Deployment of SMRs

Enhanced harmonization of regulatory activities and the standardization of industrial approaches are expected as the outcome of a new IAEA initiative, which kicked off in June. Senior nuclear regulators and industry leaders met for the first time under the IAEA's Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI) on 23-24 June to discuss roadmaps to accelerate the safe and secure deployment of advanced nuclear reactors, with a particular focus on small modular reactors (SMRs).

The NHSI aims to facilitate the safe and secure deployment of SMRs to maximize their contribution to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. At last week's kick-off meeting, 125 participants from 33 countries worked in two separate but complementary tracks - one for regulators and the other for technology holders and operators - to develop a joint workplan through 2024.

"In nuclear, we must have the highest standards of nuclear safety and security - they are indispensable for the public, governments and investors. Nuclear safety, security and safeguards will be the litmus test for deployable reactors at the scale needed. The NHSI is not about cutting corners - it is about getting it right and getting there fast," stated IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi during the opening session.