Nuclear Power Technology Development
Common Technologies and Issues for Small and Medium Sized Reactors
According to the classification adopted by IAEA, Small Reactors are reactors with the equivalent electric power less than 300 MW, Medium Sized Reactors are reactors with the equivalent electric power between 300 and 700 MW
| In operation | 133 |
| Under construction | 12 |
| Number of countries with SMRs | 28 |
| Generating capacity, GW(e) | 60.3 |
There is continuing interest in Member States in the development and application of small and medium sized reactors (SMRs), i.e., reactors with the equivalent electric power of less than 700 MW.
Small and medium sized reactors (SMRs) may provide an attractive and affordable nuclear power option for many developing countries with small electrical grids, insufficient infrastructure and limited investment capability. Multi-module power plants with SMRs may offer energy production flexibility that energy market deregulation might call for in the future in many countries. SMRs are also of particular interest for co-generation and many advanced future process heat applications. Some SMR designs may reduce obligations of the user for spent fuel and waste management and offer possibly greater non-proliferation assurances to the international community. To learn more about the status and near-term prospects of SMRs, go to: Status SMRs November 2009.
Advanced SMRs have several common technology development issues related to their targeted location in the proximity to the users, competitiveness in targeted applications, enhanced proliferation resistance and security, long refuelling interval and operation without on-site refuelling.
The Agency's role is to coordinate efforts of its Member States to facilitate the development of SMRs of various types by taking a systematic approach to the identification and development of key enabling technologies to achieve competitiveness and reliable performance of such reactors, and by addressing common infrastructure issues that could facilitate their deployment. To achieve this goal the Agency continues a regular budget project 1.1.5.4 "Common Technologies and Issues for SMRs".
The IAEA General Conference resolution GC(53)/RES/13/Tab B.3 of September 2009 encouraged the secretariat to continue the activities of the Regular Budget project "Common technologies and issues for SMRs" on both the development of key enabling technologies and the resolution of key infrastructure issues for innovative SMRs of various types, which is complementary to the extrabudgetary "International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycle" (INPRO) and requested "the Director General to continue to report on ... progress made in the implementation of this resolution to the Board of Governors and to the General Conference at its fifty-fifth (2011) regular session under an appropriate agenda item".
Project Publications Since 2005
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Design Features to Achieve Defence in Depth in Small and Medium Sized Reactors, IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report NP-T-2.2, Vienna (2009)
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Status of Small Reactor Designs without On-site Refuelling, IAEA-TECDOC-1536, Vienna (March 2007)
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Progress in Design and Technology Development for Innovative Small and Medium Sized Reactors, ANNEX IV, Nuclear Technology Review 2007, Vienna (2007)
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Status of Innovative Small and Medium Sized Reactor Designs 2005: Reactors with Conventional Refuelling Schemes, IAEA-TECDOC-1485, Vienna (March 2006)
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Advanced Nuclear Plant Design Options to Cope with External Events, IAEA-TECDOC-1487, Vienna (February 2006)
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Innovative Small and Medium Sized Reactors: Design Features, Safety Approaches, and R&D Trends, IAEA-TECDOC-1451, Vienna (May 2005)
Project Publications under Preparation
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report "Approaches to Assess Competitiveness of SMRs"
Status: submitted for pre-publication review and clearances; Targeted publication date: 2010IAEA-TECDOC "Final Report of IAEA Coordinated Research Project on Small Reactors without On-site Refuelling"
Status: editing of the draft; Targeted publication date: 2010
Other Publications to Which the Project Had Contributed
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Nuclear Power Objectives: Achieving the Nuclear Energy Basic Principles, IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report NP-O (2009)
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Common User Considerations (CUC) by Developing Countries for Future Nuclear Energy Systems: Report of Stage 1, IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report NP-T-2.1 (2009)
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Chapter 2 "INPRO and the Concept of Sustainability", in: "Methodology for the Assessment of Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles - Report of Phase 1B (First Part) of the International Project on Innovative Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO)", IAEA-TECDOC-1434, Vienna (2004)
Coordinated Research Projects
Coordinated Research Project CRPI25001 "Small Reactors without On-Site Refuelling" (2004-2008)
Coordinated Research Project CRPI31018 on Development of Methodologies for the Assessment of Passive Safety System Performance in Advanced Reactors (2008-2011)
Please, contact responsible officer Vladimir Kuznetsov for more details.