Small and Medium Sized Reactors (SMRs) Development, Assessment and Deployment
There is continuing interest in Member States in the development and deployment of small and medium sized reactors (SMRs). According to the classification adopted by the IAEA, small reactors are reactors with an equivalent electric power of less than 300 MW(e) and medium sized reactors are reactors with an equivalent electric power of between 300 and 700 MW(e). Worldwide, 131 SMR units are in operation in 26 Member States, with a capacity of 59 GWe. At present, 14 SMRs are under construction in 6 countries: Argentina, China, India, Pakistan, the Russian Federation and Slovakia. Research is being carried out on approximately 45 Advanced SMR concepts for electricity generation, process heat production, desalination, hydrogen generation and other applications in 10 Member States. These include Argentina, Canada, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, South Africa, and United States of America. SMRs are under development for all principal reactor lines: light water reactors (LWRs), heavy water reactors (HWRs), gas cooled reactors (GCRs) and liquid metal cooled reactors (LMCRs).
The considerable development work on small to medium sized designs generally aims to provide increased benefits in the areas of safety and security, non-proliferation, waste management, and resource utilization and economy, as well as to offer a variety of energy products and flexibility in design, siting and fuel cycle options. Specifically, SMRs address deployment needs for smaller grids and lower rates of increase in demand. They are designed with modular technology, pursuing economies of series production, factory fabrication and short construction times. The projected timelines of readiness for deployment of SMR designs generally range from the present to 2025–2030. To learn more about the status and near term prospects of SMRs, please download Status of SMR Designs 2012.
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 1.1.5.5 "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".
Meetings
2013
| Date | Meeting | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 21-24 May | Technical Meeting on Instrumentations and Control for Advanced SMRs |
IAEA, Vienna, Austria |
| 2-4 Sep | Technical Meeting on SMRs Technology Development for Near-Term Deployment | Chengdu, China |
| 28-31 Oct | Environmental Impact Assessment for SMRs Deployment in Newcomer Courtiers |
IAEA, Vienna, Austria |
| 12-14 Nov | Constants' Meeting on Instrumentation and Control for Advanced SMRs |
IAEA, Vienna, Austria |
2012
| Date | Meeting | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 5-7 Mar | Consultants' Meeting on Development of the draft NE Series Report on Options to Enhance Energy Supply Security using Energy Systems based on SMRs |
IAEA, Vienna, Austria |
| 11-13 Apr | Consultants' Meeting on Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment on SMRs for Newcomer Countries |
IAEA, Vienna, Austria |
| 24-26 Apr | The 4th Research Coordination Meeting of the CRP I31018 on Development of Advanced Methodologies for the Assessment of Passive Safety System Performance in Advanced Reactors |
IAEA, Vienna, Austria |
| 30 May - 1 Jun | Consultants' Meeting on Incorporating Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Accident in SMR Technology Assessment for Design of Engineered Safety Systems |
IAEA, Vienna, Austria |
| 11-13 Sep | Consultants' Meeting on Preparation of Toolkit for SMR Technology Assessment on the Reliability of Engineered Safety Features |
IAEA, Vienna, Austria |
| 9-11 Oct | Consultants' Meeting on Developing a Preliminary Draft NE Series Report: Environmental Impact Assessment for SMR Deployment in Newcomer Countries |
IAEA, Vienna, Austria |
Publications Since 2005
Small Reactors without On-site Refuelling: Neutronic Characteristics, Emergency Planning and Development Scenarios, Final Report of an IAEA Coordinated Research Project, IAEA TECDOC 1652 (2010)
Design Features to Achieve Defence in Depth in Small and Medium Sized Reactors (SMRs), IAEA Nuclear Energy Series NP-T-2.2 (2009)
Status of Small Reactor Designs Without On-Site Refuelling, IAEA-TECDOC-1536 (2007)
Progress in Design and Technology Development for Innovative Small and Medium Sized Reactors, ANNEX IV, Nuclear Technology Review 2007
Status of Innovative Small and Medium Sized Reactor Designs 2005, Reactors with Conventional Refuelling Schemes, IAEA TECDOC 1485 (2006)
Advanced Nuclear Plant Design Options to Cope with External Events, IAEA TECDOC 1487 (2006)
Innovative Small and Medium Sized Reactors: Design Features, Safety Approaches, and R&D Trends, IAEA TECDOC 1451 (2005)
Please contact NENP Technology Development Section - Contact Point if you have any questions.
