Establishing Regulatory Framework for Deploying SMRs in Canada

Abstract

The Canadian regulatory framework comprises of a combination of modern risk informed and some prescriptive regulatory requirements. The well-established regulatory requirements and standards, primarily written for water reactors, allows proponents to identify the fundamental barriers to licensing new reactors and meet high-level safety goals. With advent of novel first-of-a-kind SMR technologies, unique challenges may arise and present opportunities for enhancements in regulatory review. This paper will outline some of the regulatory challenges observed to date, as well as some proposals for a framework on how they might be addressed. Preliminary thoughts on necessary actions will be outlined. These challenges, proposals and actions should be considered as some of the first steps towards a practical evolution of Canada's nuclear power framework to enable the safe and effective implementation of these new technologies in Canada. The regulatory framework must be robust yet supportive, not posing any unnecessary obstacle to obtain a licence.