2023/08/30 by Rohunsingh Sam, Tristano Sainati, Bruce C. Hanson +3 · 42 citations
Engineering · Materials Science · #Business #Certification #Computer science #Graphite, nuclear technology, radiation studies #License #Modular design #Modularity (biology) #Novelty #Nuclear Materials and Properties #Nuclear reactor physics and engineering #Political science #Process management #Risk analysis (engineering) #Software deployment #Timeline
paper · doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2023.104859
published in Progress in Nuclear Energy 164, 104859 (Elsevier BV)
openalex publication_date 2023/08/30 · crossref created 2023/08/30 · crossref issued 2023/10/01 · crossref published 2023/10/01 · crossref published-print 2023/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref deposited 2026/04/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03 · crossref indexed 2026/08/05
Small Modular Reactors are gaining significant interest for their reduced footprint, lower power output, modularity, and innovative features. The licensing of SMRs is key to their successful deployment. However, the literature on this subject area is limited and often fragmented among other characteristics of the SMRs, thus failing to address the licensing aspects distinctly. The paper employs a systematic literature review to identify the potential nuclear licensing barriers and challenges that can influence the deployment of SMR and to provide an overview of their implications. The authors differentiate between licensing barriers and challenges as follows. The licensing barriers are likely to affect the deployment of SMRs for over a decade and necessitate the collaboration of multiple organisations. The licensing challenges can be resolved within ten years and can be led by a single organisation to deliver the solution. The licensing barriers are: (1) existing legal and regulatory framework; (2) prescriptive regulatory framework; (3) novelty in the technology; (4) regulatory fragmentation; and (5) absence of in-factory certification. The licensing challenges are: (1) fees charged by regulators; (2) regulatory capability gaps; and (3) lengthy licensing duration. The identified barriers and challenges have implications on the project timeline and cost, consequently affecting the overall economics of the SMR.