The UK arm of energy technology company Holtec has announced that its small modular reactor (SMR) design has passed through the first stage of UK regulatory approval at record speed.
The company’s proposed SMR-300 reactor design has passed through the first stage of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) in just ten months, a new record for passing the first stage of regulation.
The GDA is a three-stage process in which proposed designs for nuclear reactors, including SMRs, are evaluated for safety and environmental impact. The full three-stage process, from initiation to fundamental assessment and finally detailed assessment, is expected to take around 48 months.
The project will now move on to stage two of the GDA process, known as fundamental assessment. During this stage, the UK’s Environment Agency will carry out an assessment to identify any fundamental environmental protection shortfalls in the design, and Holtec will launch and publicise its public comments process.
Holtec is making major moves in the UK. The firm’s plans, which include the recent relocation of its HQ to Bristol, South-West England, and upcoming plans to build a a heavy manufacturing plant to build future SMRs, has been supported by a £60 million investment. Half of this investment came from the UK Government, via the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund.
The proposed SMR design uniquely avoids the need to obtain water use permits, as the reactor is designed to expel waste heat directly into the air rather than being cooled by water.
Dr Rick Springman, Holtec’s president of global clean energy opportunities, stated: “We are proud of our Holtec Britain organization for securing regulatory Step 1 endorsement in record time. We are confident of our capability to deliver SMR-300 plants in numbers needed by the country. It helps that our SMR-300 plant is premised on the PWR technology with which Great Britain is well versed in its civilian as well as naval nuclear program.”
SMR tech picks up speed in the UK
This news comes hot on the heels of another SMR design reaching a regulatory milestone. Rolls-Royce SMR’s 470Mwe SMR design cleared stage two of the GDA just days before Holtec’s announcement, something which Helena Perry, Rolls-Royce SMR’s safety and regulatory affairs director, described as “the most important milestone to date” for the firm’s SMR ambitions.
However, some have raised concerns that the UK is not providing enough clarity on the priority of SMR development in the UK. In February, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) wrote an open letter to the UK government calling for clarity on its policy for advancing the development of SMRs, noting that the government is “unlikely” to reach its target of having the first SMR connected to the UK grid by 2035.
