The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has published its first report on international regulatory collaboration for small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs), highlighting significant progress in facilitating global deployment of standard designs.
The report outlines how the UK regulator is working with international counterparts to create more efficient, harmonised approaches to reactor design assessment, benefiting both industry and global nuclear safety.
Key achievements highlighted in the report include:
- Signing a trilateral memorandum of cooperation with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) in March 2024, establishing a framework for streamlined regulation while maintaining each nation’s independent regulatory authority.
- Leading international harmonisation efforts through the ONR’s vice-chair role in the IAEA’s SMR Regulators’ Forum and chairmanship of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s Working Group on New Technologies.
- Progressing three significant Generic Design Assessments (GDA) for Rolls-Royce SMR (now in Step 3), GE-Hitachi BWRX-300, and Holtec SMR-300 (both in Step 2 of two Step GDAs), with potential additional assessments and ongoing regulatory engagement for a number of other projects.
- Pioneering international regulatory observation by inviting five European nuclear regulators to observe the Rolls-Royce SMR assessment process—the first time in GDA history.
The report details numerous collaborative activities undertaken by ONR between October 2024 and March 2025 to advance regulatory harmonisation, including regular high-level meetings with international regulators and industry representatives, holding technical workshops on a range of key design elements and attending international forums.
Looking ahead
Work on enhancing international collaboration and opportunities is continuing at pace. The coming months will see joint workshops and reports with CNSC and NRC on advanced construction techniques, discussions with international partners on emerging reactor designs and supporting UK government trade delegations and bilateral forums with Hungary.
Tim Parkes, ONR’s Head of Regulation – GDA said: “Our international collaboration is delivering tangible efficiency improvements to our assessment of new reactor designs and to harmonising regulatory approaches to SMRs and AMRs. This collaboration will support the global deployment of standard designs and help to ensure the highest safety standards are maintained.”
Report:
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