IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
Prospect and Challenges in the
Development and Deployment of
Small and Medium-sized Reactors (SMRs)
Dr. M. Hadid Subki
Technical Lead, SMR Technology
Division of Nuclear Power
Department of Nuclear Energy
Consultants Meeting on SMR Technology for Near Term Deployment, 2 – 4 May 2011
IAEA
Outline
• Global Status of SMR Deployment and
Development
• Status of SMR designs
• Perceived Advantages and Challenges
• Key Issues in Licensing & Design Certification
• Developing Countries’ Expectations
• Lessons-Learned from the Fukushima Event
• Economics of SMRs
• Conclusions
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Numerous SMR Designs at Various stages
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AHWR
LWRs LWRs LWRs LWRs
FRs FRs
iPWRs
PHWRs GCRs
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Definitions
• IAEA: • Small-sized reactors: < 300 MW(e)
• Medium-sized reactors: 300 700 MW(e)
• Regardless of being modular or non-modular
• Covers all reactors in-operation and under-development with power < 700 MWe
• Covers 1970s technology 2000s innovative technology
• Several developed countries: • Small-sized reactors: < 300 MW(e)
• Emphasize the benefits of being small and modular
• Focus on innovative reactor designs under-development
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IAEA Definitions of Advanced NPPs
• Advanced nuclear plant designs - designs of current interest for
which improvements over their predecessors or existing designs are
expected
• Evolutionary designs - advanced designs that achieve improvements
over existing designs through small to moderate modifications, with a
strong emphasis on maintaining design proveness to minimize
technological risks.
• Innovative designs - advanced designs which incorporate radical
conceptual changes in design approaches or configuration in
comparison with existing practice. Substantial research and
development efforts, feasibility tests, and a prototype or demonstration
plant are probably required prior to the commercial deployment
Reference: • IAEA - Terms for describing new advanced nuclear power plants, TECDOC-936 (1997)
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Global Development and Deployment
• Dozens of concepts for innovative SMRs are under development in many IAEA Member States: • Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Japan, Republic of
Korea, Russia, South Africa, USA, and some emerging countries.
• A number of companies are developing SMRs; each has unique features and varying megawatt capacity.
• Many SMRs (with 1970s, 1980s technologies) have long been in operation and many are under construction
• None of the innovative SMRs are commercially available
In Operation 125
Under construction 17
Number of countries with SMRs 28
Generating Capacity, GW(e) 57.1
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Contemporary SMR designs represent
evolution from designs of the
70s, 80s, 90s…
IRIS GT-MHR
NuScale
mPower
KLT-40
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SMART
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Status of SMR Designs
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SMRs for Immediate Deployment Name
Design Organization
Country of Origin
Electrical Capacity, MWe
Design Status
1 Pressurized Heavy
Water Reactor (PHWR-220)
NPCIL India 220 16 units in operation
2 Pressurized Heavy
Water Reactor (PHWR-540)
NPCIL India 540 2 units in operation
3 Pressurized Heavy
Water Reactor (PHWR-700)
NPCIL India 700 4 units under construction
4 KLT-40S OKBM
Afrikantov Russian
Federation 70 2 units under construction
5 HTR-PM (Reference
HTR-10) Tsinghua
University China, Republic
of 250
Detailed design, 2 modules under construction
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Central Argentina de Elementos Modulares
(CAREM-25)
CNEA Argentina 27 Detailed design,
prototype construction in 2012
7 Prototype Fast Breed Reactor (PFBR-500)
IGCAR India 500 Under construction –
Commissioning
in 2012
8 Enhanced CANDU 6
(EC-6)
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
Canada 700 Detailed design
9 CNP-300 CNNC China, Republic
of 300
2 units in Operation as
Chasnupp-1 and -2 in Pakistan
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SMRs for Near-term Deployment
Name Design
Organization
Country of Origin
Electrical Capacity,
MWe Design Status
1 System Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART)
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute
Republic of Korea 100 Detailed design
2 NuScale NuScale Power United States of
America 45/module
Detailed design, to apply for certification in January 2012
3 mPower Babcock & Wilcox United States of
America 125/module
Detailed design, to apply for certification later in 2012
4 VBER-300 OKBM Afrikantov Russian
Federation 300 Detailed Design
5 SVBR-100 JSC AKME Engineering Russian
Federation 100
Detailed Design for Prototype Construction
6 ABV6M OKBM Afrikantov Russian
Federation 11 Detailed Design
7 Super-Safe, Small and Simple (4S)
Toshiba Japan 10 Detailed Design
8 Westinghouse
SMR Westinghouse
United States of America
200 Conceptual Design
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SMRs for Long-term Deployment
Name Design
Organization Country of
Origin
Electrical Capacity,
MWe Design Status
1 Pebble Bed Modular
Reactor (PBMR) PBMR Pty South Africa 100
Detailed Design; Development discontinued
2 AHWR300-LEU BARC India 220 Conceptual Design
3 Power Reactor
Innovative Small Modular (PRISM)
GE Hitachi United States of
America 311 Detailed Design
4 Integrated Modular
Water Reactor (IMR) Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries, Ltd. Japan 350 Conceptual Design
5 Flexblue DCNS France 50-250 Conceptual Design
6 VK-100/300 RDIPE Russian
Federation 100/300 Conceptual Design
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Advantages Challenges
Tech
no
log
ical Is
su
es
• Shorter construction period
(modularization)
• Potential for enhanced reliability
and/or safety
• Reduced complexity in design and
human factor
• Suitability for non-electricity
application (i.e. process heat and
desalination)
• Tolerance to grid instabilities
• Licensability (delays due to design
innovation)
• Non-LWR technologies
• Impact of innovative design and fuel
cycle to proliferation resistance
• Operability
• Spent fuel management and waste
handling policies
No
n-T
ech
no
log
ical
Issu
es
• Fitness for smaller electricity grids
• Options to match demand growth
by incremental capacity increase
• Site Flexibility
• Lower upfront investment capital
cost per installed unit
• Easier financing scheme
• Reduced emergency planning zone
• Economic competitiveness (impact
of economy of scale)
• Regulation for fuel or NPP leasing
• Limited market opportunities
• First of a kind cost estimate
• Availability of design for newcomers
• Infrastructure requirements
Perceived Advantages and Challenges
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Answers Needed Prior to Deployment
• What are the pathways to licensing?
• How soon will a commercial product be available?
• How to prove economic competitiveness?
• What are projected benefits against large plants? (multi-modules
SMR vs single large unit)
• What are projected benefits against fossil power plants with the
same power output?
• What will be the realistic $/kWe delivered?
• Are the grid requirements in developing countries
understood and can the technology being offered meet
them?
• What operational issues are expected and how will they be
addressed?
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Key Issues in Licensing & Design Certification
• First of a kind engineering
• Viability of multiple-modules station (post-Fukushima)
• Proliferation resistance and physical security
• Ergonomics and control room staffing
• Emergency planning zone
• Mechanistic source term
• Risk-informed licensing
• Standardization and licenses for manufacturing
• Technology transfer and proprietary design protection
• Users and Owners issues
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Modularization has been around for
decades – just more of it now
Haiyang
350 modules -
150 Structural 200 Mechanical
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Status of NPP Introduction in New-comer
Countries
Type Status and Category of
Nuclear Energy Program
Countries Current Installed
Capacity (GWe)
A New NPP under construction Iran 44.2
United Arab
Emirates
15.7 B New NPP being ordered
Turkey 38.8
C Invitation to Bid submitted -
Egypt 23.4
Indonesia 24.6
Jordan 2.1
Lithuania 4.7
Malaysia 23.3
D Decided to introduce NPP and
started preparing infrastructure
Vietnam 11.3
Morocco 5 E Active Preparation for possible
NPP programme Thailand 29.9
Kazakhstan 18.7 F Considering NPP Programme
Kuwait 10.9
Saudi Arabia 33.5 G Not planning, but may consider
in the future Singapore 10.1
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Developing Countries Expectations
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Introduction of the first Nuclear Power Plant
Nuclear Energy Policy
Domestic Industry
Participation
Proliferation resistance &
physical protection
Public acceptance
Safety
Radwaste Management
Viable financing scheme
Economic Competitive
ness
Affordable electricity
cost (cent/kWh)
Security of Supply
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SMR Booklet – Supplementary to ARIS
• Contained status, design
description and main features
of 35 selected SMR designs
• Sorted by type/coolant: iPWR,
PHWR, GCR, and LMFR
• Sorted by Country of Origin
• Included:
• PHWR-220
• PFBR-500
• CAREM
• KLT-40
• 4S
• SVBR-75/100
• BREST
• SMART
• NuScale
• mPower
• HTR-10/PM
• PBMR
• IRIS
• PRISM 18
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Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Event
• Issues to be addressed for innovative SMRs deployment:
• Multiple external initiating events and common cause failures
• Station Black-Out
• Reliability of emergency power supply
• Enhanced containment seismic/hydrodynamics strength
• Hybrid passive and active engineered safety features
• Safety viability of multi-modules – first of a kind engineering
• Direct containment heating
• Wider scenario of Beyond Design Basis Accident (DBA)
• Accident management/Emergency response capability and costs
• Spent fuel pool seismic and cooling provision
• Hydrogen generation from steam-zirconium reaction; recombiner system
• Environmental impact assessment and expectation
• Waste handling and policy
• Public Acceptance
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Economics of SMRs
Economics of SMRs
Replication: multi-modules SMR → learning
economies
Scalability: adaptability in timing, siting and sizing with respect to certain
market conditions
Reversibility: ability to cope with certain conditions, to reduce the economic risk
of investment
Standardization: Standardized components → reduction of investment
and operating costs
Economies of Multiples
as a response to Economies of Scale
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Development of Approaches to Assess
Competitiveness of SMR
• Objectives:
To assist existing and potential stakeholders in the
definition of competitive approaches regarding design and
deployment of SMRs
To provide a framework for assessment of the investment
attractiveness of nuclear energy projects with SMRs
• Potential Markets:
Countries with small electricity grid/with remote areas
Countries with infrastructure constraints
Small generating companies or utilities
Non-electrical applications (process heat and desalination)
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IAEA Analytical Tools
• MESSAGE: Model for Energy Supply Systems
and their General Environmental Impacts
• FINPLAN: Model for Financial Analysis of
electric sector expansion Plans
Models applicable to assess the role and
competitiveness of SMR and can be used
interactively by treating SMR as
one of the energy options
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IAEA Response to the Global Trend
• Project 1.1.5.5: Common Technologies and Issues for
SMRs (P&B 2010 – 2011, and 2012 – 2013)
• Objective: To facilitate the development of key
enabling technologies and the resolution of enabling
infrastructure issues common to future SMRs of
various types
• Expected outcome: Increased international
cooperation for the development of key enabling
technologies and the resolution of enabling
infrastructure issues common to future SMRs of
various types
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IAEA’s Project 1.1.5.5 (2010 - 2011)
• Research Coordination Meeting for the CRP on “Development of Advanced Methodologies for the Assessment of Passive Safety System Performance in Advanced Reactors (I31018)” • Date/place: 26 - 28 April 2011 in IAEA – Vienna (DONE)
• Consultancy Meeting on "Status of Innovative SMR Designs with a Potential of Being Deployed by 2020" • Date/place: 2 - 4 May 2011 in IAEA – Vienna
• TC - Workshop on Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technology for Near Term Deployment • Date/place: 4-8 July 2011 in IAEA – Vienna
• 3rd Technical Meeting on “Options to Incorporate Intrinsic Proliferation Resistance Features to NPPs with Innovative SMRs” • Date/place: 15 - 18 August 2011 in IAEA – Vienna
• CM on "Options to Enhance Energy Supply Security with NPPs based on SMRs“ • Date/place: 3 -6 October 2011 in IAEA – Vienna
• Workshop on “Technology Assessment of SMR deployable by 2020” • Date/place: 5 – 9 December 2011 in IAEA – Vienna
• Extra-budgetary from Republic of Korea
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IAEA’s Project 1.1.5.5 (2012 - 2013)
• Develop roadmap for technology development, assessment and deployment
• Review newcomer countries requirements, regulatory infrastructure and business issues
• Define operability-performance, maintainability and constructability indicators
• Develop guidance to facilitate countries with planning for SMRs technology implementation
• Coordinate CRP on development of methodologies
• Provide education and training
• Improve economic competitiveness evaluation methodology
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The Projects are to be Discussed in this Consultants Meeting
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IAEA’s Publications on SMR
Status Report of Innovative SMR Designs:
• Design features, safety approaches, and
R&D trends
• SMR with Conventional Refuelling
• SMR without On-Site Refuelling
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IAEA’s Publications on SMR
Selected Common Areas of Technology and
Infrastructure Development:
• Design options to cope with External Events
• Design features to achieve Defense-in-Depth
• Neutronic characteristics, emergency
planning, and development scenarios
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New! Advanced Reactor Information System (ARIS)
• A web-accessible database of comprehensive and balanced
information about all reactor designs and concepts: http://aris.iaea.org/
• Based on the information provided by the developers of each reactor
design/concepts
• Harmonized to result in an unbiased and easy to use source of
information.
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2
Heat exchanger of
PRACS
Secondary
sodium loop of
PRACS
Seismic
isolator
Top dome
(Containment
vessel)
RV & GV
(GV - containment
vessel)
RVACS
(Air flow
path)
Secondary
sodium
loop
Shielding
plug
IHX
EM pumps
(Two units in
series) Fuel subassembly
(18 fuel
subassemblies) Radial shielding
Movable reflector
(6 sectors):
- Upper region:
cavity
- Lower region:
reflector
Ultimate
shutdown rod &
fixed absorber (the
central
subassembly)
Coolant inlet
module
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To be published in 2011
1. Approaches to Assess Competitiveness of Small
and Medium-sized Reactors
2. Framework for the Application of Assessment
Methodologies for Proliferation Resistance of
Innovative SMRs
3. Booklet on 2011 Status of Innovative Small and
Medium-sized Reactors with Potential Near Term
Deployment
• Supplementary to Advanced Reactor Information
System (ARIS)
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Conclusions (1)
• 58 plants under construction (as of early 2011)
• give many different signals for the future
• Future will offer a variety of different options
• Is there “right size” to address global energy needs?
• Each country will adopt different strategies
• Build-own-operate is available – UAE, Jordan, Turkey,
Vietnam, …
• Domestic industries participation play a major role
• SMR reactor designers aiming for substantial portions of
market
• Some countries already have SMRs – lesson-learned.
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Conclusions (2) • SMRs - an attractive nuclear power option for developing
countries with small electricity grids and less-developed
infrastructure
• High potential for deployment in mid-term (2020 – 2025),
but much work yet to be accomplished by reactor
designers, national nuclear regulators, and electric utilities.
• Innovative SMR concepts have several common
technology development challenges: licensability,
competitiveness, actual electricity cost, financing schemes, energy
policy in new-comer developing countries
• Economic: $ per kWe to construct? $ per kWe-hr to operate?
• Moving lessons-learned from the Fukushima Accident into
the design, safety, economic, financial, licensing, and public
acceptance considerations for SMRs
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