The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) has applied to the UK Government for a justification decision for Rolls-Royce SMR’s reactor design. Justification is a regulatory process which requires a Government decision before any new class or type of practice involving ionising radiation can be introduced in the UK.

This is the first ever application for justification of a UK reactor design. The UK Government has confirmed that the application has been accepted for consideration, and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will support the Secretary of State in their role as the justifying authority responsible for the justification decision. DEFRA will now conduct a process of internal review and consultation with a number of statutory consultees.

The Rolls-Royce SMR design is a three loop PWR with an output of 470 MWe derived from 1,358 MWt. The Rolls-Royce SMR concept is centred on modularisation of reliable and proven technology, allowing maximum use of the factory environment to combine standard components with advanced manufacturing techniques. The factory-built modularisation approach is expected to drastically reduce the amount of on-site construction while its compact footprint and modular design means it can be located alongside energy intensive industrial processes.

It is one of six SMR designs short;isted in October 2023 by Great British Nuclear for the UK’s SMR selection competition. A final investment decision in two or three of the designs is expected to be taken in 2029.

“Our application makes the case that the benefits of clean, firm, flexible power from the reactor would far outweigh any potential risks, which are in any event rigorously controlled by robust safety features, including passive safety systems, built into the design, in line with the UK’s regulatory requirements,” NIA said.

“The application also demonstrates that the reactor design would support nuclear energy’s contribution to a stable and well-balanced electricity grid, which is essential to reduce consumer bills and maintain economic competitiveness.”

While a justification decision is a required step for the operation of a new nuclear technology in the UK, it is not a permit or licence that allows a specific project to go ahead. It is a generic decision based on a high-level evaluation of the potential benefits and detriments of the proposed new nuclear practice as a pre-cursor to future regulatory processes.

“Rolls-Royce SMR’s design, like other SMRs, offer huge possibilities for the UK to revive our industrial capabilities and deliver low-carbon energy for net zero and energy security. We are delighted to support this step to get the design approved in its home country, said NIA CEO Tom Greatrex. “It is essential that our nuclear renaissance is made in Britain, so the new Government should ensure that we deploy enough SMR designs to justify investment in the UK supply chain to deliver them.”

Helena Perry, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Safety & Regulatory Affairs Director, said: “As the UK’s most advanced SMR design, today’s submission for regulatory justification is another important step to ensure that we can continue to move at pace towards deployment in the UK,” She added: “Rolls-Royce SMR remains on track to complete Step 2 of the Generic Design Assessment by the nuclear industry’s independent regulators and move immediately into the third and final step this summer.”

The NIA is the trade body of the UK civil nuclear industry, representing more than 270 companies operating across the sector. As the representative body of the UK civil nuclear industry, NIA often makes justification applications. The NIA was applicant for the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) designed by Hitachi, the Advanced Passive 1000 (AP1000) reactor designed by Westinghouse and the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) designed by AREVA (now Framatome).