Decision

GDA Step 1 statement: summary on the Holtec SMR

Published 1 August 2024

Applies to England and Wales

This statement sets out our findings following Step 1 (initiation) of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) of the Holtec SMR-300 (small modular reactor) nuclear power station design.

Holtec International is the ‘Requesting Party’ that submitted this design for GDA. The GDA is being managed by Holtec Britain Limited, a wholly owned UK subsidiary of Holtec International. The environmental regulators – the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales – work closely with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) on GDA.

The Holtec SMR-300 design is a pressurised water reactor with an electrical output of 300 megawatts of electricity. The design has changed during GDA from the SMR-160 to the SMR-300 as the result of a modification. The SMR-160 was the subject of Holtec’s GDA application.

1. The GDA process

In GDA, the environmental regulators assess if the environmental aspects of a new reactor design are acceptable. We do this before any developer applies to construct and operate the design at a specific site. GDA enables the regulators to get involved at an early stage of the design when they can have most influence.

The objectives for Step 1 are for the Requesting Party and the Environment Agency to agree:

• the scope of the GDA
• how the Requesting Party will document its environment case and submit it for assessment during the GDA process
• how the Requesting Party will address any gaps in meeting regulatory requirements, the expectations that it has identified, and its plan for this work
• the arrangements the Requesting Party has put in place to carry out the GDA
• the schedule and associated programme for subsequent steps, including plans for submissions and the development of the Requesting Party website and comments process ready for entry to Step 2 (fundamental assessment)

The environmental regulators began Step 1 of the GDA of the Holtec SMR-300 in October 2023 and it lasted for 10 months.

At the end of Step 1, we concluded that:

• Holtec International has completed all the elements of Step 1 that are needed to enter Step 2 of GDA
• the environmental regulators and Holtec International have adequate resources in place and are ready to enter Step 2

The environmental regulators have agreed with Holtec International, therefore, that, following the process of a readiness review and Environment Agency board agreement, Step 2 can begin in August 2024.

In coming to this position, the environmental regulators have engaged extensively with Holtec International and ONR to review the suitability of all the relevant information provided (submissions) during Step 1.

The regulators have agreed that the scope of the GDA is appropriate. Holtec International has provided enough information and functional specifications for the design so that it can carry out a meaningful GDA.

Holtec International has confirmed that it is seeking to complete 2 steps of GDA, with a Step 2 Statement to be issued at the end of Step 2.

2. Proposed timetable

The proposed timescales for this GDA is to enter Step 2 in August 2024, and the environmental regulators have agreed to this. Holtec International aims to conclude Step 2 in October 2025.

3. Information submissions

Holtec International has provided scope and submission plans for each topic that the environmental regulators will be assessing in Step 2. We have discussed these plans with Holtec International and consider that they are sufficient for meaningful assessment to be carried out.

We have agreed the submission schedules for each topic. However, these plans are subject to change, and the regulators will continue to discuss the Step 2 submissions schedule with Holtec International. Holtec International has also set out an acceptable structure for the submissions that make up the environment case.

Interface arrangements are in place that set out how Holtec International will submit information and how the regulators will track it.

The interface arrangements also cover correspondence and meetings, and how Regulatory Queries, Regulatory Observations and Regulatory Issues will be raised and tracked.

The submissions Holtec International provided adequately address all the information requirements set out in our GDA guidance for Requesting Parties for Step 1.

Holtec International has set out how it will manage the comments process and make information available to the public on a website during Step 2. We have agreed that these arrangements are suitable and will be ready for the start of Step 2.

The GDA Step 1 of the Holtec SMR: statement of findings full report sets out in more detail the activities that have taken place during Step 1 and the regulators’ views on relevant topics.