Decision

GDA Step 2 statement: summary on the Rolls-Royce SMR

Updated 30 July 2024

Applies to England and Wales

The Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales have issued this Step 2 statement to Rolls-Royce SMR Limited on its successful completion of Step 2 of the generic design assessment (GDA) of its Small Modular Reactor design, a 470MWe pressurised water reactor.

The assessment has been carried out in line with our published guidance: Environment Agency: Guidance for Requesting Parties (2019).

The Environment Agency in partnership with Natural Resources Wales have assessed the fundamental aspects of the Rolls-Royce SMR plant design related to environmental protection and waste management. This statement provides a summary of our view following completion of the assessment.

1. Overall conclusion

Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has demonstrated through its submissions that there are no identified fundamental shortfalls with the Rolls-Royce SMR plant design that may prevent it from being permitted under the Environmental Permitting Regulations in England and Wales.

We have also not identified any significant issues to date that may prevent us from being able to issue a Statement of Design Acceptability (SoDA) at the end of Step 3 of the GDA.

2. Our Step 2 assessment

We set out our detailed findings and conclusions in our Step 2 Fundamental Assessment Report (Environment Agency 2024). We agreed a scope of assessment with the Requesting Party in Step 1. The agreed GDA scope is comprehensive with regards to environmental protection and contains all the systems, structures and components that have a bearing on the generation and management of radioactive waste for the lifecycle of the plant.

This statement and its conclusions are based on the findings of our assessment made on Version 2 Tier 1 of the Environment, Safety, Security and Safeguards case (E3S case) and supporting documents submitted by Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd as the GDA Requesting Party.

The submissions assessed are identified in the Master Document Submission List (Rolls-Royce SMR Limited 2024a). The Rolls-Royce SMR plant design that we assessed in Step 2 was set out in the design reference report (Rolls-Royce SMR Limited, 2024b).

Our findings relate to environmental protection and radioactive waste management issues. All matters relating to safety, security and safeguards are the responsibility of the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

This statement does not guarantee we will issue a SoDA or environmental permits following a future detailed assessment.

3. Main findings and assessment outcomes

• The Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales have not identified any fundamental issues with the design following our assessment.
• There are currently no identified areas that may prevent us from being able to issue a Statement of Design Acceptability at the end of Step 3.
• There have been no Regulatory Issues raised to date during this GDA.
• Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has engaged Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) to provide an expert view on the future disposal of spent fuel and higher activity radioactive waste. NWS have concluded that overall there is a low risk that radioactive waste from the Rolls-Royce SMR plant design will not be able to be disposed of in the future. We agree with this view.
• We are satisfied that Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has demonstrated that its design at this stage is likely to be consistent with the application of the best available techniques for minimising the impact of radioactive waste disposals on people and the environment.
• Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has made significant progress in considering sustainability when developing its organisation and design.
• We agree the radiation dose to people and non-human biota from radioactive waste discharges and disposals is likely to be below relevant dose limits and dose constraints during normal operations.
• Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has addressed all the Regulatory Queries issued by the Environment Agency.

4. Forward look

We have conducted a readiness review and have concluded that Rolls-Royce SMR Limited is ready to commence Step 3 (detailed assessment). The regulators are satisfied that all necessary preparatory activities have been carried out, including setting a suitable design reference point and that Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has suitable and sufficient resources in place to carry out Step 3.

Rolls-Royce SMR Limited will now enter Step 3 of the GDA. Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has declared its intent to seek a SoDA from us (and a Design Acceptance Confirmation from ONR). We have not currently identified any issues that may prevent us issuing a SoDA at the end of Step 3. However, there is still a significant amount of work to do, both in design development and substantiation by Rolls-Royce SMR Limited and in detailed design assessment by the regulators.

5. References

Rolls-Royce SMR Limited, 2024a. Rolls-Royce SMR Limited, Master Document Submission List and Document List, SMR0001724, Issue 13, May 2024.

Rolls-Royce SMR Limited, 2024b. Rolls-Royce SMR – GDA Design Reference Report, SMR0009043, Issue 2, April 2024.

Environment Agency, 2024. Generic Design Assessment of the Rolls-Royce SMR design. Step 2 – Fundamental Assessment Report (FAR) 2024.