Study on the costs and benefits of establishing a unified regulatory guidance for emergency preparedness of small modular reactors in China

Abstract

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are rapidly developed worldwide in recent years for their potential extensive applications. China is very active in promoting SMR design and construction. However, the current emergency preparedness (EP) guidance in China is developed based on the characteristics of large water-cooled reactors, and they are only partially applicable to SMRs. In our previous work, we have fully demonstrated from a technical perspective that it is feasible for China to establish a unified EP framework for all SMR designs based on the dose and consequence of an accident spectrum. Therefore, this paper will comprehensively discuss the costs and benefits of establishing a unified EP guidance for all SMR designs in China. Uncertainty analysis is also conducted for variables with great uncertainty. Through the study in this paper, it can be concluded that developing a new unified EP regulatory guidance for all SMR designs in China is cost beneficial in most cases. In addition, it will also bring other benefits that are hard to be quantified, such as the consistency of supervision, the clarity of the EP plan, and the improved engagement of all stakeholders during SMR development. In a word, it would always be beneficial to establish a new unified EP regulatory guidance for all SMR designs in the long term.