SMART100 Standard Design Approval... Green Light for Leading the Global SMR Market

The standard design of the small modular reactor (SMR) ‘SMART100 (System integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor 100)’ has received final approval from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC).

Standard design approval is an essential gateway that must be passed to repeatedly construct power reactors (nuclear power plants) of the same design. The licensing authority (NSSC) conducts a comprehensive review of the safety of the reactor and related facilities’ standard design to decide whether to grant approval. With the standard design approval, SMART100 now has the opportunity to secure a leading position in the global SMR market.

SMART100 plant bird's-eye view. Provided by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

According to the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) on the 26th, the NSSC resolved to approve the standard design of SMART100 at the ‘201st Nuclear Safety and Security Commission meeting’ held that day.

SMART100 is a next-generation export-type reactor that enhances reactor output and safety from SMART, the world’s first SMR to receive standard design approval by KAERI in 2012.

KAERI increased the output (thermal output from 330MW to 365MW, electric output from 100MW to 110MW) and introduced a fully passive safety system into SMART100 through safety enhancement research on the existing SMART and the Korea-Saudi joint pre-project engineering.

The fully passive safety system refers to a system that can take safety measures using natural forces such as gravity and fluid density differences and stored energy without electrical power supply to cool the core and containment building in case of an accident.

Additionally, complementary designs such as installing equipment that can automatically shut down operations during an earthquake were implemented to prepare for incidents similar to the Fukushima nuclear accident.

SMART100 reactor configuration. Provided by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

In particular, SMART100, based on proven pressurized water reactor technology, applied innovative technologies such as integral reactor technology and passive safety concepts, enabling improved safety, economic feasibility, and maximized usability.

KAERI expects that obtaining the SMART100 standard design approval will not only secure the foundation for constructing SMART100 in Saudi Arabia but also positively impact securing standard design approval for innovative SMRs (i-SMRs) and lead to preempting the global SMR market through exports to third countries.

The i-SMR is considered a next-generation Korean SMR that adds innovative technologies to the integral reactor and fully passive safety systems reflected in the SMART100 design. Development is currently underway with the goal of obtaining standard design approval by 2028.

Moreover, the SMART100 standard design approval is expected to enhance the licensing feasibility of SMART-C and act as a catalyst for Korea to secure a favorable position in the global SMR market. SMART-C is a lightweight model of SMART100 (with the same output but about half the weight) intended for export to Canada.

Joo Han-gyu, President of KAERI, said, “The SMART100 standard design approval will be an important milestone for the commercialization of SMART,” adding, “We will strive to ensure that SMART exports can actually take place in countries pursuing SMR adoption such as Saudi Arabia, Canada, Turkey, and South Africa.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.