The NRC’s Office of Advanced Reactors held an October 28 workshop on how applicants could use information from Department of Energy (DOE) authorization in NRC commercial licensing. The session examined a possible bridge between the two processes, following an NRC rule finalized in October that allows applicants with DOE- or Department of Defense-authorized reactor designs to pursue a streamlined licensing pathway. The rule takes effect November 25.

NRC staff discussed a 158-page white paper that groups potential use of DOE authorization information into maximum, moderate and limited categories. The paper is not intended for applicants to rely on when preparing applications, but can support public discussion. How much information can be used will depend on factors including the similarity of agency requirements and reviews, the safety significance of the information, its documentation and the applicant’s justification of its relevance.

NRC staff cautioned that DOE test facilities in the Reactor Pilot Program or Nuclear Energy Launch Pad have generally operated for limited periods and within limited scopes. Their safety analyses may not include the explicit design criteria and requirements needed for NRC commercial licensing. Matt Hiser, an NRC senior materials engineer, said operations lasting decades raise different fuel-cycle and fission-product considerations from tests lasting hours, weeks or months.

Jackie Harvey, an NRC senior project manager, urged applicants to engage with the NRC before applying to identify which authorization information could be used and what gaps might need to be filled.