Licensing reactors for the water

As interest in advanced reactor technologies continues to expand, the NRC is seeing growing attention on the potential deployment of nuclear reactors in maritime environments, including floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) and nuclear propulsion systems.

The NRC stands ready to license maritime nuclear reactors today under 10 CFR Part 50, Part 52, and Part 53. Staff is also pursuing a rulemaking focusing on licensing microreactors and other reactors with comparable risk profiles, which would offer an additional framework that could be used to license these technologies.

The NRC and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) recently established a memorandum of understanding (MOU) (ML26096A081) to strengthen coordination on civilian maritime nuclear projects, including floating nuclear power plants and civilian nuclear propulsion. The MOU establishes a framework for the coordination and implementation of requirements governing the design, construction, operation, and oversight of civilian nuclear reactors installed on vessels or facilities subject to USCG jurisdiction. The MOU replaces a previous 1973 MOU between the NRC’s predecessor, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the USCG, and modernizes how both agencies work together to oversee innovative maritime nuclear systems.

The NRC and the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) recently established an MOU (ML24354A066) to clarify jurisdiction and streamline processes for nuclear energy projects deployed on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The MOU will ensure nuclear energy projects on the OCS are developed in a safe and environmentally responsible manner by fostering interagency communication and cooperation, clearly delineating areas of expertise and jurisdiction, and helping the regulated community understand applicable regulations.

The NRC is undertaking the development of a white paper that will describe how existing licensing frameworks can be applied to FNPPs and nuclear propulsion. This effort builds on the staff’s experience with microreactor licensing activities, lessons learned from the licensing of the Offshore Power Systems FNPP design, and the Atomic Energy Commission’s licensing of the NS Savannah. The purpose of this white paper will be to provide prospective applicants with an overview of unique regulatory considerations in maritime nuclear deployments and present current perspectives on flexible, performance-based regulatory approaches.