Determining Appropriate Licensing Strategies for Novel Nuclear Technologies in Canada

Abstract

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) regulates all nuclear facilities and activities in Canada. Regulatory decisions are founded on science and use rigorous risk-informed decision-making processes. The CNSC uses a combination of prescriptive and performance-based approaches to ensure regulatory activities (licensing and compliance) are conducted in an effective, flexible and pragmatic manner.Pre-licensing activities ensure regulatory expectations are clear. The CNSC has established a new pre-licensing process, Determining Appropriate Licensing Strategies for Novel Nuclear Technologies [1], for developing risk-informed strategies that takes into account the degree of novelty, complexity and potential harm. This process can be applied across all types of activities or facilities, such as those that involve small modular reactors, and across all technology readiness levels. It solicits proposal information and provides the proponent with an overview of the regulatory approach and related expectations. This provides enhanced regulatory certainty regarding the licensing of novel nuclear activities in Canada.