Estonian company Fermi Energia is raising capital to start the official planning process for new generation small modular reactor units and has signed a declaration with eight other firms and organisations calling for deployment in Europe by the 2030s.
The declaration calls for “a pragmatic approach” to SMR licensing to overcome licensing and regulatory challenges and reduce SMR project risk relating to nuclear regulation and the licensing process. It says SMR design standardisation must be facilitated “to the greatest extent possible”.
“In developing or updating the regulatory framework applicable to SMRs, host country nuclear regulatory bodies should seek to facilitate regulatory harmonisation,” the declaration says. “Regulatory frameworks should be based on International Atomic Energy Agency safety standards and European Union nuclear safety directives should be implemented.”
SMR host countries should also consider compatibility with relevant vendor and reference plants.
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