A new international collaboration to pave the way for the global deployment of advanced lead-cooled Small Modular Reactors was officially launched on 15 September at the opening of the IAEA’s 69th General Conference in Vienna.
During a signing ceremony the EAGLES Consortium and the nuclear regulators of Belgium (FANC), Italy (ISIN), and Romania (CNCAN) officially kicked off an international pre-licensing initiative for the EAGLES-300 reactor.
As the first pilot project under the Nuclear Harmonisation and Standardisation Initiative (NHSI) of the International Atomic Energy Agency, this milestone represents an important step toward cross-border harmonisation of nuclear safety regulations.
SMRs are designed for global deployment and to become available more quickly through serial production. Yet today, each country still applies its own nuclear safety rules and licensing procedures. These different national rules and procedures may require developers to go through separate licensing processes in every country, making it harder to benefit from the scalability of SMRs. The IAEA believes that this is where international harmonisation can make the difference.
The EAGLES-300 pre-licensing project is a first-of-a-kind initiative. Never before have national regulators collaborated so early in the development process of an advanced small modular reactor. By aligning safety standards and regulatory expectations early, while fully respecting national responsibilities, the EAGLES pre-licensing project aims to reduce duplication, clarify requirements, and accelerate the safe worldwide deployment of advanced SMRs.
IAEA support
The IAEA supports the project within its NHSI Regulatory Track. NHSI aims to align regulatory practices across borders, making it easier to license and deploy innovative reactor designs like EAGLES-300 efficiently and safely. “Our support of this pre-licensing joint review effort is a natural next step of the IAEA’s Nuclear Harmonisation and Standardization Initiative (NHSI) …” said Rafael Grossi, director general of IAEA, adding: “Almost every day the IAEA gets inquiries about when SMRs will be available … and the IAEA is at the centre of the international effort to make sure this demand can be met, with due consideration for safety, security and safeguards.”
Lead-cooled SMRs
EAGLES-300 is a lead-cooled SMR with an electrical output of about 300 MWe. Its modular design enables faster construction, lower investment costs and flexible deployment. Beyond electricity, it can provide heat for industrial applications and hydrogen production. An advanced fuel strategy, including the use of recycled materials, is said to enhance sustainability, reduce radioactive waste and improve resource efficiency.
