Codes and Standards for Advanced Reactors

Nuclear power continues to be a significant contributor to carbon-free electric generation around the world. Reactor designs are now being developed for advanced reactors, such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and microreactors, that are vastly different than the current generation of Light Water Reactors.  Providing consensus standards that support the design, operation and regulation of these emerging reactor technologies is vital to implementing these developing energy systems. The PES Nuclear Power Engineering Committee (NPEC) is a key standards development organization (SDO) that provides guidance on consensus practices for the nuclear industry.  NPEC is responsible for developing and maintaining international standards addressing the safe and effective application of electrical and electronic technology at nuclear power facilities. To date NPEC has no standards specific to advanced reactors but has focused on making its standards reactor technology neutral to the extent possible and identifying specific standards needed to support advanced reactor development. 

To address the needs of advanced reactor community, NPEC is a participating SDO within the Advanced Reactor Codes and Standards Collaborative (ARCSC). ARCSC was recently established by the Nuclear Energy Institute and EPRI to facilitate implementation of the North American Advanced Reactor Roadmap [1]. Through ARCSC, NPEC is supporting the identification of gaps in existing standards and contributing to the implementation of a risk-informed, performance-based approach to standards development. In July, NPEC will report on standards development activities to address the needs of advanced reactors during a scheduled panel session at the 2024 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting in Seattle.

1. https://www.epri.com/research/products/000000003002027504