There is growing interest in Europe in the deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). One type of SMR is the integral Pressurised Water Reactor (iPWR), which is ready to be licensed as a new build. Despite the reinforcement of the first three levels of the defence-in-depth (DiD) approach, a sound demonstration of iPWR ability to address severe accidents (SA) should be carried out (DiD levels 4-5). In this context, the EU-funded SASPAM-SA project aims to investigate the applicability and transfer of the operating large light-water reactor knowledge and know-how to the iPWR, taking into account European licensing analysis needs for the SA and emergency planning zone. Project outcomes will help speed up the licensing and siting process of iPWRs in Europe.
SASPAM-SA (Safety Analysis of SMR with Passive Mitigation strategies - Severe Accident) project proposal has been funded in HORIZON-EURATOM-2021-NRT-01-01, “Safety of operating nuclear power plants and research reactors”.
Key Objective:
- to investigate the applicability and transfer of the operating large-LWR reactor knowledge and know-how to the near-term deployment of integral PWR (iPWR), in the view of Severe Accident (SA) and Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) European licensing analyses needs.
Key Outcomes:
- To be supportive for the iPWR licensing process by bringing up key elements of the safety demonstration needed;
- To speed up the licensing and siting process of iPWRs in Europe.
Key Highlights:
- The applicability of large-LWR reactor knowledge & know-how to the near-term deployment iPWR, in view of SA and EPZ analyses, will be assessed and consolidated.
- The research priorities will be identified in terms of methodology, code development and experimental needs;
- The knowledge gained can support Regulators in decision-making as well as Industry and TSOs in assessing the applicability of iPWR safety features.
The project is coordinated by ENEA and twenty-three Organizations from fourteen Countries are involved: ENEA, CIEMAT, CNRS, EDF, FZJ, GRS, INRNE, IRSN, KIT, KTH, LEI, POLIMI, RATEN, RUB, SINTEC, SSTC-NRS, SURO, TRACTEBEL, TUS, UNIROMA1, VTT, PSI, JRC.
SASPAM-SA has started on the 1st October 2022 and the planned duration is 48 months; the overall cost is 4276038.85 Euros and the EU Contribution is 2991694.00 Euros.
Project coordinator is Fulvio Mascari (fulvio.mascari@enea.it)
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission-Euratom. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.