Choi Wonho, Chairman of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, is exchanging opinions with developers at the "Innovative Small Modular Reactor (i-SMR) Developer Roundtable" held on the 14th at Hotel Intercity in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. The i-SMR is scheduled to apply for standard design approval from the NSSC in 2026. Nuclear Safety and Security Commission
Domestic small modular reactor (SMR) developers have requested that regulatory authorities expedite the licensing and approval process.
On May 14, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) announced that Chairman Choi Wonho presided over the "Innovative Small Modular Reactor (i-SMR) Developer Roundtable" held at Hotel Intercity in Daejeon. The event was attended by over 20 participants, including i-SMR developers such as the Innovative Small Modular Reactor Technology Development Project Group, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Korea Power Engineering Company, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Doosan Enerbility, POSCO E&C, SUSAN ENS, Miraewa Dojeon, Woojin, Formal Works, as well as regulatory bodies such as the NSSC, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control, and the Small Modular Reactor Regulatory Research Promotion Group.
According to the NSSC, at the roundtable, developers presented the current status and future plans for i-SMR development and strongly emphasized the need for rapid licensing of SMRs. The i-SMR completed its basic design as an independent project by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power between 2001 and 2023, and since 2002, it has been promoted as a joint project by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. According to the 11th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand, a 0.7-gigawatt (GW) SMR is scheduled to be launched between 2034 and 2035.
The i-SMR Technology Development Project Group plans to apply for standard design approval in 2026. In preparation for this, since September 2022, the NSSC has been operating the "Innovative Small Modular Reactor Preliminary Design Review Council," which consists of regulatory agencies and developers. In addition, last year, the NSSC provided review reports on seven types of technical reports submitted by developers and is currently reviewing ten additional technical reports.
On this day, Chairman Choi emphasized, "Prioritizing safety from the design stage is the fastest way to achieve the goals of the i-SMR," and added, "As a regulatory authority, we will actively fulfill our role to ensure that the i-SMR achieves the highest level of safety without delaying commercialization."
On the same day, Chairman Choi visited the i-SMR Simulator Center and the SMR-based Smart Net Zero City (SSNC) Control Center at the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Central Research Institute, where he checked the status of emergency response preparedness in the main control room through a simulator demonstration.
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