SAFEGUARDS BY DESIGN FOR GEN III/III+ LIGHT WATER REACTORS

Safeguards by Design (SBD) is defined as an incorporation of safeguards considerations in the design phase of a nuclear facility to avert potential needs to redesign or retrofit the nuclear facility after the facility construction is completed. An early incorporation of safeguards requirements in the design phase will ensure higher efficiency of safeguards operations and reduce plant life-cycle costs. The inherently safe Generation (GEN) III/III+ light water reactors (LWRs) have simpler designs and higher fuel efficiency than GEN II LWRs. In terms of safeguards, GEN III/III+ LWR designs have a significant impact on current GEN II LWR safeguards regimes and inspection scope from use of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuels, extended time in refueling, and storage of spent fuel, etc. Safeguards guidance for GEN III/III+ LWRs is developed based on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards requirements and objectives, operational input from reactor designers and operators, and lessons learned from inspectors for nuclear power installations. General safeguards guidance, area-specific guidance, and guidance for LWRs using MOX fuels are presented. Emerging technologies in nuclear material verification, enabling direct measurement of fissile material content, are identified. Advanced technologies in unattended and remote monitoring to enhance inspection effectiveness are highlighted. To ensure success of the SBD process, active dialog and interaction are needed among designers, operators, State System of Accounting and Control, and IAEA as early as practical. By using the SBD process, efficient safeguards solutions become part of the facility design, which will be more cost-effective than incorporating safeguards into available space in an already designed facility. This work is performed under the auspices of the original Integrated Safeguards by Design Project Plan. This work directly supports the NextGeneration Safeguards Initiative, sponsored by the Office of Nuclear Safeguards and Security: Safeguards Policy, National Nuclear Security Agency, United States Department of Energy