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National Atomic Energy Agency

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Polish-Canadian cooperation for SMR

14.06.2023

The President of the National Atomic Energy Agency and the Vice President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) have signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Memorandum of Cooperation on Small Modular Reactors (SMR). A committee on advanced nuclear technologies and SMRs was established, with experts from the CNSC and PAA as members.

The President of the National Atomic Energy Agency and the Vice-President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission sign the terms of reference of the memorandum of cooperation on small modular reactors (SMR).

The Terms of Reference were signed on June 14 during a visit of the delegation of the PAA to Ottawa, the headquarters of the Canadian nuclear regulatory authority. This is another step strengthening Polish-Canadian cooperation on new nuclear technologies, primarily SMR technology.

– Today we have signed an important document that details the terms of cooperation of the PAA with our Canadian partner under the Memorandum of Cooperation concluded in February this year – the President of the PAA Andrzej Glowacki said. – When it comes to nuclear energy, international cooperation is crucial for the development of individual institutions. It is very important to exchange knowledge and analysis results, especially at a time of intensive development of new nuclear technologies. We are pleased to have such an experienced partner with many years of expertise as the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission” – added the President of the PAA.

The Terms of Reference, signed on Wednesday, establish a committee on advanced nuclear and SMR technologies. It is composed of experts from both the PAA and CNSC. The committee is to coordinate cooperation between the Polish and Canadian regulatory authorities for large-scale nuclear water reactors and small modular reactors. The cooperation between the PAA and CNSC is to be based on, inter alia:

  • developing common approaches to technical reviews of advanced reactors and SMRs. This activity is expected to streamline national regulatory reviews;
  • joint design-specific assessments to ensure mutual readiness for an effective review of advanced reactor and SMR designs;
  • conducting research, training and developing mutual regulatory approaches to ensure nuclear safety;
  • exchanging information on regulations and regulatory documents dedicated to advanced nuclear reactor technologies.

The signed Terms of Reference (ToR) represent another document strengthening Polish-Canadian regulatory cooperation. The first memorandum of cooperation was concluded between the parties as early as in 2014.

Cooperation in practice – PAA’s training at CNSC

Cooperation with Canadian regulatory authority translates into real action. One of the National Atomic Energy Agency's experts has just started a three-month internship at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. As part of the training in Ottawa, the Polish expert will participate in the licensing process currently underway in Canada for the BWRX-300 reactor.

During the internship, the representative of the Polish nuclear regulatory authority will work in several departments, responsible for different elements of the regulatory assessment, in order to become familiar with the entire process. The main purpose of participation in the training is to prepare the representative of the PAA for the licensing process of SMR reactors, which are also planned to be introduced in Poland. 

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