NuScale Safeguards by Design

In 2022, NuScale Power LLC, (NuScale) initiated an internal project to establish an international safeguards strategy for the NuScale VOYGR power plants. The strategy allows for stakeholders to ensure relevant safeguards obligations can be met domestically and internationally. In the absence of a ‘model safeguards approach’ for small modular reactors NuScale developed the major aspects of a safeguards program that meets International Atomic Energy Agency objectives. The key components of the international safeguards strategy include defining and incorporating requirements into the design, developing proposed solutions for safeguards activities (e.g. material control and accountability, containment and surveillance, and nondestructive analysis, etc.), and establishing a consensus on the proposed strategy. NuScale’s generic safeguards strategy and experiences with safeguards by design will be presented.