A mandatory requirement under the new Commission Regulation (Euratom) 2025/974, which came into effect on 6 July this year, safeguards-by-design refers to the process where operators of new or modified nuclear facilities integrate Euratom safeguards considerations into the design phase and formally provide this design information to the European Commission.
The safeguards-by-design framework represents one of the three pillars - commonly referred to as the '3S' framework - of nuclear licensing, alongside safety (which ensures protection for people and the environment against radiation and nuclear materials) and security (which focuses on protecting facilities from theft, sabotage, or malicious acts). Each pillar undergoes rigorous assessment or oversight by competent authorities, including Euratom.
"This submission marks a significant step along with nuclear safety and security progress with national regulators towards obtaining a nuclear licence in France and positions Newcleo among the very first developers of small modular reactors (SMRs) to begin this process with Euratom," the company said.
Paris-headquartered Newcleo's delivery roadmap sees the first non-nuclear precursor prototype of its lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) being ready by 2026 in Italy and the first reactor operational in France as early as 2032, while the final investment decision for the first commercial power plant is expected around 2029. At the same time, Newcleo will directly invest in a mixed uranium/plutonium oxide (MOX) plant to fuel its reactors. It has initiated site acquisition and public consultation processes in France for the MOX fuel pilot assembly line in Nogent-sure-Seine. It has also established a joint venture with Javys for up to four LFR-AS-200 reactors at the Bohunice nuclear power plant site in Slovakia.
Newcleo expects the safeguards review process to take about two years and will run this concurrently with other licensing procedures with French nuclear regulators, including the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire et de Radioprotection (ASNR). The company aims to incorporate safeguards considerations into the reactor facility's design as part of its licence application, which is anticipated to be submitted to the French Ministry of Environment by the end of 2027.
"Engaging safeguards-by-design stage reflects our enthusiasm and projects' maturity and requires a profound understanding of our future operations," said Stéphane Calpena, Newcleo's Group Executive Director for Licensing Affairs. "Early collaboration with European and French regulators not only builds our licensing experience but also provides invaluable knowledge that we can leverage in other jurisdictions as we progress with our licensing initiatives worldwide."
In parallel with its engagement with Euratom, Newcleo is still actively advancing the national licensing process in France for both its LFR reactor and its advanced fuel fabrication facility. The company has already submitted a comprehensive safety options dossier for the fuel fabrication facility to ASNR, with plans to submit the safety options dossier for its LFR reactor by the end of this month.
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