Establishing the Framework to Facilitate Licensing of New Nuclear Projects in Embarking Countries

The report argues that embarking countries face significant human and financial resource constraints when establishing the regulatory infrastructure required for nuclear licensing. To address this, it proposes the creation of an International Technical Support Organization (ITSO)—an independent body funded primarily by vendor nations—to provide technical reviews, inspection assistance, and training. Additionally, it advocates for a streamlined licensing model where embarking countries voluntarily accept design reviews conducted by other competent regulators to avoid duplicative processes and preserve the economic benefits of modular reactor standardization.

• Embarking countries face three primary barriers to establishing nuclear licensing programs: a lack of domestic human resources, insufficient financial resources to build regulatory capabilities, and a global shortage of nuclear technical expertise, particularly for advanced reactor systems.
• The current regulatory model is inefficient for countries seeking small modular reactors (SMRs) or microreactors, as it requires them to invest nearly as much in regulatory infrastructure as those deploying gigawatt-scale plants.
• The proposed International Technical Support Organization (ITSO) would provide services including conducting and reviewing license applications, assisting with construction and operation inspections, and providing training to national regulatory bodies.
• The ITSO is designed as an independent entity with a minimal permanent structure consisting of an Executive Team of 9 full-time employees, utilizing an 'Expert Pool' of independent contractors for technical assignments.
• Based on U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) data from 2012-2018, the average cost for a Combined Construction and Operating License (COL) review was approximately $25.7 million, though the report suggests ITSO costs would likely be lower due to the use of pre-certified designs and smaller reactor sizes.
• The ITSO would be primarily funded by governments of nuclear vendor nations to expand the international market for their suppliers, with potential supplemental funding from charitable sources or organizations focused on decarbonization.
• To streamline deployment, the report proposes that embarking countries make a voluntary commitment to accept design reviews conducted by other competent nuclear regulatory bodies, citing the United Arab Emirates' acceptance of the Republic of Korea's review for the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant as a precedent.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2023). Establishing the Framework to Facilitate Licensing of New Nuclear Projects in Embarking Countries. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/14121256/establishing-framework-facilitate-licensing-new-nuclear-projects-embarking-countries.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Establishing the Framework to Facilitate Licensing of New Nuclear Projects in Embarking Countries. 2023. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/14121256/establishing-framework-facilitate-licensing-new-nuclear-projects-embarking-countries.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Establishing the Framework to Facilitate Licensing of New Nuclear Projects in Embarking Countries |date=February 2023 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/14121256/establishing-framework-facilitate-licensing-new-nuclear-projects-embarking-countries.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2023establishing, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Establishing the Framework to Facilitate Licensing of New Nuclear Projects in Embarking Countries}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/14121256/establishing-framework-facilitate-licensing-new-nuclear-projects-embarking-countries.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }