Microreactor - Licensing Information
Licensing & Regulatory Engagement
The University of Illinois is applying to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a Construction Permit for the installation of the USNC MMR System. This process involves the submission of both an Environmental Report (ER) and a Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR). This page contains our progress on these fronts, our regulatory engagement plan, and additional information on the research reactor application process.
What are the ER and PSAR documents?
In order to obtain a license for non-power reactors, entities such as the University of Illinois must follow the guidelines set forth by the U.S. NRC under NUREG-1537 (see parts one and two below). This set of regulations establishes the information that must be obtained and presented to the NRC for subsequent reviewal of the license application. The environmental report (ER) and preliminary safety analysis report (PSAR) are the primary documents that will be submitted to meet these guidelines. The ER focuses on the selected sites, their natural environments, and the impact of a facility on surrounding communities. The PSAR analyzes the reactor and the support facility itself, along with its safety and control systems.
Regulatory Engagement Plan
In August 2022, the University of Illinois collaborated with Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation to submit a regulatory engagement plan to the U.S. NRC. This document outlines and schedules our future steps in the regulatory engagement process with the NRC as we apply to obtain a construction permit for the microreactor site. The PDF of the engagement plan is available here, and the important milestones on our timeline are presented below.
Access Public Documents
The NRC makes available and updates all public documents related to the nation's civilian nuclear projects. To access the NRC's overview of our project, see the left link below. To view all public documentation, access the Web-based ADAMS library on the right. For further research, the project's identification number is NRC Project No. 99902094.
Licensing White Paper - Research Reactor
In June 2022, the University of Illinois publicly released the below document. The 104(c) Licensing Pathway White Paper for the proposed UIUC research reactor (USNRC Project No. 99902094) discusses all aspects of our mission and goals for the project. This document supports the choice of the 104(c) Licensing Pathway, which is the regulatory framework for university research reactors. Facilities within this classification are licensed by the NRC through the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.
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