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Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS)

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Rendering of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS)
Rendering of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS)

Top: FSIS Site with SMRs

 

Left: SMR Paired with FSIS

Who:   Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), with its corporate partners the IHI Corporation, and the JGC Corporation (hereafter the “JAEA Consortium”).
What:   Pre-Application activities associated with a 10 CFR Part 52 Standard Design Approval (SDA) or 10 CFR Part 52 Design Certification.
When:   September 2023 to Present
WNN Article:   https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Japan-demonstrates-floating-seismic-isolation-syst

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Project Overview

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently engaged in pre-application activities with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and its corporate partners the IHI Corporation, and the JGC Corporation (hereafter the “JAEA Consortium”) regarding a standard design application (SDA) for a Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS) paired with a yet named Small Modular Reactor (SMR). The SDA is an NRC staff nuclear plant design approval, issued under 10 CFR Part 52, subpart E. The approval may be for either the final design for the entire reactor facility or the final design of major portions thereof. The paired SMR design concept, as described by the JAEA Consortium is designed to withstand the terrestrial ground accelerations associated with high seismic risk zones substantially reducing seismic responses of the reactor in horizontal and vertical directions.

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Public Meeting Summaries

Meeting Date Title Meeting Summary
09/05/2023 Meeting Summary on Japan Atomic Energy Agency Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS) for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). ML23258A197
11/29/2023 Quality Assurance Program for Validation Testing of The Floating Seismic Isolation System for SMRs White Paper (WP) Public Meeting ML23347A090
11/20/2024 FSIS Quality Assurance Program Description (QAPD) and FSIS Technology WP Public Meeting  
03/2026 FSIS Paired SMR Conceptual design  
03/2027 Probabilistic risk analysis (PRA), on FSIS-reactor pairing  

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Regulatory Engagement Plan

The JAEA Consortium plans to engage the NRC staff in pre-application activities that would culminate in either a DC application paired with a yet determined SMR or as part of an NRC Standard Design Approval process (SDA) as soon as 2028.

Title Date Submitted
JAEA Consortium Regulatory Engagement Plan Revision 0. 07/29/2024

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White Papers

The below table provides the licensing white papers (WP) that the JAEA Consortium has submitted for the NRC staff to review. This table will be updated to include all white papers submitted along with the meeting summaries that contain the NRC staff feedback to the subject white papers.

Title Status/Report
JAEA QA WP:  November 23 (ML23317A114 – proprietary) overview of the quality assurance that JAEA used in establishing the scale model testing of the FSIS concept. ML23347A090
FSIS QAPD:  October 23, 2024 (ML24302A167– proprietary) FSIS QAPD WP  October 2024
FSIS Technology: October 23, 2024 (ML24302A168– proprietary) FSIS Verification Testing, Design Criteria (Standards & Regulations), and Safety Analysis Methodology. October 2024
FSIS Paired SMR: Design criteria and regulations, methodology, data needs, and documentation; Preliminary conceptual design June 2025
FSIS Paired SMR: Conceptual design description March 2026

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Licensing Topical Reports

The below table provides the licensing topical reports (LTRs) that the JAEA Consortium is planning to submit for the NRC staff review in the near future. This table will be updated to include all future and completed LTRs submitted along with the NRC staff Safety Evaluation Reports.

Submittal Date Title Topical Report Submittal ADAMS Accession No. Staff Final Safety Evaluation Report 
Accession No.
Approved version of Licensing Topical Report
(“-A”)
June 2025 FSIS Technology TBD TBD TBD
2025 Quality Assurance Program (QAP) TBD TBD TBD
March 2027 FSIS Paired SMR PRA TBD TBD TBD

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Contacts

Additional information can be obtained from ADAMS (99902114)

Contacts for JAEA Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS) Pre-application Review Activities
Lead Project Manager James Shea
Contact a Public Affairs Officer

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Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, January 22, 2025