USNRC Selects NUMARK to Support Advanced Reactor Inspection Program
April 19, 2021 – The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has contracted with NUMARK to support development of an inspection and oversight program framework for Advanced Reactor designs. This framework will recognize the inherent safety features of these designs, their lower potential offsite consequences, and new manufacturing and inspection techniques.
The objective of the framework is to provide a consistent inspection and oversight methodology that can be tailored for a specific design and potential hazard. Potential optional tasks would apply this framework to specific categories of advanced reactor designs. Current design concepts include liquid metal-cooled (sodium and lead), helium-cooled graphite moderated, molten salt, water cooled, and fuel blocks with heat pipes. Design powers range from 1.5 to over 1000 MWe.
The NUMARK team assembled for this program includes regulatory experts as well as specialists in a wide range of Advanced Reactor technologies. The period of performance for the work is through July 2022.
NUMARK, founded in 1991, has provided technical support services to NRC since 2007. Besides its work for NRC, NUMARK supports public and private sector clients in the US and around the world in the areas of nuclear safety, environmental protection, and sustainable energy strategies.
