Strategy For an Inclusive and Technology Neutral Containment

Abstract of the technical paper/presentation presented at:
Joint IAEA–GIF Workshop on the Safety of Non-Water-Cooled Reactors
June 30- July 4, 2025

Prepared by:
Mounia Berdaï
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Abstract:

Containment structures have traditionally played a crucial role in water-cooled reactors, serving as barriers to prevent the spread of fission products and as protective shields against external hazards such as aircraft impacts and turbine blade ejections. While concrete has been the conventional material for containment, various alternative approaches have been proposed by applicants and vendors to fulfill containment functions using different materials.

However, achieving effective containment without relying on a physical structure has not been a common practice in water-cooled reactors. This underscores the objective of a project initiated by the CNSC, which aims to evaluate the current regulatory documents and expectations for novel containment approaches that are associated with new reactor designs. The ultimate goal is to revise REGDOC-2.5.2, Design of Reactor Facilities: Nuclear Power Plants, transforming it into an inclusive and technology-neutral regulatory document, where possible, that accommodates diverse containment concepts and applications.

This presentation summarizes an overview of the work conducted under the CNSC aforementioned project, which is a key pillar of the Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Readiness Strategy. It provides preliminary views on the guidance needed for demonstrating the safe implementation of novel containment methods, designs, and approaches. The proposed changes primarily impact sections related to containment, safety goals, and the exclusion zone in REGDOC-2.5.2, as well as other associated REGDOCs influenced by these future updates.

To obtain a copy of the abstract’s document, please contact us at cnsc.info.ccsn@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca or call 613-995-5894 or 1-800-668-5284 (in Canada). When contacting us, please provide the title and date of the abstract.