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The UK Nuclear Regulators (the Health and Safety Executive, and the Environment Agency) have developed a Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process for new nuclear power stations. This was in response to a request from the UK Government and from a number of companies who had asked them to review their designs.
Under the Generic Design Assessment process companies will submit information on their reactor designs to the Nuclear Regulators who will assess them in advance of any application to build a nuclear power station at a particular site. This process will allow a rigorous and structured examination of detailed design information by the Regulators, and is likely to take approximately 3.5 years to complete. At the end of their assessment (and at key stages during it) the Regulators will issue reports on their findings, confirming whether they judge a design to be satisfactory.
The assessment process will be carried out in an open and transparent manner, designed to facilitate the involvement of the public, who will be able to view and comment on design information published on the web.
On July 5, 2007, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy's application to initiate the GDA for the ESBWR was accepted, thus starting the first stage of the assessment process. To view the Safety, Security and Environment Report for the ESBWR - click here.
To comment on the report - click here.
Further information on the Generic Design Assessment process can be found in guidance published by the UK Nuclear Regulators.