Multinational Design Evaluation Programme

The NEA has been invited to perform the Technical Secretariat functions for the Multinational Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP). MDEP is a multinational initiative taken by national safety authorities to develop innovative approaches to leverage the resources and knowledge of the national regulatory authorities who will be tasked with the review of new reactor power plant designs.

A one-year pilot project was completed by the Steering Technical Committee (STC) in late 2007 (see pilot project report) and the Policy Group endorsed continuing this important multilateral effort shortly thereafter. The 2009 MDEP Annual Report is publicly available and documents the accomplishments to date resulting from the MDEP effort and the focus of future work. The MDEP conference on New Reactor Design Activities was held at the OECD Conference Centre on 10-11 September 2009 to discuss the MDEP and other activities associated with new reactor designs. More information here.

The MDEP programme incorporates a broad range of activities including:

Enhanced multilateral co-operation within existing regulatory frameworks.
Multinational convergence of codes, standards and safety goals.
Implementation of MDEP products to facilitate licensing of new reactors, including those being developed by the Generation IV International Forum.

A key concept throughout the work of MDEP is that national regulators retain sovereign authority for all licensing and regulatory decisions.

The programme (see programme structure) is implemented under the MDEP Policy Group (Terms of Reference) and the Steering Technical Committee (STC), with the NEA continuing to serve the Technical Secretariat function. Two lines of activity have been established to carry out the work. The activities are implemented following the strategies identified in the Pilot Report.

Design-specific activities (Design-specific terms of reference)

Working groups for each new reactor design will share information and co-operate on specific reactor design evaluations and construction. Participants in these working groups will include the countries who are actively reviewing, preparing to review, or constructing the specific reactor design. Design-specific working groups will be formed when three or more countries express interest in working together.

An EPR working group has been established to conduct the activities previously being carried out by the United States, Finland and France to share information on the EPR safety review, and includes the United Kingdom and China as new members.

An AP1000 working group has been established including the United States, the United Kingdom and China, to share information on the AP1000 safety review.
When appropriate, other designs, including Generation IV designs may be included as working groups.

Issue-specific activities (Issue-specific terms of reference)

Working groups have been organised for the technical and regulatory process areas within the MDEP Plan of Work. These currently include:

Multinational Vendor Inspections,
Pressure Boundary Components Codes and Standards, and
Digital I&C Standards.

Membership

The national nuclear regulatory agencies of ten countries participate in the MDEP, including seven NEA members – Canada, Finland, France, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States – plus China, Russia and South Africa.

Activities

Click h ere to see a diagram of MDEP activities.

Working areas

The NEA provides a dedicated electronic library to support MDEP activities' sharing of information. Access to this MDEP library is restricted to members of the MDEP policy group and its working groups. To obtain access, please contact the

Presentations

RIC meeting March 2010 MDEP Status Presentation (pdf, 2 Mb)

Recorded webcast - The International Press Conference, 11 September 2009
Global nuclear safety and the construction of new reactors

RIC meeting, March 2009 MDEP Status Presentation (pdf, 2 Mb)

RIC 2009 Special Session: Global Perspective on Nuclear Regulatory Framework

CNRA/CSNI meeting, December 2008 – MDEP Status Presentation (pdf, 3 Mb)

Multinational Design Evaluation Programme

Membership

Activities

Working areas

Presentations

Related links