Hello everyone

Welcome to the latest edition of ONR News, keeping you updated about our work as the UK’s independent nuclear regulator for safety, security and safeguards.

I'm delighted to say hello to you all as the new ONR Policy and Communications Director and I look forward to speaking to you regularly within this newsletter every couple of months.

Today's newsletter focuses on the announcement that Rolls-Royce SMR Limited's 470 MW Small Modular Reactor (SMR) design can progress to the next phase of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process.

Together with our fellow regulators, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), we agree that the preparatory work of Step 1 has been successfully completed and we can now begin the technical assessment phase of Step 2.

Elsewhere, we are also pleased to report the milestone achievement of permission being granted to Sellafield Ltd for underwater divers to access the Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP) to remove the remaining waste from that legacy storage facility which was built in the 1940s.

Removing the remaining material from the pond and placing it into modern safe storage is a key strategic priority for us and Sellafield.

As always, if you have any comments about ONR, any of the topics included in this newsletter, or our work in general, please get in touch via contact@onr.gov.uk

Best wishes

Rachel Grant
Director of Policy and Communications

The joint regulators have agreed that Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has completed all the requirements for Step 1 for its 470 MW Small Modular Reactor (SMR) design.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales, together with the company, are ready to proceed to Step 2 of the GDA.

Find out more about the end of Step 1 conclusions for the Rolls-Royce SMR Limited GDA

Divers have entered the Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP) at Sellafield to remove longstanding waste from a legacy facility which was built in the 1940s.

We have granted permission for divers to enter the pond, one of the oldest facilities on the Cumbrian site.

Find out more about this landmark retrievals process

We have published our new openness and transparency policy, setting out the guiding principles we will apply in our communications and engagements with interested stakeholders and the public.

It demonstrates our ambition to provide greater opportunities for two-way engagement and provide meaningful dialogue as we embed our principles - accessibility, confidence and accountability.

Find out more about the openness and transparency policy

We've recently published our Safeguards Annual Report for 2022, highlighting how we have enabled the UK to meet all its international safeguards’ obligations during the past 12 months.

Find out more about the safeguards report