Spotlight
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS)
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| Top: FSIS Site with SMRs
Left: SMR Paired with FSIS | ||||||||
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On this page:
- Project Overview
- Public Meeting Summaries
- Regulatory Engagement Plan
- White Papers
- Licensing Topical Reports
- Contacts
Project Overview
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently engaged in pre-application activities with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and its corporate partners the IHI Corporation, and the JGC Corporation (hereafter the “JAEA Consortium”) regarding a standard design approval (SDA) application for a Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS) paired with a yet named Small Modular Reactor (SMR). The SDA is an NRC staff nuclear plant design approval, issued under 10 CFR Part 52, subpart E. The approval may be for either the final design for the entire reactor facility or the final design of major portions thereof. The paired SMR design concept, as described by the JAEA Consortium is designed to withstand the terrestrial ground accelerations associated with high seismic risk zones substantially reducing seismic responses of the reactor in horizontal and vertical directions.
Public Meeting Summaries
Meeting Date | Title | Meeting Summary |
|---|---|---|
09/05/2023 | Engagement Kickoff and Overview of Japan Atomic Energy Agency Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS) for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). | |
11/29/2023 | White Paper (WP) on Quality Assurance Program for Validation Testing of The Floating Seismic Isolation System for SMRs | |
11/20/2024 | WP on FSIS Quality Assurance Program Description (QAPD) and WP on FSIS Technology | |
07/30/2025 | FSIS Technology for SMRs, WP on Design-Related Licensing Info, and Draft QAPD LTR |
Regulatory Engagement Plan
The JAEA Consortium plans to engage the NRC staff in pre-application activities that would culminate in either a standard design approval (SDA) application paired with a yet determined SMR or as part of an NRC SDA process as soon as 2028.
Title | Date Submitted |
|---|---|
07/29/2024 | |
12/01/2025 |
White Papers
The below table provides the licensing white papers (WPs) that the JAEA Consortium has submitted for the NRC staff to review. This table will be updated to include all WPs submitted along with the NRC staff feedback.
Title | Status/Report |
|---|---|
Overview of the quality assurance that JAEA used in establishing the scale model testing of the FSIS concept. | |
Overview of the Quality Assurance Program for Design Activities in Support of the Standard Design Approval Application | |
Description of Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS) Verification, Design Criteria and Analysis Methodology | |
Design-related Licensing Information for the FSIS Paired SMR (FSIS-R) Plant |
Licensing Topical Reports
The below table provides the licensing topical reports (LTRs) that the JAEA Consortium has submitted for the NRC staff to review. This table will be updated to include all LTRs submitted along with the NRC staff Safety Evaluation Reports.
Submittal Date | Title | Topical Report Submittal ADAMS Accession No. | Staff Final Safety Evaluation Report | Approved version of Licensing Topical Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
April 2026 | Quality Assurance Program Description (QAPD) | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Contacts
Additional information can be obtained from ADAMS (99902114)
Contacts for JAEA Floating Seismic Isolation System (FSIS) Pre-application Review Activities | |
|---|---|
Lead Project Manager | |
Contact a Public Affairs Officer | |
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, December 04, 2025
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, December 04, 2025