The licensing of new nuclear power facilities is likely to pose many challenges to national regulatory organizations. The majority of nuclear power plants to be built around the world in the next 15 years will likely be limited to a small number of relatively standardized designs, purchased from a limited number of multinational corporations. Such standardization creates an opportunity to leverage the resources and knowledge of the national regulatory authorities who will be tasked with the review of the new reactor power plant designs. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has developed an innovative proposal for a multinational design approval programme (MDAP). This paper describes the stages of the MDAP and the benefits that could be derived from its implementation.
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