The Justification Decision (Generation of Power by the RR SMR) Regulations 2026

• Citation: S.I. 2026/839
• Sections: 3

Section 1 Citation, commencement and extent

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Justification Decision (Generation of Power by the RR SMR) Regulations 2026 and come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.

(2) These Regulations extend to the United Kingdom.

Section 2 Interpretation

In these Regulations—

“ the RR SMR practice ” means the class or type of practice which is the generation of power from nuclear energy using uranium dioxide fuel of low enrichment in fissile content in a light water cooled, light water moderated thermal reactor designed by Rolls-Royce SMR Limited and where the specification of that reactor matches that set out in Annex 1 (pages 92 to 122) of the NIA Rolls-Royce SMR Application and Supplementary Information document which was the subject of the consultation paper published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 6th October 2025 and titled “Consultation on the Nuclear Industry Association’s Application for Regulatory Justification of the Rolls-Royce SMR designed by Rolls-Royce SMR Limited ”.

Section 3 Justification decision

For the purposes of regulation 14(1) of the Justification of Practices Involving Ionising Radiation Regulations 2004 the following positive justification decision has effect—

(a) the RR SMR practice is justified ; and

(b) any class or type of practice which is—

(i) a development of the RR SMR practice; and

(ii) so similar to the RR SMR practice that the balance of benefits and detriments from that class or type of practice does not materially differ from the balance of benefits and detriments for the RR SMR practice,

is justified.