Facilitating deployment of transportable nuclear power plants through a new regime of mutual recognition

Abstract

Abstract Further developments towards future deployment of transportable nuclear power plants (TNPPs) are recently under way in several States. Major advantages have been identified with respect to potential deployment of TNPPs in the future. The availability of a TNPP may provide benefits of both secure and economical energy. Also, opting for a TNPP may eliminate the long-term commitment of the host State to the management of radioactive waste. Lastly, choosing the export scenario may reduce the potential national investment required to benefit from nuclear power. At the same time, a high level of nuclear safety must be guaranteed with respect to the prospective deployment of TNPPs. Thus, each TNPP must be duly licenced by the competent regulatory authority. The future legal framework must balance both interest for speedy deployment of this new technology and the need to maintain a high level of nuclear safety. This article argues that new licensing regimes, as established by bilateral agreements between the supplier States and the host States, may represent a legal tool for facilitating deployment of these promising technologies. This article also argues that concluding such bilateral agreements on mutual recognition would be in line with the incentive character of the Convention on Nuclear Safety.