Beyond safety: considering nuclear security from the design stage

In the nuclear field, protecting installations is about more than just avoiding accidents. It also involves preventing malicious acts, such as the theft of sensitive materials, sabotage or cyberattacks. While the aim of safety is to protect people and the environment against technical and accidental risks, security pursues the same objective against malicious acts. Committed to this critical aim, NAAREA integrates nuclear security into the design of its sites from the outset, in close cooperation with the relevant authorities, in particular the French minister responsible for energy and the Euratom Technical Committee.

A distinct requirement, complementary to safety
Complementary to nuclear safety, which aims to control technical and accidental risks, nuclear security aims to protect nuclear materials and nuclear installations against intentional acts.
It notably concerns the possession, use and transport of nuclear materials, such as uranium and plutonium, which NAAREA will use for its fuel. In application of the French Defence Code (Code de la Défense), these activities require a specific authorization delivered by the minister responsible for energy.

A structured and rigorous process
As with safety, nuclear security entails a process that is closely regulated by the authorities. NAAREA must demonstrate that each of its nuclear sites is able to resist a range of threats validated by the government. This demonstration of security forms the basis for the application for a licence to possess nuclear materials.
With this in view, NAAREA initiated a dialogue with the Senior Defence and Security Official (HFDS) of the minister responsible for energy, the authority responsible for issuing licences.

A first key step: the site for ATCO and the prototype reactor
The first site concerned by this process is that which will be home to ATCO (Atelier Co‑Combustible), the future centre for fabricating the fuel for the XAMR microreactor prototype, and the prototype reactor. NAAREA is currently working on the submission of a safety options dossier (DOS), a key initial step in the process, ahead of the formal licence application.
The aim is to anticipate areas requiring particular care as early as possible, and reinforce the robustness of the project even before the detailed design phase.

Continuous oversight, from the site to transport
Security licences are only issued once the authority has verified installations’ compliance with requirements. The HFDS will conduct inspections of the site prior to the arrival of nuclear materials, and throughout the site’s operation.
Nuclear security also encompasses the transport of nuclear materials. NAAREA will rely on licensed transport operators for these sensitive operations, in particular Orano NPS, the only French company authorized to transport plutonium in the quantities that will be used in our future installations. Once the material has been received, NAAREA will become responsible for it, and security systems must be fully operational.

Designing for security
Integrating security into the design from the very first drafts is a key advantage for NAAREA. This “security by design” approach optimizes configurations and costs, limits attack surfaces, and strengthens protection from the start.
A team of nuclear security experts is dedicated to this issue.

Anticipating all possible threats, including digital
Threats are evolving, and NAAREA continually monitors these developments in cooperation with specialized government services. These data provide input for the reference scenarios used to determine the appropriate safeguards.
Cyberscurity also represents a key strategic focus: command and control systems, the “brains” of the installation, are the focus of enhanced protection measures to prevent any intrusions or interference with their functioning.

A demanding European and international framework
As a French company, NAAREA operates within the framework of the international obligations undertaken by France as a member of Euratom and the IAEA. This includes strict monitoring of the flows and use of nuclear materials, to ensure they are exclusively used for peaceful purposes. This monitoring is conducted by the Euratom Technical Committee (CTE), an authority under the French Prime Minister with which NAAREA is in regular contact.
Dialogue has already been initiated with the European Commission to anticipate future authorizations at European level, with a view to transparency and cooperation.

A structured and proactive strategy
For NAAREA, nuclear security is not a constraint, nor a mere obligation. Rather, it is viewed as a foundation for trust, integrated into each step of the development of the XAMR microreactor. By building protection standards into the design from the outset, engaging in dialogue with the authorities and anticipating threats, we are preparing for the responsible and sustainable deployment of our technology.
Innovation, Safety and Security: three pillars that are integral to our industrial vision.