Assessment Methodology

The basic principles, user requirements and criteria and the IMPRO method of assessment, taken together, comprise the INPRO assessment methodology. The INPRO method of assessment provides a tool that can be used to:

• Screen an innovative nuclear energy system (INS) to evaluate whether it is compatible with the objective of ensuring that nuclear energy is available to contribute to meeting the energy needs in 21^st century in a sustainable manner;
• Compare different INS or components thereof to find a preferred or optimum INS consistent with the needs of a given IAEA Member State;
• Identify research, development and demonstration (RD&D) required to improve the performance of existing components of an INS or to develop new components.

INPRO requires that the whole life time of the INS has to be evaluated, starting from the design construction, operation and finally decommissioning (cradle to grave). In addition to all facilities of a nuclear energy system the associated legislative and institutional measures, e.g. the legal framework and the regulatory bodies, are to be considered in a INPRO assessment.

Overview of the INPRO requirements

Introduction

INPRO methodology comprises the set of INPRO requirements for eight different areas of interest, which taken as a whole encompass the four dimensions of sustainable development and the INPRO method of assessment. The INPRO requirements in each area of interest are discussed in detail in Volumes 2 to 9.
While given member of an assessment team may only be interested in a single area, such team members should, none-the-less read the information presented here to assist him/her in understanding the context in which the requirements in his/her area of interest have been developed. The detailed requirements for the safety of reactors and for the safety of nuclear fuel cycle facilities are addressed in two separate volumes but they are considered together in th present summary.

Hierarchy of INPRO requirements

The INPRO method relies on an assessment of how well an INS complies with INPRO.

INPRO hierarchy of demands on innovative designs of nuclear energy systems

• Basic principles (BP);
• User requirements (UR);
• Criteria (CR), each consisting of an indicator and an acceptance limit (IN and AL),

Which comprise, by definition, the INPRO Requirements.^{Superscript text}