The nuclear commission has validated the objectives and global safety options of the reactor by comparing them with the regulatory requirements for the construction of new nuclear plants.
CNSC will now carry out the second and third stages under which it will perform an in-depth analysis of the reactor design in order to ensure that the certification process begins under the best possible conditions.
Areva said the third-generation ATMEA1 technology has advanced safety and security systems similar to those of the EPR including resistance to aircraft crashes and earthquakes, the latest-generation instrumentation & control, a core catcher and three independent safety trains.
In 2012, the French Nuclear Safety Authority, Autorité de sûreté nucléaire, confirmed that the reactor met the defined safety criteria for its generation of reactors.
The ATMEA1 reactor has been selected for the Sinop site in Turkey and pre-selected in Jordan, Brazil and Argentina.
