IAEA Workshop on Stakeholder Engagement for SMRs Tackles Challenges

Participants agreed that engagement has to begin before decisions are made or announced. Kenya set out a staged model that places disclosure and baseline social work ahead of any named site. Research through CATAPULT, a European-based project, highlighted the value of embedding consultation at the earliest scoping stage of environmental assessment. Early engagement is an investment, while late engagement is damage control with a low ceiling.

"Being part of this workshop was enlightening. The diversity of panellists sharing their engagement experiences was highly insightful," said Alice Kagina, Nuclear Public Awareness Analyst, Rwanda Atomic Energy Board. "A key takeaway was that actively listening to stakeholder concerns helps prevent issues before they escalate and builds trust."

The workshop also examined another feature of SMRs and microreactors: mobility. Transportable and floating reactors offer new opportunities for deployment. However, they require greater stakeholder engagement efforts from the outset due to the transboundary nature of such nuclear projects, as the World Nuclear Transport Institute highlighted during the workshop.

Taken together, the event highlighted how SMRs and large reactors share common challenges in terms of public support but while also presenting differences. It also showed growing global experience and practical knowledge, as well as willingness to engage with these questions openly.

Amid uncertainties around new technologies, building trust and support for deployment depends on how programmes meet expectations, how early and effectively they engage with stakeholders and how fairly they share decisions -rather than on how well they explain the technology.

"Meeting colleagues from across the spectrum of expertise to discuss SMR deployment has been extremely informative," said Seth D. Kirshenberg, Executive Director of the Energy Communities Alliance in the United States of America. "We will take best practices back to develop policies for SMR deployment in the United States. These meetings also build long-term relationships with experts and municipalities implementing the projects, so we can learn from each other."

The workshop was supported by the United States Department of Energy through the IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative.