A nonreactor nuclear facility (NRNF) for maritime activities is being designed as part of the Brazilian naval nuclear propulsion program. The absence of national regulations for the design and licensing of naval NRNFs presents a challenge that must be addressed. This study aims to present an initial proposal for developing a safety design basis for NRNFs in Brazil. This proposal is based on the collection and analysis of national and international standards (documentary research), as well as articles, dissertations, and theses (bibliographic research) that discuss the criteria and safety requirements relevant to the licensing and design of NRNFs.

This research develops a strategy for applying U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) regulations derived from the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, “Energy,” Part 830, “Nuclear Safety Management,” in conjunction with CNEN (National Nuclear Energy Commission, Brazil) regulation NE 1.04, “Licensing of Nuclear Installations,” aligned with International Atomic Energy Agency requirements to develop a safety design basis for naval NRNFs.

The first step of the proposed strategy involves categorizing facility hazards conducted in accordance with DOE-STD-1027. The process continues for facilities categorized as hazard categories 1, 2, and 3. The directive DOE O 420.1C, “Facility Safety,” and the invoked standards serve as foundational elements for developing the safety design basis. The results of this research demonstrate that the DOE regulatory framework for NRNFs is a suitable alternative to address the national regulatory gap and improve the national licensing process by incorporating the safety-in-design concept.