Policy and licensing / Croatia

Croatia: SMR policy and licensing

Selected federal, state, territory, and national measures whose official text was opened. This is not a complete list of laws, rules or programmes for any jurisdiction. A jurisdiction without a page here is not a finding that it has no policy, and these pages do not rate or prefer any jurisdiction. Nothing here implies that a project is eligible for, or approved under, any measure.

Laws, rules and executive directives

• Croatia: Law on the Development of Nuclear Energy for Civil Purposes (NN 55/2026) · In effect
  Narodne novine 55/2026, article 691; adopted 15 May 2026; proclaimed 20 May 2026; published 27 May 2026; in force 4 June 2026 · Hrvatski sabor (Croatian Parliament) · affects: State programme administration, Siting
  Croatia enacted a civil nuclear-development framework law (NN 55/2026) that explicitly includes small modular reactors among technologies for a future nuclear plant, sets a programme path toward at least 30% nuclear in annual electricity by 2040, and leaves site selection and later licensing steps to subsequent instruments. This is national programme legislation, not a deployment project.
  Not approved or pending: No plant site is designated (a later separate law is required after evaluation). The Government Action Plan due within six months of entry into force and the Sabor Programme to 2040 due within 12 months after that Plan were not verified as published in this pass. No named SMR design, vendor, or project company is selected in the statute.

Bills, proposed rules and consultations

• None recorded in this pilot.

Funding and support programmes

• None recorded in this pilot.

Recorded permissions and applications for tracked US projects and designs

Project and design permissions are separate from the general measures above.

Site permission

• Belews Creek early site permit application — Duke Belews Creek technology-neutral SMR proposal
  Site permission · Under review · NRC · submitted 2025-12-30 · docket 52-055 · ADAMS ML25364A004, ML26016A624 · 91 FR 5787 · 91 FR 542 · 91 FR 22549 · 91 FR 50896
  Duke Energy Carolinas applied on 30 December 2025 for an early site permit for the Belews Creek site in Stokes and Forsyth counties, North Carolina. The NRC accepted and docketed the application in February 2026 under Docket No. 52-055, and it is under review. If issued, an early site permit approves a site independent of a specific plant design. It is not a construction permit or a combined licence, and no reactor design is selected. The NRC gave notice on 27 April 2026 that it will prepare an environmental impact statement, and its project page marks the uncontested hearing of 17 September 2026 as held. NRC targets, not completed: draft environmental impact statement December 2026, final safety evaluation February 2027, final environmental impact statement March 2027. The decision date is listed as to be determined.
  Sources: Federal Register 91 FR 5787 (9 Feb 2026): Belews Creek early site permit application, acceptance for docketing and opportunity to request a hearing; Federal Register 91 FR 542 (7 Jan 2026): Belews Creek early site permit application, notice of receipt; Federal Register 91 FR 22549 (27 Apr 2026): Belews Creek early site permit, notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement; Federal Register 91 FR 50896 (6 Aug 2026): Belews Creek early site permit application, notice of uncontested hearing; NRC: Duke Energy's Belews Creek early site permit application

Construction permission

• Clinch River Unit 1 construction permit — TVA Clinch River BWRX-300
  Construction permission · Issued / approved · NRC · decided 2026-09-28 · permit CPAR-2 · docket 50-615 · 91 FR 63311
  The Federal Register published this notice on 5 October 2026 at 91 FR 63311. It states that construction permit CPAR-2 was issued to TVA on 28 September 2026 for Clinch River Nuclear Unit 1, is immediately effective, and authorizes construction of a power reactor facility in Roane County, Tennessee. The notice says the conditions in early site permit ESP-006 had been met except those listed in the construction permit. TVA announced the permit on 29 September 2026. The permit is not an operating licence. No construction start has been announced; a permit is not a physical construction start.
  Sources: Federal Register 91 FR 63311 (5 Oct 2026): Clinch River Nuclear Unit 1 construction permit and record of decision; TVA construction permit announcement
• NRC construction permit application for the University of Illinois KRONOS MMR — University of Illinois KRONOS MMR
  Construction permission · Under review · NRC · submitted 2026-03-31
  The NRC records that an application for a construction permit for one research reactor was tendered on 31 March 2026 and accepted on 18 May 2026. The stated application power level is 45 MWth. No docket number is shown on the reviewed page, and no permit has been issued. Target review dates in 2027 are not decisions.
  Sources: NRC: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign KRONOS MMR construction permit application
• TerraPower Natrium construction permit — Natrium Kemmerer Unit 1
  Construction permission · Issued / approved · NRC · decided 2026-03-09 · permit CPAR-1 · docket 50-613 · ADAMS ML26034B247 · 91 FR 12628
  The NRC issued construction permit CPAR-1 on 9 March 2026 to US SFR Owner, LLC (TerraPower) for Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1, after the Commission's 4 March 2026 decision on the uncontested hearing. The permit authorizes construction only; an operating licence is a separate NRC decision.
  Sources: Federal Register 91 FR 12628 (16 Mar 2026): Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 construction permit and record of decision; NRC TerraPower Natrium / Kemmerer
• Pioneer Units 1 and 2 phased construction permit application (with limited work authorization request) — Holtec Pioneer Units 1 and 2 (SMR-300 at Palisades)
  Construction permission · Under review · NRC · submitted 2025-12-31 · docket 50-616, 50-617 · 91 FR 62565
  Holtec filed Part 1 of a phased construction permit application for two SMR-300 units (Pioneer 1 and 2) at the Palisades Energy Center on 31 December 2025, including a limited work authorization request. The NRC accepted it for docketing in February 2026 and began weekly notices of receipt on 1 October 2026. Neither the limited work authorization nor a construction permit has been issued. Part 2 (the preliminary safety analysis report) was reported submitted by 30 September 2026; the application remains under review.
  Sources: Federal Register 91 FR 62565 (1 Oct 2026): Pioneer Units 1 and 2 phased construction permit application with limited work authorization request; NRC news 26-008 Holtec Pioneer LWA; Holtec: Major regulatory developments in the Palisades Pioneer Unit 1 & 2 program (30 September 2026)
• Dow Long Mott construction permit application — Long Mott Generating Facility (Xe-100 at Dow Seadrift)
  Construction permission · Under review · NRC · submitted 2025-03-31 · docket 50-614 · 90 FR 24428 · 91 FR 53900
  Long Mott Energy's construction permit application, dated 31 March 2025, was accepted and docketed by the NRC. The Commission scheduled a hearing session for 22 September 2026. No permit decision and no result of that hearing are recorded here. The May 2026 environmental finding for an exemption is not a permit.
  Sources: Federal Register 90 FR 24428 (10 Jun 2025): Long Mott Generating Station construction permit application; Federal Register 91 FR 53900 (20 Aug 2026): Long Mott Generating Station notice of hearing; NRC / ANS Dow Long Mott Xe-100 EA-FONSI
• Kairos Hermes 2 construction permit — Kairos Hermes 2
  Construction permission · Issued / approved · NRC · decided 2024-11-21 · permit CPTR-7, CPTR-8 · docket 50-611, 50-612 · 89 FR 94767
  The NRC issued construction permits CPTR-7 and CPTR-8 for the two-unit Hermes 2 test reactor facility on 21 November 2024. Operation needs separate operating licences.
  Sources: Federal Register 89 FR 94767 (29 Nov 2024): Hermes 2 test reactor facility construction permits; NRC Kairos Hermes construction permit materials
• ACU Molten Salt Research Reactor construction permit — Natura MSR-1 demonstration at Abilene Christian University
  Construction permission · Issued / approved · NRC · decided 2024-09-16 · permit CPRR-124 · docket 50-610 · ADAMS ML24243A040 · 89 FR 77197
  The NRC issued construction permit CPRR-124 to Abilene Christian University on 16 September 2024 for a non-power molten salt research reactor of up to 1 MWth in the Dillard Science and Engineering Research Center on its Abilene campus. Operation needs a separate operating licence.
  Sources: Federal Register 89 FR 77197 (20 Sep 2024): ACU Molten Salt Research Reactor construction permit; Federal Register 89 FR 18678 (14 Mar 2024): ACU Molten Salt Research Reactor environmental assessment
• Kairos Hermes 1 construction permit — Kairos Hermes 1
  Construction permission · Issued / approved · NRC · decided 2023-12-14 · permit CPTR-6 · docket 50-7513 · 88 FR 88137 · 91 FR 28629
  The NRC issued construction permit CPTR-6 for the Hermes non-power test reactor on 14 December 2023. A 13 May 2026 order extended the latest construction completion date from 31 December 2026 to 30 April 2029. Operation needs a separate operating licence.
  Sources: Federal Register 88 FR 88137 (20 Dec 2023): Hermes test reactor construction permit; Federal Register 91 FR 28629 (18 May 2026): Hermes test reactor construction completion date extension; NRC Kairos Hermes construction permit materials

Environmental decision

• DOE categorical exclusion CX-271015 for the Ward250 research reactor — Valar Atomics Ward 250
  Environmental decision · Issued / approved · U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy · decided 2026-04-22
  Signed 22 April 2026 under NEPA identification DOE-ID-26-005. Determines that the 250 kWth Ward250 research reactor at USREL fits a categorical exclusion. It states no authorization number and no electrical output, and it does not confirm the company's later electricity claim.
  Sources: DOE categorical exclusion CX-271015 PDF: Ward250 research reactor
• DOE Idaho categorical exclusion CX-271007 for the Unity zero-power test — Deployable Energy Unity at Idaho National Laboratory
  Environmental decision · Issued / approved · U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office · decided 2026-04-15
  Approved 15 April 2026 under posting DOE-ID-INL-26-011. Covers a zero-power criticality test bounded at 0 MWth and 0 kWe. It does not authorize the future 1 MWe configuration and is not an operating licence.
  Sources: DOE Idaho categorical exclusion CX-271007 PDF: Unity zero-power criticality
• DOE Idaho categorical exclusion CX-271002 for the Aalo-X critical assembly — Aalo-X at Idaho National Laboratory
  Environmental decision · Issued / approved · U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office · decided 2026-04-14
  Approved 14 April 2026 under posting DOE-ID-INL-26-013. Covers installation and zero-power operation of the critical assembly at no more than 10 watts thermal. It is an environmental categorical exclusion, not a construction permit or operating licence, and it does not authorize a later power reactor.
  Sources: DOE Idaho categorical exclusion CX-271002 PDF: Aalo-X critical assembly
• DOE Idaho categorical exclusion CX-035340 for the Antares Mark-0 experiment — Antares Mark-0 at Idaho National Laboratory
  Environmental decision · Issued / approved · U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office · decided 2026-01-26
  Approved 26 January 2026 under posting DOE-ID-INL-25-037. Covers the zero-power Mark-0 heat-pipe experiment in MFC-793. No measurable thermal output is claimed. This is not an operating licence, and it does not approve the later Mark-1 reactor.
  Sources: DOE Idaho categorical exclusion CX-035340 PDF: Antares R1 Mark-0
• Project Pele record of decision (prototype mobile microreactor environmental impact statement) — Project Pele (INL microreactor demonstration)
  Environmental decision · Issued / approved · U.S. Department of Defense, Strategic Capabilities Office · decided 2022-04-05 · 87 FR 22521
  Signed 5 April 2022 and published 15 April 2022 at 87 FR 22521. The Strategic Capabilities Office decided to implement the proposed action of its final environmental impact statement: fabricate the prototype mobile microreactor and its fuel at existing off-site commercial facilities and demonstrate it at the Idaho National Laboratory Site. This is a National Environmental Policy Act decision. It is not a DOE safety authorization and not permission to load fuel, start up or operate. No such authorization document was opened.
  Sources: Federal Register 87 FR 22521 (15 Apr 2022): Record of Decision, Construction and Demonstration of a Prototype Mobile Microreactor
• DOE finding of no significant impact for MARVEL (DOE/EA-2146) — MARVEL microreactor test bed at INL's TREAT facility
  Environmental decision · Issued / approved · U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office · decided 2021-11-12
  Issued at Idaho Falls on 12 November 2021 for environmental assessment DOE/EA-2146. DOE found that designing and demonstrating MARVEL in the north high bay of the Transient Reactor Test facility would not significantly affect the human environment, so no environmental impact statement is required. It is an environmental finding. It is not approval of a safety analysis and not authority to load fuel or operate. The 2021 text describes about 20 kW electric; DOE's current project page gives 85 kW thermal and about 10 kW electric.
  Sources: DOE/EA-2146 Finding of No Significant Impact: MARVEL microreactor

Other permission

• Oklo Aurora custom combined licence application (2020), denied without prejudice — Oklo Aurora-INL
  Other permission · Denied · NRC · decided 2022-01-06 · submitted 2020-03-11 · docket 52-049 · ADAMS ML20075A001, ML21357A034 · 87 FR 1441
  Oklo Power applied on 11 March 2020 for a custom combined licence, which covers construction and operation, for one Aurora microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory. The NRC denied it without prejudice by letter of 6 January 2022 because requested information was not provided, and said Oklo may resubmit. This is an earlier application than the current Aurora powerhouse, which is following DOE authorization under the Reactor Pilot Program. The NRC's page, last reviewed 15 September 2026, lists pre-application activity only (project 99902095) and no docketed application.
  Sources: Federal Register 87 FR 1441 (11 Jan 2022): Oklo Aurora combined license application, denial; NRC pre-application activities: Oklo Aurora Powerhouse