National Nuclear Safety Administration Issues the Guidelines for Ecological Environment Impact Assessment of Magnetic Confinement Fusion Devices

To implement the regulatory requirements for fusion devices under the Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China and the Atomic Energy Law of the People's Republic of China, and to improve China's regulatory framework for radiation safety supervision of fusion devices, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's National Nuclear Safety Administration recently officially issued the Guidelines for Ecological Environment Impact Assessment of Magnetic Confinement Fusion Devices (hereinafter referred to as the Guidelines).

The Guidelines were compiled by the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, drawing on relevant domestic and international regulations and standards, and incorporating the construction and operation characteristics and environmental impact features of China's fusion devices. They aim to standardize and guide the ecological environment impact assessment of fusion devices throughout their entire life cycle.

Clear scope of application, covering both magnetic confinement and non-magnetic confinement devices

The Guidelines specify that they directly apply to the ecological environment impact assessment of magnetic confinement-type plasma physics experimental devices and deuterium-tritium fusion experimental devices (including tritium breeding construction projects, etc.). Meanwhile, non-magnetic confinement-type plasma physics and deuterium-tritium fusion experimental devices, such as inertial confinement and magneto-inertial confinement devices, may also refer to these Guidelines for implementation.

Assessment factors classified by category, with precise control of radiation and non-radiation risks

For different operational stages and device types, the Guidelines propose differentiated assessment requirements:

Plasma physics experimental devices: Focus on assessment factors such as neutron radiation, X/$\gamma$ rays, induced radioactivity, effluents, and harmful gases generated by radiation.

Deuterium-tritium fusion experimental devices: In addition to the above factors, tritium and its compounds, magnetic induction intensity, electric field intensity, and dust containing beryllium, lead and their compounds must also be included in the key assessment scope.

Strict radiation protection standards, promoting the “ALARA” principle

The Guidelines emphasize that the radiation impact of fusion devices and related facilities must strictly comply with the relevant provisions on occupational exposure and public exposure in the Basic Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (GB 18871). Operating and design organizations are required to strictly control radiation exposure, ensuring it remains at a level that is “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA). At the same time, through optimized design, the discharge of tritium in the effluents of deuterium-tritium fusion experimental devices should be minimized to the greatest extent possible.

Six core sections building a full-process regulatory framework

The Guidelines provide systematic specifications for the content of ecological environment impact assessment documents, mainly covering the following six aspects:

Site suitability assessment: Evaluate the compliance of the site with ecological protection red lines, ecological environment zoning management and control, and relevant plans, and specify the environmental protection requirements for site engineering design.

In-depth source term analysis: Identify the tritium inventory, migration processes, and removal mechanisms of the main machine system, fusion fuel cycle system (tritium plant), and tritium-related auxiliary systems, and track the flow of heavy metal pollutants such as beryllium, lead, and tungsten.

Radiation safety and protection: Assess the reliability of neutron shielding and multi-level tritium barriers, optimize tritium-related airflow organization, ensure leakage risks are minimized, and estimate personnel exposure doses.

Operational phase environmental prediction: Use appropriate atmospheric dispersion models to estimate the effective doses to individuals of various age groups from effluent discharges.

Accident environmental risk assessment: Differentiate device types, conducting qualitative analysis for plasma devices and quantitative prediction and risk assessment based on reasonable accident scenarios for deuterium-tritium fusion devices.

Monitoring and internal exposure programs: Develop monitoring programs covering workplaces, effluents, and the surrounding environment. For locations involving large quantities of gaseous/volatile radioactive substances (such as tritium), explicitly require routine individual internal exposure monitoring.

The issuance and implementation of these Guidelines fill the gap in China's dedicated guidelines for ecological environment impact assessment of fusion devices, providing solid regulatory and technical support for the green and healthy development of China's fusion energy frontier scientific research and engineering demonstration projects.