There is no single established timeline for building and licensing a small modular reactor (SMR). A quoted construction period may cover only the work from first nuclear concrete to readiness for fuel loading, while a project’s full path can also include design review, site-specific licensing, commissioning and authorization to operate. As of 2026, the available examples are project targets and a regulator’s planned application-review schedule—not a representative industry average.
What does “build and license” include?
To compare timelines fairly, identify the start and finish milestone for each figure. An SMR project may pass through several distinct stages:
- Design development and generic review or certification: The design is developed and may be reviewed before a specific site is ready. The process and outcome depend on the national regulatory framework.
- Site-specific preparation and licensing: The project prepares information about its site, owner or licensee, safety and environmental matters, and other requirements for the applicable authorization. Long-lead procurement may proceed alongside this work.
- Construction and commissioning: Construction figures are meaningful only with their stated start and finish points. Commissioning and preparation for fuel loading are separate from the earlier design and licensing phases.
- Operating authorization and commercial operation: Permission to construct is not permission to operate. An operating license and additional safety milestones may be required before a plant can begin operation.
The IAEA’s SMR Regulators’ Forum treats licensing, design and safety analysis, manufacturing, construction, commissioning, operation, long-lead procurement and licensee capability as distinct deployment concerns. It also identifies possible differences between first-of-a-kind (FOAK) and nth-of-a-kind (NOAK) designs, and between single- and multi-module facilities. A schedule for a repeat build therefore should not automatically be applied to a first project.
What timeline does the AP300 schedule show?
The clearest recent project illustration in the available sources is Westinghouse’s AP300 schedule reproduced in the IAEA’s 2024 catalogue. These are targets in that catalogue, not guaranteed dates or a typical SMR schedule.
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| Milestone | AP300 schedule in the IAEA 2024 catalogue |
|---|---|
| Regulator certification | Target: 2027 |
| Site-specific design and licensing, with long-lead procurement | Planned during 2027–2030 |
| Readiness for construction | Target: 2030 |
| Nth-of-a-kind construction | Planned 36 months, measured from first nuclear concrete to readiness for fuel load |
| Commercial operation | Target: 2033–2034 |
The 36-month figure is specifically a planned NOAK construction interval. It does not include design review or site-specific licensing, and it does not mean the plant reaches commercial operation 36 months after first concrete. The separate 2033–2034 commercial-operation target makes clear that the construction interval is only one part of the schedule.
What does the current U.S. SMR-300 example tell us?
In a January 13, 2026 update, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said Holtec had submitted the first part of a two-part construction-permit application for its proposed SMR-300 project at Palisades. The NRC said the second part was expected by mid-2027. That was an expectation stated in the agency’s release and may change.
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The NRC said that, if the application were sufficient and docketed, its detailed technical review schedule would not exceed 18 months. This is a planned review schedule with stated conditions, not a total licensing or construction duration. The NRC also said a construction permit would leave additional safety milestones before an operating license. In the agency’s words: “If the NRC issues that permit, the company would still be required to achieve additional safety milestones to obtain a license to operate the facility.” The application was in progress in the January 2026 update; it does not establish a build-to-operation timeline.
Why can SMR project schedules differ?
- Jurisdiction and licensing route: National regulators have different frameworks and milestones; a design review in one country does not itself settle site-specific approval elsewhere.
- Design maturity and build sequence: A FOAK project and a later NOAK project should not be presumed to have the same schedule. A repeat-build construction target is not a reliable proxy for first deployment.
- Site and owner readiness: Site-specific safety and environmental work, the licensee’s organizational capability, and procurement of long-lead items can affect readiness for authorization and construction.
- Project configuration: Single- and multi-module facilities can raise different licensing and deployment considerations.
- Endpoint definition: Ready for fuel loading, operating license, startup and commercial operation are different milestones. A timeline that ends at one cannot be compared directly with a timeline ending at another.
International regulatory cooperation is intended to support collaboration and reduce repetitive work while leaving national decision-making authority with each regulator. The IAEA reported that a Regulatory Cooperation Toolkit was made available in 2026, but the available sources do not quantify any schedule savings from the toolkit or from relying on another regulator’s review.
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How should you compare two SMR timeline claims?
Before treating one project’s schedule as a benchmark for another, check that both figures refer to comparable projects and endpoints:
- Which country and licensing route apply?
- Is the design FOAK or NOAK, and what design-review or certification milestone has it reached?
- Are site-specific approvals, owner readiness and long-lead procurement included?
- What event starts the construction clock, and what event stops it?
- Does the stated duration include commissioning, fuel loading or operating authorization?
- Does the endpoint mean an operating license, startup or commercial operation?
The IAEA’s 2020 general deployment timeline is a historical illustration of different design, licensing, construction and commissioning sequences; it should not be read as current project status. No representative global average of completed SMR licensing-to-commercial-operation durations is established by the available sources, so adding together project targets or comparing them with an application still under review would not produce a reliable industry-wide estimate.
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