The safety evaluation of a reference NPP, carried out at the time of its licensing, can prove very useful during the licensing of a first NPP in a new entrant country. However, it is important that the operating organization clearly understands the design of the NPP and is able to own it and defend it during the design safety review. Use of the safety evaluation of the refer­ence NPP is not just for the purpose of speeding up the licensing process but should also lead to an enhancement of the quality of the licensing work, and the achievement of a high level of safety of the new entrant country’s NPP, in an overall sense.

Some design differences between the two NPPs are, however, likely to exist on account of site specificities and plant layout. The design might also have been updated based on information from research and operating experience after the earlier licensing of the reference NPP. These differ­ences should be clearly identified and judiciously dealt with during the design safety review. It is, however, important that the entire PSAR is sub­jected to a detailed review as it helps in improving the understanding of the design in the operating organization, as also in the RB.