News

Dr. Issam Hammad, a researcher in Dalhousie’s Department of Engineering Mathematics and Internetworking has been awarded new funding from the Government of Canada to support small modular reactors (SMRs) research in the area of cybersecurity.

The $180,000, 3 year funding, is part of the NSERC-CNSC Small Modular Reactors Research Grant through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). 

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. They offer a promising pathway to support Canada’s low carbon energy transition and are expected to be less complex, easier to operate and more cost effective than current nuclear technology.

Hammad’s project, titled “Adapting and Regulating Emerging Technologies for Cybersecurity Solutions in Remotely Operated Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)” will provide the CNSC with the knowledge to assist in regulating cybersecurity solutions for remotely operated SMRs including the utilization of emergent technologies.

“The deployment SMRs in remote locations poses cybersecurity challenges that far exceed existing large-scale nuclear facilities in terms of monitoring, command, and control,” says Hammad. “The challenges extend from the effectiveness and reliability of physical security to ensuring secure remote communication with distant control centers. These cybersecurity challenges must be addressed before deploying a solution to operate SMRs remotely”

Hammad says the funding will particularly benefit remote communities as off-grid SMRs will be deployed in remote locations to generate power. A key issue for SMR developers and regulators is how remote operations can be done securely and from a cybersecurity perspective.

“The program aims to train highly qualified personnel (HQP) in the areas of Cybersecurity, Artificial intelligence (AI), Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactor design, Nuclear Software Quality, and Standards, Control Systems, and Software Engineering,” says Hammad.

Hammad joined Dalhousie as an Assistant Professor in July of 2022. He currently runs a research program with a focus on applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity for engineering applications with a focus on the Nuclear Industry at Dalhousie University.

Before joining the Dal engineering community, Hammad spent 8 years working in the nuclear industry. Last November, he was a plenary speaker at the 3^rd Canadian Nuclear Society (CNS) Conference. He spoke on disruptive, innovative, and emerging technology in the Nuclear Industry and discussed the future role of Edge AI in future Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) designs.