Advanced nuclear technologies are considered for integration with industrial facilities to provide reliable electricity and high-temperature heat for products such as hydrogen and synthetic fuels. A recurring deployment challenge is that physical site layout is not only a constructability and cost driver, but also a primary mechanism for managing bidirectional interface hazards (i.e., industrial events that could challenge nuclear safety functions and nuclear operational constraints that can affect industrial operability and emergency response). This paper addresses the risk-informed siting and layout development problem for nuclear–industrial systems, emphasizing early design decisions that shape the achievable safety case.
We present a structured workflow for developing site-specific layout plans for nuclear-integrated industrial energy systems that couples: (i) interface-focused hazard identification and screening (industrial-to-nuclear and nuclear-to-industrial), (ii) translation of screened hazards into layout constraints (e.g., separation distance, hazard mitigation systems, and emergency access provisions), and (iii) layout optimization considering hazards and cost of delivering electricity, steam and hydrogen. The approach is demonstrated through development of an mHTGR-to-hydrogen layout that includes reactor placement, power conversion (turbines), thermal energy storage, switchyard interface, hydrogen production, and supporting infrastructure; the workflow is then applied to integration with an existing refinery by performing a robust layout optimization to identify preferred candidate locations for the mHTGR–hydrogen facility under hazard and infrastructure constraints. The resulting layout templates are intended to be generalizable to both greenfield and retrofit deployment scenarios and to support consistent early-phase trade studies for safer, more cost-effective nuclear-enabled industrial deployment.