U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Exempts Westinghouse AP1000 Design Certification Renewal Time Requirements

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved a request from Westinghouse to waive the requirement that its AP1000 Design Certification (DC) renewal application be submitted within 36 months before the expiration of the initial 40-year validity period, allowing it to file earlier.

The AP1000 design was initially certified by the NRC in 2006, with a validity period through 2046. Under current 10 CFR 52.57(a), design certification renewal applications can only be submitted between 12 and 36 months before the expiration of the initial 40-year period.

On April 7, Westinghouse submitted an application to the NRC seeking to renew the certification for 40 years while incorporating design changes approved during the construction and licensing of Vogtle Units 3 and 4. The company stated that submitting Revision 20 of the AP1000 Design Control Document (DCD) is part of its strategic plan to achieve fleet-level deployment of advanced AP1000 modular reactors and support President Trump's vision of building a large fleet of U.S. nuclear reactors. To apply for renewal early, Westinghouse submitted a request to waive the relevant time requirements.

On April 27, NRC staff determined that the exemption request contained sufficient information to initiate a detailed technical review and accepted it for docketing. The exemption request is being considered separately from the AP1000 design certification renewal application and related amendments.

After evaluation, the NRC determined that the exemption "is authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to public health and safety, and is consistent with common defense and security requirements." The NRC noted that delaying the renewal application until 2043 could lead to inefficiencies in future combined license applications referencing the AP1000 design certification.

"Therefore, the Commission hereby grants Westinghouse a one-time exemption from the requirement in 10 CFR 52.57(a) that a design certification renewal application must be submitted between 12 and 36 months before the expiration of the initial 40-year period, allowing Westinghouse to apply for renewal of the AP1000 design certification more than 36 months before the expiration of the initial 40-year period," the NRC stated in the Federal Register.

In addition to the Vogtle units, Westinghouse stated that four AP1000 reactors are currently operating in China, with another 12 under construction. The design has been localized in China as the CAP1000.