Key Issues
Licensing New Nuclear Power Plants
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New Licensing Process
The new NRC licensing process provides for design certification, early site approval and combined licensing for construction and operation.
Design Certification
Design certification allows plant designers to secure advance NRC approval of standard plant designs. Later, these plant designs can be ordered, licensed for a particular site and built.
Following an exhaustive NRC safety review, agency approval of standard designs is formalized via a specific design certification rulemaking. This process allows the public to review and comment on the designs up front—before anyone builds a plant of this design. NRC design certification fully resolves safety issues associated with the design. The NRC approves the design for 15 years.
Once a design certification application has been submitted, the NRC takes between 36 and 60-plus months to complete the review and rulemaking, depending on whether the agency previously has reviewed and approved the technology.
To date, the NRC has certified four advanced-plant designs, including GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GEH) Advanced Boiling Water Reactor and Westinghouse’s AP1000. Three additional designs are under NRC review: GEH’s ESBWR, AREVA’s U.S. EPR and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ U.S. APWR design. In addition, the NRC expects to receive several more applications for design certification over the next few years.
Design standardization offers significant benefits. The approach anticipates that reactors will be built in families of the same design, except for a limited number of site-specific differences. Standardization will reduce construction and operating cost, and lead to greater efficiencies and simplicity in nuclear plant operations, including safety, maintenance, training and spare-parts procurement. Standardization is a major departure from the first generation of U.S. nuclear reactors, which are nearly one-of-a-kind.
International experience demonstrates the benefits of standardization. The French nuclear program is based on standardized nuclear plant designs. France’s 59 reactors provide 78 percent of the nation’s electricity.
Early Site Approval
The early site permit (ESP) process enables companies to obtain approval from the NRC for a nuclear power plant site before deciding to build a plant. The process resolves any site suitability issues before companies commit funds to a project. Companies can “bank” sites approved by the NRC for up to 20 years and build when the time is right. Having a pre-approved site can dramatically shorten the time to bring a new plant to market. However, the NRC does not require an applicant for a new-plant license to obtain an ESP.
ESP applications consist of three components: a site safety analysis, an environmental report and emergency planning information. Federal, state and local government officials and the public have opportunities to participate in each of these at various stages during the NRC review.
An ESP review process that encompasses a range of reactor designs enables companies to select the best design when they proceed with a decision to build. Through the use of the “plant parameters envelope” concept, the NRC can assess the suitability of a site based on a generalized plant description that takes into account the characteristics of several designs—for example, the height of the tallest building and the greatest cooling water requirement for any design under consideration. Using this approach, the NRC has the information it needs to assess site suitability, and companies can choose the best technology when they proceed with a new plant.
It takes between 12 and 24 months to develop an ESP application, depending on whether it is a “greenfield” site or a site adjacent to an existing facility. Once the applicant submits the application, the process of NRC review and approval—including the public hearing—takes approximately 33 months. The industry and NRC staff are looking at ways to improve the effectiveness of the review and reduce the review and approval schedules.
Combined Construction and Operating License
NRC regulations provide for issuance of a combined construction permit and operating license, also known as a combined operating license (COL). A COL may reference a certified design, an ESP or both.
All issues resolved in connection with earlier proceedings associated with a standard design or site will be considered resolved for purposes of the COL proceeding. This makes the process more effective and efficient by allowing the NRC review and a public COL hearing to focus on remaining issues related to plant ownership, design issues not resolved earlier, and organization and operational programs.
Granting a COL signifies resolution of all safety issues associated with the plant.
The one issue that cannot be addressed up front is whether the plant, once built, conforms to the requirements of the license and is ready to operate. For this, Part 52 provides the ITAAC process, which specifies the inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria that will be used to assess the completed plant. Under this process, the ITAAC elements are agreed upon during the design certification process and in the combined license. They then will be used during construction to determine that the constructed plant conforms to its licensing requirements.
No applicant has yet been through the entire COL process. The NRC currently estimates that the review and approval of the first set of COLs could take as long as 42 months.
New Licensing Process
The new NRC licensing process provides for design certification, early site approval and combined licensing for construction and operation.
Design Certification
Design certification allows plant designers to secure advance NRC approval of standard plant designs. Later, these plant designs can be ordered, licensed for a particular site and built.
Following an exhaustive NRC safety review, agency approval of standard designs is formalized via a specific design certification rulemaking. This process allows the public to review and comment on the designs up front—before anyone builds a plant of this design. NRC design certification fully resolves safety issues associated with the design. The NRC approves the design for 15 years.
Once a design certification application has been submitted, the NRC takes between 36 and 60-plus months to complete the review and rulemaking, depending on whether the agency previously has reviewed and approved the technology.
To date, the NRC has certified four advanced-plant designs, including GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GEH) Advanced Boiling Water Reactor and Westinghouse’s AP1000. Three additional designs are under NRC review: GEH’s ESBWR, AREVA’s U.S. EPR and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ U.S. APWR design. In addition, the NRC expects to receive several more applications for design certification over the next few years.
Design standardization offers significant benefits. The approach anticipates that reactors will be built in families of the same design, except for a limited number of site-specific differences. Standardization will reduce construction and operating cost, and lead to greater efficiencies and simplicity in nuclear plant operations, including safety, maintenance, training and spare-parts procurement. Standardization is a major departure from the first generation of U.S. nuclear reactors, which are nearly one-of-a-kind.
International experience demonstrates the benefits of standardization. The French nuclear program is based on standardized nuclear plant designs. France’s 59 reactors provide 78 percent of the nation’s electricity.
Early Site Approval
The early site permit (ESP) process enables companies to obtain approval from the NRC for a nuclear power plant site before deciding to build a plant. The process resolves any site suitability issues before companies commit funds to a project. Companies can “bank” sites approved by the NRC for up to 20 years and build when the time is right. Having a pre-approved site can dramatically shorten the time to bring a new plant to market. However, the NRC does not require an applicant for a new-plant license to obtain an ESP.
ESP applications consist of three components: a site safety analysis, an environmental report and emergency planning information. Federal, state and local government officials and the public have opportunities to participate in each of these at various stages during the NRC review.
An ESP review process that encompasses a range of reactor designs enables companies to select the best design when they proceed with a decision to build. Through the use of the “plant parameters envelope” concept, the NRC can assess the suitability of a site based on a generalized plant description that takes into account the characteristics of several designs—for example, the height of the tallest building and the greatest cooling water requirement for any design under consideration. Using this approach, the NRC has the information it needs to assess site suitability, and companies can choose the best technology when they proceed with a new plant.
It takes between 12 and 24 months to develop an ESP application, depending on whether it is a “greenfield” site or a site adjacent to an existing facility. Once the applicant submits the application, the process of NRC review and approval—including the public hearing—takes approximately 33 months. The industry and NRC staff are looking at ways to improve the effectiveness of the review and reduce the review and approval schedules.
Combined Construction and Operating License
NRC regulations provide for issuance of a combined construction permit and operating license, also known as a combined operating license (COL). A COL may reference a certified design, an ESP or both.
All issues resolved in connection with earlier proceedings associated with a standard design or site will be considered resolved for purposes of the COL proceeding. This makes the process more effective and efficient by allowing the NRC review and a public COL hearing to focus on remaining issues related to plant ownership, design issues not resolved earlier, and organization and operational programs.
Granting a COL signifies resolution of all safety issues associated with the plant.
The one issue that cannot be addressed up front is whether the plant, once built, conforms to the requirements of the license and is ready to operate. For this, Part 52 provides the ITAAC process, which specifies the inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria that will be used to assess the completed plant. Under this process, the ITAAC elements are agreed upon during the design certification process and in the combined license. They then will be used during construction to determine that the constructed plant conforms to its licensing requirements.
No applicant has yet been through the entire COL process. The NRC currently estimates that the review and approval of the first set of COLs could take as long as 42 months.
