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Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves Design for Nuclear Plant

Posted on: Friday, 30 December 2005, 21:00 CST

By Bethany Fuller, The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va.

Dec. 31--LYNCHBURG, Va. -- In a move that signals another step toward the possible re-emergence of nuclear power, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Friday approved Westinghouse Electric Co.'s nuclear plant design using pressurized water.

Westinghouse is one of at least three corporations -- including AREVA and Atlanta-based GE Energy -- that have designed their own "next generation" nuclear plants.

AREVA, which employs 1,700 in Lynchburg, is working to convert its European pressurized water reactor design to American specifications and also is seeking approval from the NRC.

In a statement Friday, Westinghouse Senior Vice President Daniel S. Lipman said the company's AP1000 standard nuclear plant design was the first Generation III plant to receive such certification.

Specifically, the NRC voted to approve a final design certification rule for the AP1000 advanced reactor design, submitted by Westinghouse in March 2002.

"Several utilities have said they're interested in applying for licenses to build new reactors," said Jim Dyer, director of the NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, in a statement Friday.

"Once this design certification is published as a final rule, a utility can reference the AP1000 in a combined license application."

With a certified design rule, safety issues within the scope of the design are not subject to litigation, although site-specific environmental impacts associated with building and operating the plant are, the NRC said. No applications for a combined license referencing the AP1000 have been filed with the NRC.

In September 2004, the NRC awarded final design approval for the AP1000. This helped to clear the way for Westinghouse to begin selling the design internationally. According to a news release from Westinghouse, customers in Asia, the United States and Europe have already expressed interest in the design.

AREVA Framatome ANP Senior Vice President Ray Ganthner said Friday design approval is the first step for the approval process to build a nuclear plant.

Framatome ANP is part of the AREVA Group, a worldwide energy company and nuclear service provider based in France. Framatome's North American Headquarters is on Old Forest Road.

Framatome is currently in the process of hiring 200 employees to help reconfigure AREVA's European nuclear power plant design to meet U.S. regulations.

Although Framatome will be hiring these employees during the next couple of months, not all of them will work in Lynchburg, he said.

AREVA is currently building in Finland a "third generation" nuclear power plant, called a European pressurized water reactor. The company has a contract to build a second one in France.

Framatome expects to file its U.S. design application sometime in 2007. Ganthner said it usually takes two to three years to receive approval for a design application.

Ganthner said the next step would be to obtain a combined construction and operating license. Ganthner said a "COL" license hasn't been issued since the NRC enacted that requirement in the early 1990s.

If an energy company obtains a COL using Westinghouse's design, it could be the first nuclear plant built in the U.S. since before the 1979 incident on Three Mile Island.

The U.S. currently has 104 commercial nuclear plants in 31 states, according to the NRC.

Ganthner said it usually takes around 10 years to build a nuclear plant, which is an improvement over the 20 years it used to take, he said.

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AREVA,

Source: The News & Advance

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