Westinghouse’s AP100 reactor design certification renewal earned the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s approval and now extends the company’s reactor design through 2066, NRC said Wednesday.
NRC said in its press release this approval would give future applicants a standardized AP1000 reactor design that replicates Units 3 and 4 at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Ga. NRC added that this move aims to “reduce duplicative regulatory reviews, lower licensing costs and help future AP1000 projects move through the NRC’s licensing process more efficiently.”
When Vogtle Units 3 and 4 were under construction and began operation, NRC reviewed and approved about 200 license amendments. This approval reflects those design changes and experiences in the renewed certification, NRC said.
“The NRC’s approval of the updated AP1000 design provides the regulatory foundation for America to move from building individual reactors to deploying them at scale,” NRC Chairman Ho Nieh said in the release. “This is how safety-focused, enabling regulation reduces regulatory uncertainty and investment risk.”
Westinghouse submitted its reactor design certification with NRC in April as a way to support the company’s efforts for fleet-scale deployment. With President Donald Trump’s administration calling for at least 10 large-scale reactors to be under construction by 2030, Westinghouse, the sole licensee of an advanced large-scale reactor, plans to have its reactor technology take on that goal.
Last October, Westinghouse, along with its owners Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management, and the Department of Commerce signed a $80 billion deal to partner up to speed up the deployment of the AP1000 reactor across the United States.
Prior to the design certification renewal, NRC approved Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactor design certification until 2046.
Along with the approval, NRC issued a final rule proposing to change regulations to renew the AP1000 reactor design certification. Also with the rule, NRC issued an environmental assessment supplementing the rule.
NRC’s Wednesday Federal Register notice allows for the public to comment on the renewal by Nov. 13. Barring any public comments that raise significant concerns, the final rule is set to become effective on Dec. 28, according to the notice.
