ML061430227

Withdrawal of Amendment Request for Extended Power Uprate (Tac Nos. MD1059 and MD1060)

ML061430227
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	05/23/2006
From:	Richard Guzman Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Mckinney B Susquehanna
Guzman R, NRR/DLPM 415-1030
References
TAC MD1059, TAC MD1060
Download: ML061430227 (7)

Text

May 23, 2006 Mr. Britt T. McKinney Sr. Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB3 Berwick, PA 18603-0467

SUBJECT:

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 -

WITHDRAWAL OF AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR EXTENDED POWER UPRATE (TAC NOS. MD1059 AND MD1060)

Dear Mr. McKinney:

By letter dated March 31, 2006, PPL Susquehanna, LLC (PPL, the licensee), submitted its request to amend the operating license for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 (SSES 1 and 2) to increase the maximum authorized power level from 3489 megawatts thermal (MWt) to 3952 MWt, an increase of approximately 13 percent in thermal power. In a conference call on May 16, 2006, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff informed PPL that certain areas of the extended power uprate (EPU) application identified during the acceptance review lacked sufficient information for the NRC staff to proceed with its review.

The primary concern was that information related to steam dryer stress analyses and modification plans were not sufficient to evaluate the capability of the steam dryers to maintain their structural integrity at the proposed EPU conditions. In addition, the NRC staff identified several areas in RS-001, Review Standard for Extended Power Uprates, under the Balance of Plant review matrix that were not adequately addressed.

The purpose of this letter is to acknowledge PPLs withdrawal of its EPU application in its letter dated May 18, 2006, for SSES 1 and 2, and to inform you that the NRC staffs efforts under Technical Assignment Control (TAC) Nos. MC1059 and MC1060 have been discontinued. PPL has expressed an interest in meeting with the NRC staff to discuss the results of the acceptance review in support of PPLs plans to resubmit the EPU request in June of 2006. The NRC staff will support the meeting(s), and other requested pre-application activities, under a new TAC.

B. McKinney The enclosure to this letter contains the specific review areas for which additional information is needed to proceed with our review. If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1030 or at rvg@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Richard V. Guzman, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-387 and 50-388

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page

OFFICE LPLI-1/PM LPLI-1/LA LPLI-1/BC NAME RGuzman SLittle RLaufer DATE 5/23/06 5/23/06 5/23/06 Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 cc:

Robert A. Saccone Luis A. Ramos Vice President - Nuclear Operations Community Relations Manager, PPL Susquehanna, LLC Susquehanna 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB3 PPL Susquehanna, LLC Berwick, PA 18603-0467 634 Salem Blvd., SSO Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Aloysius J. Wrape, III General Manager - Performance Bryan A. Snapp, Esq Improvement and Oversight Assoc. General Counsel PPL Susquehanna, LLC PPL Services Corporation Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 Two North Ninth Street, GENTW3 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Terry L. Harpster Supervisor - Document Control Services General Manager - Plant Support PPL Susquehanna, LLC PPL Susquehanna, LLC Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSA4 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Richard W. Osborne Rocco R. Sgarro Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Manager - Nuclear Regulatory Affairs 212 Locust Street PPL Susquehanna, LLC P.O. Box 1266 Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 Director, Bureau of Radiation Protection Walter E. Morrissey Pennsylvania Department of Supervising Engineer Environmental Protection Nuclear Regulatory Affairs Rachel Carson State Office Building PPL Susquehanna, LLC P.O. Box 8469 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSA4 Harrisburg, PA 17105-8469 Berwick, PA 18603-0467 Senior Resident Inspector Michael H. Crowthers U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Supervising Engineer P.O. Box 35, NUCSA4 Nuclear Regulatory Affairs Berwick, PA 18603-0035 PPL Susquehanna, LLC Two North Ninth Street, GENPL4 Regional Administrator, Region 1 Allentown, PA 18101-1179 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road Steven M. Cook King of Prussia, PA 19406 Manager - Quality Assurance PPL Susquehanna, LLC Board of Supervisors 769 Salem Blvd., NUCSB2 Salem Township Berwick, PA 18603-0467 P.O. Box 405 Berwick, PA 18603-0035

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 cc:

Dr. Judith Johnsrud National Energy Committee Sierra Club 443 Orlando Avenue State College, PA 16803

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 EXTENDED POWER UPRATE APPLICATION ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NEEDED FOR NRC STAFF REVIEW PPL SUSQUEHANNA, LLC DOCKET NOS. 50-387 AND 50-388 By letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) dated March 31, 2006, PPL Susquehanna, LLC (PPL, the licensee) submitted a request to amend the operating license for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 (SSES 1 and 2) to increase the maximum authorized power level from 3489 megawatts thermal (MWt) to 3952 MWt, an increase of approximately 13% in thermal power. The NRC staff considers a power uprate in excess of approximately 7% to be an extended power uprate (EPU). In accordance with its procedures for reviewing EPU applications, the NRC staff performed an acceptance review of PPLs EPU application to determine whether it was sufficient to allow the staff to proceed with its detailed technical review. The NRC staff determined that additional information must be submitted for the following review areas:

Engineering Mechanics - Steam Dryer Structural Evaluation The NRC staff does not consider the information provided in PPLs March 31, 2006, application to be sufficient to evaluate the capability of the steam dryers at SSES 1 and 2 to maintain their structural integrity at the proposed EPU conditions. The supplement planned to be provided by PPL as supporting information in the second quarter of 2006 is needed to evaluate the structural capability of the SSES 1 and 2 steam dryers for the proposed EPU conditions.

Balance of Plant Evaluation Internally Generated Missiles (Outside Containment)

PPLs application is lacking information on the evaluation of impact on structures, systems, and components of postulated turbine missiles (Power Uprate Safety Analysis Report (PUSAR)

Section 7.1), and no evaluation of the EPU impact on other sources of missiles (e.g., effect of increased flow rates and transient effects such as from fast-acting valves, and from main feed pump turbine) (PUSAR 10.1 and 7.4).

Internally Generated Missiles (Inside Containment)

PPLs application is lacking information on the evaluation of the EPU impact on missile sources (e.g., effect of increased flow rates and transient effects such as from fast-acting valves)

(PUSAR 10.1).

Enclosure

Fission Product Control Systems and Structures PPLs application addresses EPU impact on standby gas treatment system, but does not discuss impact on other fission product control systems and structures that are credited.

Ultimate Heat Sink The proposed change to TS 3.7.1 is not adequately addressed and justified; the proposed change to the licensing basis/analysis is also inadequately addressed and justified; a description/justification for post-modification testing that will be performed to confirm analytical assumptions with respect to pressure and spray height is needed.

Condensate and Feedwater (FW) System The licensing basis change for FW and condensate pump trip is not specifically identified for NRC review and approval; the increased challenges to reactor safety systems are not justified.

Emergency Diesel Engine Fuel Oil Storage and Transfer System PPLs application is lacking information on the impact that EPU will have on the emergency diesel generator fuel oil storage/inventory.