ML091760769

Transmits Audit Summary Regarding Extended Power Uprate and Long-Term Stability Solution

ML091760769
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	07/16/2009
From:	Tam P Plant Licensing Branch III
To:	O'Connor T Northern States Power Co
Tam P
Shared Package
ML091761038	List: ML091760769
References
TAC MD8064, TAC MD9990
Download: ML091760769 (4)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 July 16, 2009 Mr. Timothy J. O'Connor Site Vice President Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Northern States Power Company - Minnesota 2807 West County Road 75 Monticello, MN 55362-9637

SUBJECT:

MONTICELLO NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT (MNGP) - EXTENDED POWER UPRATE AND LONG-TERM STABILITY SOLUTION AUDIT

SUMMARY

(TAC NOS. MD9990 AND MD8064)

Dear Mr. O'Connor:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is reviewing an application by Northern States Power Company (NSPM) for an extended power uprate (EPU) amendment at MNGP. As part of its review, the NRC staff performed an operational audit of the long-term stability solution that NSPM recently installed at MNGP. The NRC staff was supported by its consultant Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The audit took place at the MNGP Operator Training Center on May 21, 2009.

Enclosed please find the audit summary. No significant issues or open items were identified during the audit. The NRC staff's conclusions will be presented in detail in the safety evaluation associated with the MNGP EPU amendment. The audit summary is provided for your information only; no part of the audit summary may be construed as finding or conclusion on the proposed EPU amendment, whose review is still ongoing.

Sincerely, 5Z.'

~

('~

A.-;{:;:;. tL...v, Pe r S. Tam, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 111-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-263

Enclosure:

Audit summary cc w/encls: Distribution via ListServ

REGULATORY AUDIT

SUMMARY

BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION MONTICELLO NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY - MINNESOTA LONG-TERM STABILITY SOLUTION AND EXTENDED POWER UPRAT DOCKET NO. 50-263

1.0 BACKGROUND

Northern States Power Company - Minnesota (NSPM), as the licensee for Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant (MNGP), has recently received U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval to implement a new long-term stability solution at MNGP (see Amendment No. 159, January 30, 2009; (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)

Accession No. ML083440681). NSPM is also requesting an extended power uprate (EPU) amendment at MNGP; this request is currently under review by the NRC staff.

The long-term (LIT) stability solution is a technical matter that receives a significant amount of attention during the NRC's review of an EPU amendment. Accordingly, the NRC staff routinely performs regulatory audits of licensees' stability solutions in concert with both the EPU review, and as an ongoing regulatory oversight activity with regard to the stability solution installed at domestic boiling-water reactors.

2.0 REGULATORY AUDIT BASES This audit was conducted in accordance with the guidelines presented in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Office Instruction L1C-111, "Regulatory Audits."

The NRC staff evaluated the information gained during the audit using the General Design Criteria (GOG) presented in Appendix A to part 50, Title 10, of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 50). Specifically, the NRC staff considered GDC 10, "Reactor Design;" GDC 12, "Suppression of Power Oscillations;" and GDC 13, "Instrumentation and Control."

The NRC staff acknowledges that the GDC are not directly applicable to MNGP, as the plant was not licensed using the 10 CFR Part 50 GDCs. However, the NRC staff believes that the GDCs provide adequate technical guidance against which to evaluate the LIT stability solution installed at MNGP, and considers the GDCs as regulatory guidance only.

-2 3.0 REGULATORY AUDIT SCOPE This audit had two main goals: (1) to understand the implementation status of the Monticello LIT Stability Option implementations, and (2) review the implementation of the anticipated transient without scram (ATWS) emergency operating procedures, including the ATWS/Stability mitigation actions, as it relates to the EPU upgrade.

4.0

SUMMARY

OF REGULATORY AUDIT The NRC staff conducted its audit by observing presentations of technical material related to IVINGP's experience and training for stability scenarios and their mitigating systems, and by observing exercises at the MNGP control room simulator. The simulator portion included observation of two ATWS scenarios: a main steamline isolation valve closure with an electrical failure in the control rod drive system, and a turbine trip with a failure of all rods to insert fully.

Both exercises were observed with and without operator action.

No significant issues were identified during the NRC staff's audit. The NRC staff's conclusions will be presented in detail in the safety evaluation associated with the IVINGP EPU amendment.

5.0 LOGISTICS The audit was conducted on May 21,2009, at the XCEL Training Center located on West River Street in Monticello, Minnesota.

Participants in the audit included:

IVINGP NRC General Electric-Hitachii Joel Beres Tai Huang Juswald Vedovi Mike Cray Benjamin Parks Steve Hammer Jose March-Leuba Randy Nuelk (consultant from Oak Ridge Harold Paustian National Laboratory)

John Shriver Principal Contributors: Benjamin Parks TaiHuang Date: July 16, 2009

July 16, 2009 Mr. Timothy J. O'Connor Site Vice President Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Northern States Power Company 2807 West County Road 75 Monticello, MN 55362-9637

SUBJECT:

MONTICELLO NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT (MNGP) - EXTENDED POWER UPRATE AND LONG-TERM STABILITY SOLUTION AUDIT

SUMMARY

(TAC NOS. MD9990 AND MD8064)

Dear Mr. O'Connor:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is reviewing an application by Northern States Power Company (NSPM) for an extended power uprate (EPU) amendment at MNGP. As part of its review, the NRC staff performed an operational audit of the long-term stability solution that NSPM recently installed at MNGP. The !\IRC staff was supported by its consultant Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The audit took place at the MNGP Operator Training Center on May 21, 2009.

Enclosed please find the audit summary. No significant issues or open items were identified during the audit. The NRC staff's conclusions will be presented in detail in the safety evaluation associated with the MNGP EPU amendment. The audit summary is provided for your information only; no part of the audit summary may be construed as finding or conclusion on the proposed EPU amendment, whose review is still ongoing.

Sincerely, IRAJ Peter S. Tam, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch '"-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-263

Enclosure:

Audit summary cc w/encls: Distribution via ListServ DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC RidsNrrDorlLpl3-1 Resource RidsNrrPMMonticello Resource RidsNrrLATHarris Resource RidsOGCRp Resource RidsAcrsAcnw_MailCTR Resource RidsNrrDirsSbpb B. Parks, NRR T. Huang, NRR RidsNrrDorlDpr RidsRgn3MailCenter Resource LPL3-1 rtf Accession No.:.. ML091760769 OFFICE LPL3-1/PM LPL3-1/LA SRXB SRXB SRXB/BC LPL3-1/BC NAME PTam BTully BParks THuang GCranston LJames ITHarris for DATE 07/14/09 06/30/09 07/05/09 07/06/09 07/10/09 07/16/09 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY