ML102660375
| ML102660375 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | San Onofre  |
| Issue date: | 09/27/2010 |
| From: | Hall J Plant Licensing Branch IV |
| To: | Southern California Edison Co |
| Hall, J R, NRR/DORL/LPL4, 301-415-4032 | |
| References | |
| TAC ME4191, TAC ME4192 | |
| Download: ML102660375 (4) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 September 27, 2010 LICENSEE:
Southern California Edison Company FACILITY:
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 2 and 3
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF JULY 21, 2010, MEETING WITH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY ON PLANNED LICENSING ACTIONS TO ALLOW THE USE OF AREVA FUEL AT THE SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 (TAC NOS. ME4191 AND ME4192)
On July 21, 2010, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a Category 1 public meeting with representatives of Southern California Edison Company (SCE) at NRC Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. SCE requested the pre-application meeting to brief the NRC staff about its planned submittal of an exemption request and an associated license amendment request (LAR) for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), Units 2 and 3, to allow for the future use of AREVA fuel assemblies in both units. The meeting was noticed on July 7,2010. The list of meeting participants is enclosed. SCE's presentation slides are available through the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), at ADAMS Accession No. ML102660187.
SCE intends to request approval for the permanent use of AREVA fuel assemblies in SONGS, Units 2 and 3 beginning in the Unit 3 Cycle 17 core, currently scheduled for startup in November 2012. To support this, SCE is planning a licensing submittal in the second quarter of 2011 with a supplement to topical report SCE-9801-P-A, "Reload Analysis Methodology for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Units 2 and 3", dated June 1999.
SCE began its presentation by describing the design and history of the existing Combustion Engineering (CE, now Westinghouse) 16x16 fuel assemblies currently in use at SONGS, Units 2 and 3, and its goals for improved fuel performance. The planned conversion to the AREVA fuel is intended to reduce the occurrence of grid-to-rod fretting fuel failures while still meeting the site high-seismic design requirements, and to support a transition to longer fuel cycles. At the next refueling outage for SONGS, Unit 2, SCE will examine the eight AREVA lead fuel assemblies (LFAs) currently in the core, to confirm the expected improved fretting behavior of the AREVA fuel.
SCE described the planned changes to the SONGS, Units 2 and 3, Technical Specifications and other licensing basis documents to support the application of the AREVA accident analysis and fuel mechanical design methods to SONGS, including the planned revisions to SCE-9801-P-A for the use of AREVA CE-HTP fuel. This topical report describes the reload analysis methodology currently used for core design and Updated Final Safety Analysis Report Chapter 15 safety analyses. The existing approved methods and computer codes used by SCE will continue to be used, but modifications are necessary to implement AREVA fuel-specific information into the reload analysis process (e.g., critical heat flux correlations, M5 cladding properties). The licensing submittal will also include a request for a permanent exemption from
- 2 the provisions of Section 50.46 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) and 10 CFR 50, Appendix K, to allow the use of the AREVA CE-HTP fuel, without the restrictions imposed under the existing temporary exemption granted by NRC for the AREVA LFAs in use in SONGS, Unit 2.
The NRC staff provided several comments in response to SCE's presentation. In reference to a similar change for the Calvert Cliffs plant, the staff stated that it raised issues regarding two different fuel burnup limits for the old and new fuel types. The staff asked who (SCE or a third party) would own the rights to computer codes and related core reload methodologies, particularly in the interim period when the reactor cores will be loaded with multiple fuel types.
The NRC staff also asked whether the planned LAR would include commitments regarding the implementation of the AREVA analytical methods, or whether they would be addressed in the revised topical report. SCE stated that those questions would be addressed in the LAR.
SCE provided its proposed schedule for the project; the application is to be submitted in the second quarter of 2011, with NRC approval to be requested by October 2012. Due to the scope and complexity of the changes in methods and licensing basis documents necessary to support the transition to the AREVA fuel, the NRC staff recommended a follow-up meeting prior to the licensee's submittal, to clearly identify the extent of the changes in methodology and to mutually understand which of those changes require prior NRC review and approval.
No members of the public were in attendance; one member of the public participated by telephone. No Public Meeting Feedback forms were submitted for ~h~i~~eeting.
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l;Ja,mes R. Hall, Senior Project Manager
( Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-361 and 50-362
Enclosure:
List of Attendees cc w/encl: Distribution via Listserv
LIST OF ATTENDEES NRC MEETING WITH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON ON PROPOSED LICENSE AMENDMENT AND EXEMPTION FOR USE OF AREVA FUEL AT SAN ONOFRE UNITS 2 AND 3 NAME Anthony Mendiola Tony Ulses Randy Hall Mathew Panicker Ben Parks Shih-Liang Wu Ashley Guzzetta Farideh Saba Chris Smith Steve Sparks Vick Nazareth Linda Conklin Mark Morgan Larry Losh Gayle Elliott Richard Loretz*
JULY21,2010 AFFILIATION NRC/NRRl/DSS/SNPB NRC/NRRI/DSS/SRXB NRC/NRRlDORL NRC/NRO/DSS/SNPB NRC/NRO/DSS/SRXB NRC/NRRlDSS/SNPB NRC/NRRlDSS/SRXB NRC/NRRlDORL NRC/RIV/DRP Southern California Edison (SCE)
SCE SCE SCE AREVA AREVA Westinghouse
- Participated by telephone as a member of the public Enclosure
Meetinq Notice ML101880232, Meeting Summary: ML102660375, Handouts ML102660187 OFFICE DORULPL4/PM DORLlLPL4/LA DSS/SRXB/BC DORULPL4/BC DORLlLPL4/PM NAME JRHall JBurkhardt AUlses MMarkley JRHall DATE 9/23/10 9/27/10 9/24/10 9/27/10 9/27/10