ML110260287

E-mail, Request for Additional Information Fire Protection, Amendment Request for Extended Power Uprate to Increase the Maximum Reactor Core Power Operating Limit from 3898 to 4408 Mwt

ML110260287
Person / Time
Site:	Grand Gulf
Issue date:	01/26/2011
From:	Wang A Plant Licensing Branch IV
To:	Burford J, Millar D Entergy Operations
Wang, A B, NRR/DORL/LPLIV, 415-1445
References
TAC ME4679
Download: ML110260287 (2)

Text

From: Wang, Alan Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 12:04 PM To: Jerry Burford; MILLAR, DANA Cc: Burkhardt, Janet; Lent, Susan

Subject:

GGNS EPU Request for Additional Information Related to Fire Protection (ME4679)

Jerry and Dana, By letter dated September 8, 2010 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System, Accession No. ML1002660403), Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy, the licensee), submitted a request to amend the Facility Operating License No. NPF-29 for Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (GGNS). The licensee proposed a license amendment request (LAR) for an extended power uprate (EPU) to increase the maximum reactor core power operating limit from 3898 megawatts thermal (MWt) to 4408 MWt.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has determined that the following additional information is needed for the NRC staff to complete our review of this amendment .

This request for additional information (RAI) was discussed with Mr. Jerry Burford of your staff on January 26, 2011, and it was agreed that a response would be provided within 30 days of receipt of this E-mail. If circumstances result in the need to revise the requested response date, please contact me at (301) 415-1445 or via e-mail at Alan.Wang@nrc.gov.

The following RAIs are related to the fire protection portion of your request:

(1) The NRC staff notes that license amendment request (LAR), Attachment 5B, to GNRO-2010/00056, Safety Analysis Report for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station Constant Pressure Power Uprate, Section 2.5.1.4.1, on page 2-194, states that, Any changes in physical plant configuration or combustible loading as a result of modifications to implement the EPU will be evaluated in accordance with the plant modification and FPPs It is unclear to the NRC staff whether there are any fire protection program plant modifications planned (e.g., adding new cable trays, or re-routing of existing cables, or increases in combustible loading affecting fire barrier ratings, or changes to administrative controls) at EPU conditions. Clarify whether this LAR involves plant modifications, or changes to the fire protection program, including any proposed modifications to implement EPU. If any, the NRC staff requests the licensee to identify proposed modifications and discuss the impact of these modifications on the plants compliance with the fire protection program licensing basis, 10 CFR50.48, or applicable portions.

(2) The results of the Appendix R evaluation for current license thermal power (CLTP) and EPU are provided in Table 2.5-1 and Figures 2.5-1 through 2.5-6. The NRC staff notes in Table 2.5-1 that at EPU condition, there is an increase in the suppression pool bulk temperature to 181.4 °F, 7.5 °F above the current suppression pool bulk temperature of 173.9 °F. Does the GGNS safe shutdown instructions credit any operator manual action in the containment? If so, discuss how this operator manual action can be accomplished

within the available time at higher suppression pool bulk temperature (e.g., manually opening the main steam relief valves).

(3) Some plants credit aspects of their fire protection system for other than fire protection activities, e.g., utilizing the fire water pumps and water supply as backup cooling or inventory for non-primary reactor systems. If GGNS credits its fire protection system in this way, the LAR should identify the specific situations and discuss to what extent, if any, the extended power and measurement uncertainty recapture uprates affect these non-fire-protection aspects of the plant fire protection system. If GGNS does not take such credit, the NRC staff requests that the licensee verify this.

In your response discuss how any non-fire suppression use of fire protection water will impact the need to meet the fire protection system design demands.

Alan Wang Project Manager (Grand Gulf Nuclear Station)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Division of Operating Reactor Licensing