ML14115A282
| ML14115A282 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Clinton  |
| Issue date: | 05/02/2014 |
| From: | Blake Purnell Plant Licensing Branch III |
| To: | |
| Blake Purnell | |
| References | |
| TAC M3600 | |
| Download: ML14115A282 (4) | |
Text
May 2, 2014 LICENSEE:
Exelon Generation Company, LLC FACILITY:
Clinton Power Station, Unit 1
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF APRIL 9, 2014, MEETING WITH EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC REGARDING ITS PLANNED APPLICATION FOR CLINTON POWER STATION, UNIT 1, TO USE GE-HITACHI SIMPLIFIED STABILITY SOLUTIONS METHODOLOGY (TAC NO. MF3600)
On April 9, 2014, a Category 1 public meeting was held between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and representatives of Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Exelons plan to submit a license amendment request (LAR) for Clinton Power Station (CPS), Unit 1, to use the GE-Hitachi (GEH) Simplified Stability Solutions (GS3) methodology. The meeting notice and agenda is available in the Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS) under Accession No. ML14080A064. A list of attendees is enclosed.
During the public portion of the meeting, Exelon presented a summary of the planned LAR (ADAMS Accession No. ML14114A740) and GEH presented a summary of the GS3 motivation and basis (ADAMS Accession No. ML14118A444). GEH submitted the GS3 methodology to the NRC for review as a licensing topical report in September 2013 (ADAMS Package Accession No. ML13254A170). However, the proposed LAR will be based on a GS3 safety analysis report that is specific to CPS and does not require NRC approval of the GEH licensing topical report. The LAR will propose to modify Technical Specification 5.6.5, Core Operating Limits Report, to reference the new methodology. However, the licensee was uncertain how any limitations or conditions on the use of the GS3 methodology by CPS would be specified.
The NRC staff agreed to look into how this had been done in the past.
Exelon stated that one of the benefits of the GS3 methodology for CPS is that it would reduce the chances of spurious scrams or alarms. Another benefit is that it would allow Exelon to optimize the core reload design and improve thermal limit margins since excess conservatism in the current stability methodology results in stability analyses establishing the minimum critical power ratio operating limit.
Exelon stated that it plans to submit the LAR in mid-June 2014, and will request approval of the amendment by April 30, 2015. Exelon acknowledged that this would be an expedited review schedule. Exelon plans to implement the amendment, if approved, prior to the startup (currently scheduled for May 13, 2015) from the spring 2015 refueling outage. The NRC staff indicated that it will be difficult for the staff to complete its review on the schedule the licensee has proposed.
The NRC staff asked Exelon to describe the impact to CPS if the amendment were not approved on the licensees proposed schedule. Exelon stated that if it did not get approval by the scheduled startup there would be significant impact to plant operations; however, an assessment of possible impacts has not been completed so Exelon could not provide specific impacts. The staff stated that Exelon should provide justification with the LAR for requesting an expedited review schedule so that the staff can appropriately prioritize the review.
During the non-public portion of the meeting, GEH presented a summary of the safety analysis report content and a sample demonstration of the GS3 methodology results. The NRC staff noted that part of the statistical analysis for the GEH proprietary version of the Transient Reactor Analysis Code (TRACG) may complicate the staffs review of the LAR.
Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-1380 or Blake.Purnell@nrc.gov.
/RA/
Blake Purnell, Project Manager Plant Licensing III-2 and Planning and Analysis Branch Division of Operating Reactors Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-461
Enclosure:
List of Attendees cc w/encls: Distribution via Listserv
Package ML14114A737; Summary ML14115A282 OFFICE DORL/LPL3-2/PM DORL/LPL3-2 /LA DORL/LPL3-2/BC DORL/LPL3-2/PM NAME BPurnell SRohrer TTate BPurnell DATE 4/30/14 4/28/14 5/2/14 5/2/14 Enclosure LIST OF ATTENDEES APRIL 9, 2014, MEETING WITH EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC Name Affiliation James Tusar Exelon Ed McKay Exelon Dale Bradish Exelon Andy Olson Exelon Timothy Byam Exelon Juswald Vedovi GE-Hitachi Jim Harrison GE-Hitachi Justin Lamy GE-Hitachi Tyler Schweitzer GE-Hitachi Chris Jackson NRC Tai Huang NRC Jeremy Dean NRC Travis Tate NRC Blake Purnell NRC Ashley Guzzetta NRC Ruth Thomas Public Waldon Mertz Southern Company Lisa Schichlein GE-Hitachi