ML15061A157

NRR E-mail Capture - Request for Additional Information: Columbia Generating Station - LAR to Revise Safety Limit Minimum Critical Power Ratio - TAC No. MF5327

ML15061A157
Person / Time
Site:	Columbia
Issue date:	02/27/2015
From:	Andrea George Plant Licensing Branch IV
To:	Linda Williams Energy Northwest
References
TAC MF5327
Download: ML15061A157 (4)

Text

NRR-PMDAPEm Resource From: George, Andrea Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 1:59 PM To: 'Williams, Lisa L.'

Subject:

Request for Additional Information: Columbia Generating Station - LAR to Revise Safety Limit Minimum Critical Power Ratio - TAC No. MF5327 Attachments: MF5327 - RAIs.pdf Ms. Williams, By letter dated November 17, 2014 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)

Accession Package No. ML14336A100), Energy Northwest submitted a license amendment request to modify the Technical Specifications (TS) to revise values for the Safety Limit Minimum Critical Power Ratio (SLMCPR, or MCPR) at Columbia Generating Station (CGS). This proposed amendment would modify the SLMCPR values in TS 2.0, Safety Limits (SLs), due to core loading fuel management changes for the upcoming operating cycle at CGS.

Based on the review of the license amendment request (LAR), the NRC staff has determined that additional information is required to complete its review. The formal requests for additional information (RAIs) are attached to this email. These RAIs were transmitted in draft form on February 23, 2015. Via email dated February 25, 2015, you indicated to that staff that no clarification call was needed and that Energy Northwest would respond to these RAIs within 30 days. Additionally, via email dated February February 26, 2015, you indicated that the information owner had reviewed the RAIs and determined that they do not contain proprietary information. Please provide a response to these RAIs by March 30, 2015. If you encounter difficulties meeting this schedule, please email or call.

Sincerely, Andrea George Project Manager Nuclear Regulatory Commission Division of Operating Reactor Licensing andrea.george@nrc.gov 301-415-1081 1

Hearing Identifier: NRR_PMDA Email Number: 1911 Mail Envelope Properties (6F9E3C9DCAB9E448AAA49B8772A448C502460E696582)

Subject:

Request for Additional Information: Columbia Generating Station - LAR to Revise Safety Limit Minimum Critical Power Ratio - TAC No. MF5327 Sent Date: 2/27/2015 1:58:36 PM Received Date: 2/27/2015 1:58:00 PM From: George, Andrea Created By: Andrea.George@nrc.gov Recipients:

"'Williams, Lisa L.'" <llwilliams@energy-northwest.com>

Tracking Status: None Post Office: HQCLSTR01.nrc.gov Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 1571 2/27/2015 1:58:00 PM MF5327 - RAIs.pdf 119425 Options Priority: Standard Return Notification: No Reply Requested: No Sensitivity: Normal Expiration Date:

Recipients Received:

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO REVISE SAFETY LIMIT MINIMUM CRITICAL POWER RATIO ENERGY NORTHWEST COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION DOCKET NO. 50-397 By letter dated November 17, 2014 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession Package No. ML14336A100), Energy Northwest (the licensee) submitted a license amendment request to modify the Technical Specifications to revise values for the Safety Limit Minimum Critical Power Ratio (SLMCPR, or MCPR) at Columbia Generating Station (CGS). This proposed amendment would modify the SLMCPR values in TS 2.0, Safety Limits (SLs), due to core loading fuel management changes for the upcoming operating cycle at CGS.

Based on the review of the license amendment request (LAR), the NRC staff has determined that additional information is required to complete its review, as stated below.

SRXB - RAI 1 Table 3 of GNF-001N8869-R3, Additional Information Regarding the Requested Changes to the Technical Specifications SLMCPR, Columbia Cycle 23 (publicly available portions at ADAMS Accession No. ML14336A007) shows a significant change in MCPR Importance Parameter (MIP). Please describe:

a) Why the current cycle core design results in a significant flattening of the bundle-by-bundle MCPR distribution; b) How this may affect selection of the limiting rod pattern used to evaluate the SLMCPR; and, c) How these effects may have been considered during the most recent evaluation of the MIP criterion by General Electric-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC (GEH).

d) If these effects were not considered during the most recent evaluation of the MIP criterion, please provide the technical basis for considering that the calculation based on the current core design and planned operating strategy is using appropriately limiting rod pattern(s).

SRXB - RAI 2 The current cycle will be the first core loading GNF2 fuel at CGS. Section 2.7 of NEDC-32601P-A, Methodologies and Uncertainties for Safety Limit MCPR Evaluations, August 1999 (non-publicly available), indicates that the channel flow area uncertainty is calculated based on variables that are dependent on the fuel design. Please confirm that the value given in GNF-

001N8869-R3, which matches the value calculated in NEDC-32601 for GE12 fuel, remains applicable for the newer fuel design.