ML22070B075

Regulatory Audit Summary License Amendment Request for Rev. to the Conditional Exemption of the End of Cycle Moderator Temperature Coefficient Measurement Methodology

ML22070B075
Person / Time
Site:	Mcguire, Catawba, McGuire
Issue date:	03/15/2022
From:	Stone Z Plant Licensing Branch II
To:	Simril R Duke Energy Carolinas
Stone Z
References
EPID L-2021-LLA-0198
Download: ML22070B075 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON , D.C. 20555-0001 March 15, 2022 Mr. Robert T. Simril Site Vice President Catawba Nuclear Station Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC 4800 Concord Road York, SC 29745 Mr. Tom Ray Site Vice President McGuire Nuclear Station Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC 12700 Hagers Ferry Road Huntersville, NC 28078

SUBJECT:

CATAWBA NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, AND MCGUIRE NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - REGULATORY AUDIT

SUMMARY

REGARDING LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR REVISION TO THE CONDITIONAL EXEMPTION OF THE END-OF-CYCLE MODERATOR TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT MEASUREMENT METHODOLOGY (EPID L-2021-LLA-0198)

Dear Mr. Simril and Mr. Ray:

By letter dated October 25, 2021, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy, the licensee) submitted a license amendment request (LAR) for Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, and McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2. The LAR proposed changes to DPC-NE-1007-P, Conditional Exemption of the EOC [end-of-cycle] MTC [moderator temperature coefficient]

Measurement Methodology, which would remove the incore quadrant power tilt conditional exemption acceptance criterion, add an alternate approach for calculating the most negative MTC (i.e., the Safety Analysis MTC analysis value), and modify the power distribution reaction rate failure criterion to prevent a false positive (criterion exceeded) due to an instrument issue.

On February 18, 2022, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff issued an audit plan that conveyed intent to conduct a regulatory audit to support its review of the subject license amendment. On March 1-2, 2022, the NRC staff conducted a virtual audit with the licensees staff.

The purpose of the audit was for the NRC to increase its understanding of the application and to identify information that will require docketing to support the NRCs regulatory findings. The regulatory audit summary is enclosed with this letter.

R. T. Simril and T. Ray If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-415-0615 or via e-mail at Zackary.Stone@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Digitally signed by Zackary Zackary R. Stone Date: 2022.03.15 R. Stone 12:10:27 -04'00' Zackary Stone, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 2-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-413, 50-414, 50-369, and 50-370

Enclosure:

Regulatory Audit Summary cc: Listserv

REGULATORY AUDIT

SUMMARY

LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO REVISE THE CONDITIONAL EXEMPTION OF THE END OF CYCLE MODERATOR TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT MEASUREMENT METHODOLOGY DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC CATAWBA NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 MCGUIRE NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-413, 50-414, 50-369, AND 50-370

1.0 BACKGROUND

By letter dated October 25, 2021, (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession (ADAMS) No. ML21298A133) Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy, the licensee) submitted a license amendment request (LAR) for Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, and McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2. The LAR proposed changes to DPC-NE-1007-P, Conditional Exemption of the EOC [end-of-cycle] MTC [moderator temperature coefficient] Measurement Methodology, which would remove the incore quadrant power tilt conditional exemption acceptance criterion, add an alternate approach for calculating the most negative MTC (i.e., the Safety Analysis MTC analysis value), and modify the power distribution reaction rate failure criterion to prevent a false positive (criterion exceeded) due to an instrument issue.

On February 18, 2022, (ADAMS Accession No. ML22040A118, (ML22040A106 - non-public))

the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff issued an audit plan that conveyed intent to conduct a regulatory audit to support its review of the subject license amendment. The purpose of the audit was for the NRC to increase its understanding of the application and to identify information that will require docketing to support the NRCs regulatory findings.

The NRC staff conducted the regulatory audit in accordance with the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Office Instruction LIC-111, Regulatory Audits (ADAMS Accession No. ML19226A274).

2.0 AUDIT DATES AND LOCATION The regulatory audit was conducted virtually from March 1 to March 2, 2022.

3.0 AUDIT MEMBERS NRC Audit Team Zackary Stone, Project Manager Adam Rau, Technical Reviewer Robert Beaton, Technical Reviewer Joshua Kaizer, Technical Reviewer Duke Energy Matthew Adler Samson Berklite David Bortz Vijay Daji Ryan Davis Joshua Duc Micheal Elder Lee Grzeck Duncan Robinson David Ryan 4.0 DOCUMENTS AUDITED The following are the documents that were reviewed by the NRC staff during the audit:

Licensee presentation for McGuire and Catawba audit plan discussion points Licensee draft discussion on description of alternative approach on MTC measurement method 5.0 AUDIT

SUMMARY

During the audit, the licensee and NRC staff discussed the audit discussion points listed in of the audit plan. The licensee presented additional information regarding the equation for the alternative approach for calulating the most negative MTC to help the NRC staff understand the terms associated with the equation and how the calculation is used.

Based on the discussion points, the licensee determined that there was an error in their original submittal associated with the equation for the alternative approach on calculating the most negative MTC and the licensee stated that it would submit a supplement to the LAR to correct the error.

6.0 EXIT BRIEFING At the conclusion of the audit, the NRC team participated in a summary exit meeting with the Duke Energy audit team on March 2, 2022. The NRC staff provided a brief conclusion of the audit objectives that were met and details on the path forward. There were no open items needing further clarification. The audit completed one day earlier than proposed in the audit

plan due to mutual understanding between the NRC and licensee representatives that no further information or discussion was required for the audit.

Based on the audit, the NRC staff efficiently and effectively determined what items were needed on the docket and by letter dated March 9, 2022, (ADAMS Accession No. ML22063B178, (ML22063B177 - non-public)) the NRC staff issued a request for additional information.

ML22070B075 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/PM NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/LA NRR/DSS/SNSB/BC NAME ZStone KGoldstein SKrepel DATE 03/11/2022 03/14/2022 03/11/2022 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/BC NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/PM NAME MMarkley ZStone DATE 03/15/2022 03/15/2022