ML23352A102
| ML23352A102 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 99902100 |
| Issue date: | 12/20/2023 |
| From: | Mohamed Shams NRC/NRR/DANU/UAL1 |
| To: | George Wilson TerraPower |
| References | |
| Download: ML23352A102 (1) | |
Text
Mr. George Wilson Vice President, Regulatory Affairs TerraPower, LLC 15800 Northup Way Bellevue, WA 98008
SUBJECT:
PREAPPLICATION READINESS ASSESSMENT PLAN - TERRAPOWER, LLC FORTHCOMING CONSTRUCTION PERMIT APPLICATION
Dear Mr. Wilson:
By letter dated October 31, 2023 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML23304A148), TerraPower, LLC (TerraPower) requested that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff conduct a readiness assessment of its forthcoming construction permit (CP) application. The NRC staffs readiness assessment plan is provided as an enclosure to this memorandum. The readiness assessment will provide the NRC staff with an opportunity to become familiar with the forthcoming application and understand the anticipated level of detail in the application. The readiness assessment will also provide the NRC staff an opportunity to identify any significant technical or policy issues or information gaps between the draft application and the applicable regulatory requirements that could adversely impact the docketing or technical review of the application. The NRC staff notes that a readiness assessment is not part of the NRC staffs official acceptance review process and the observations from the readiness assessment do not predetermine whether the application will be docketed.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Mallecia Sutton, at (301) 415-0673 or via email at Mallecia.Sutton@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Mohamed Shams, Director Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Project No.: 99902100
Enclosure:
As stated cc: TerraPower Natrium via GovDelivery December 20, 2023 Bowen, Jeremy signing on behalf of Shams, Mohamed on 12/20/23
ML23352A102 NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UAL1:PM NRR/DANU/UAL1:LA NRR/DANU/UTB2:BC NAME MSutton DGreene CdeMessieres DATE 12/18/2023 12/18/2023 12/18/2023 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UAL1:BC NRR/DANU:D NAME WJessup MShams (JBowen for)
DATE 12/18/2023 12/20/2023
Enclosure PREAPPLICATION READINESS ASSESSMENT PLAN - TERRAPOWER, LLC FORTHCOMING CONSTRUCTION PERMIT APPLICATION PURPOSE Performing a readiness assessment of TerraPower, LLCs (TerraPower) forthcoming construction permit (CP) application will allow the NRC staff to:
Identify information gaps between portions of the draft CP application and the regulatory requirements relevant to the forthcoming CP application; Identify major technical or policy issues that could adversely impact the docketing or technical review of the CP application; Become familiar with the draft CP application, particularly in areas where TerraPower is proposing new concepts or novel design features; and Refine resources needed to complete the CP application review.
The NRC staff expects that observations from the readiness assessment could be used by TerraPower to finalize its application prior to submittal.
BACKGROUND In its June 8, 2021, Regulatory Engagement Plan submittal (ML21159A221), TerraPower stated that it would use the two-step licensing process under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, for initial licensing of its Natrium reactor technology. By letter dated August 2, 2023, (ML23214A199), TerraPower updated its planned CP application submittal date to March 2024.
By letter dated October 31, 2023, TerraPower requested the NRC staff to conduct a pre-application readiness assessment of its forthcoming CP application. TerraPower has participated in other pre-application engagement activities with the NRC staff since 2021, including participation in public meetings and submittal of white papers and topical reports covering several technical and programmatic areas.1 READINESS ASSESSMENT SCOPE AND SCHEDULE In its October 31, 2023, letter, TerraPower requested that the NRC staff begin the readiness assessment in January 2024, in accordance with the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation office instruction LIC-116, Preapplication Readiness Assessment (ML20104B698). TerraPowers letter indicated that the readiness assessment scope would include safety and environmental topics. Based on discussions with TerraPower, the NRC staff understands that the draft preliminary safety analysis report (PSAR), draft environmental report (ER), and other selected draft portions of the CP application will be made available to the NRC staff in support of the readiness assessment.
1 A summary of pre-application activities associated with the TerraPower Natrium reactor design is available on the NRC public website: https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced/who-were-working-with/licensing-activities/pre-application-activities/natrium.html.
The NRC has scheduled the readiness assessment entrance meeting for January 10, 2024. The readiness assessment is expected to last approximately 4 weeks. In accordance with the proposed schedule, TerraPower will upload the relevant information for the readiness assessment on its electronic reading room (eRR) no later than the entrance meeting date.
TerraPower has indicated that it will provide a presentation to describe the relevant material that will be assessed by the NRC staff during the entrance meeting.
LOCATION The readiness assessment will be conducted virtually using an eRR and Microsoft Teams.
READINESS ASSESSMENT TEAM The following table identifies the NRC staff assigned to each readiness assessment area:
PSAR Review Area NRC Reviewers PSAR Chapter 1, General Plant and Site Description and Overview of the Safety Case Reed Anzalone, Hanh Phan, Michelle Hart, Alex Chereskin, Ryann Bass PSAR Chapter 2, Site Information Rosalynn Wang, Hosung Ahn, Kevin Quinlan, Jenise Thompson PSAR Chapter 3, Licensing Basis Events, Methodologies, and Analyses Reed Anzalone, Hanh Phan, Michelle Hart, Zachary Gran, Alec Neller, Hakan Ozaltun PSAR Chapter 4, Integrated Evaluations Reed Anzalone, Hanh Phan, Michelle Hart, Zachary Gran PSAR Chapter 5, Safety Functions, Design Criteria, and SSC Safety Classification Reed Anzalone, Hanh Phan, Michelle Hart PSAR Chapter 6, Safety-Significant SSC Criteria and Capabilities Hosung Ahn, Rosalynn Wang, Jenise Thompson, George Thomas, Reed Anzalone, Hanh Phan, Jesse Seymour, Bruce Lin, Alex Chereskin, Ryann Bass PSAR Chapter 7, Descriptions for Safety-Significant SSCs Reed Anzalone, Alec Neller, Hakan Ozaltun, Alex Chereskin, Bruce Lin, Steve Jones, Michelle Hart, Jay Robinson, Joe Ashcraft, Calvin Cheung, George Thomas, Rosalynn Wang, Jesse Seymour, Ryann Bass PSAR Chapter 8, Plant Programs Yamir Diaz-Castillo PSAR Chapter 9, Control of Routine Plant Radioactive Effluents, Plant Contamination, and Solid Waste Zachary Gran, Steve Jones PSAR Chapter 10, Control of Occupational Dose Zachary Gran, Jesse Seymour PSAR Chapter 11, Conduct of Operations Jesse Seymour, Michelle Hart, Edward Robinson, Travis Leach, Amanda Marshall, Ralph Costello, Bern Stapleton PSAR Chapter 12, Post-construction Inspection, Testing, and Analysis Program Bill Reckley, Joe Sebrosky PSAR Review Area NRC Reviewers PSAR Chapter 13, Research and Development Reed Anzalone, Bill Reckley, Joe Sebrosky ER Review Area NRC Reviewers ER Chapter 1, Introduction ER Chapter 2, The Proposed Site and the Affected Environment ER Chapter 3, Site Layout and Project Description ER Chapter 4, Environmental Impacts from Construction of the Proposed Project ER Chapter 5, Environmental Impacts from Operation of the Proposed Plant Pat Vokoun, Joe OHara, Beau Goldstein, Jeffrey Rickoff, Laura Willingham, Peyton Doub, Don Palmrose, Brian Glowacki, Madelyn Nagel ER Chapter 6, Fuel Cycle, Transportation, and Decommissioning Impacts Don Palmrose ER Chapter 7, Cumulative Impacts Pat Vokoun, Joe OHara, Madelyn Nagel ER Chapter 8, Need for Power Jeffrey Rickoff ER Chapter 9, Environmental Impacts of Alternatives ER Chapter 10, Conclusions Pat Vokoun, Joe OHara, Madelyn Nagel Additional elements of the draft CP application that the NRC staff will review as part of the readiness assessment include the following:
Additional Information NRC Reviewers Financial Information Shawn Harwell Exemptions Reed Anzalone LOGISTICS The NRC staff plans to conduct the readiness assessment using the TerraPower eRR. A virtual entrance meeting to start the readiness assessment is scheduled for January 10, 2024.
Following this entrance meeting, the NRC staff will have daily morning internal debriefs and briefs and daily afternoon debriefs with TerraPower to identify and discuss the NRC staffs observations. The NRC staff will conduct an exit meeting at the completion of the readiness assessment.
CONDUCT OF THE READINESS ASSESSMENT The readiness assessment will be conducted by NRC reviewers or contractors who are technical experts in their assigned review areas. The NRC readiness assessment team will conduct an assessment that includes the following attributes:
The NRC staff will control the attendance and will specify time charge codes for technical reviewers; The NRC staff will conduct the readiness assessment in a manner that is consistent with LIC-116 and by consulting relevant technical guidance2; The NRC staff will implement real-time problem or issue identification; and The NRC staff will facilitate weekly discussions on the assessments progress, and debriefs between NRC and TerraPower management, as necessary.
COMMUNICATING READINESS ASSESSMENT OBSERVATIONS The NRC staff will share any technical concerns or major information gaps with TerraPower as soon as practicable. Additionally, within 45 calendar days after the completion of the readiness assessment, the NRC staff will issue a publicly available report that summarizes the NRC staffs observations and feedback resulting from the readiness assessment.
If it is necessary to include proprietary information in the readiness assessment report, the NRC staff will issue proprietary and non-proprietary versions of the readiness assessment report. The NRC staff will take into consideration the results of the readiness assessment and how TerraPower addressed the NRC staffs feedback when developing the resource and schedule estimates for the review of the CP application.
2 The draft Advanced Reactor Content of Application Project (ARCAP) guidance documents were issued for public comment on May 25, 2023, and the comment period for these draft guidance documents ended on August 10, 2023. Revision 1 to the Technology-Inclusive Content of Application Project (TICAP) guidance document was publicly released on September 1, 2023. The NRC staff is currently assessing comments that it received on the ARCAP guidance documents, TICAP Revision 0, and TICAP Revision 1.
The NRC staff will use the best available guidance (e.g., draft or final) to support the readiness assessment.