ML25069A447
| ML25069A447 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Nuclear Energy Institute |
| Issue date: | 04/22/2025 |
| From: | Csontos A Nuclear Energy Institute |
| To: | Division of Operating Reactor Licensing |
| References | |
| RIC 2025 | |
| Download: ML25069A447 (1) | |
Text
©2025 Nuclear Energy Institute Al Csontos, Ph.D Director, Fuels Modern Regulatory Processes Enabling Improved Efficiencies for Power Uprate Licensing March 11, 2025
©2025 Nuclear Energy Institute 2 NEI Power Uprate Task Force Mission: Provide Strategic Guidance to the Industry Power Uprate Activities
©2025 Nuclear Energy Institute 3 Power Uprates: Background U.S. BWR Units U.S. PWR Units NRC approved over 170 power uprates Nearly all U.S. plants have uprated Swedish units uprated to beyond 125%
of the Original Licensed Thermal Power NEI examined public records for NRC review duration and costs for uprates Data showed NRC review durations, review hours, and costs increased significantly over time Courtesy of the Electric Power Research Institute Courtesy of the Electric Power Research Institute
©2025 Nuclear Energy Institute 4 Federal tax credits incentivize new clean energy production (uprates and restarts) 2024 NEI Future of Nuclear Power Survey:
- >70% of sites have a level of interest/planning for one or more power uprates with a combined capacity increase of 3 GWe
- Nearly 50% of sites have varying interest/plans for one or more of the enabling changes (ATF/
LEU+, Extended Fuel Cycles, and/or RI LOCA)
ADVANCE Act is an opportunity to enable improved power uprate review efficiencies Power Uprates: Current Aspirations https://www.nei.org/resources/reports-briefs/the-future-of-nuclear-power-2024-survey
©2025 Nuclear Energy Institute 5 NEI letters to NRC providing the industrys recommendations for modern efficient reviews Updated NRC uprate review timeliness targets:
- MUR: 9 6 m, SPU: 12 9 m, and EPU: 18 12 m NRC/NEI Uprate Review Efficiency Workshops:
- Flexibility for sequential, combined concurrent reviews
- NRC graded approach using past review precedents
- Improved efficiencies by optimizing bundled reviews
- PWR: Uprates combined with advanced fuel transition
Power Uprate Regulatory Improvements
©2025 Nuclear Energy Institute 6 Combined license applications for plant specific aims:
- ATF/LEU+/HBU to achieve uprates and/or 24-month fuel cycles (PWR)
Analytical synergy for combined review efficiencies:
Uprates and Advanced Fuels Transition
- Chapter 15 Analysis:
- AOOs/LOCA/ATWS/SBO/Dose
- Stability (BWR)
- Locked rotor (PWR), etc
- Chapter 4 / 6
- Fuel Pool Storage Power Uprates Advanced Fuel Transition
- Chapter 15 Analysis:
- AOOs/LOCA/ATWS/SBO/Dose
- Stability (BWR)
- Locked rotor (PWR), etc
- Chapter 4 / 6
- Fuel Pool Storage Improved licensing efficiencies with reduced iterative & duplicative reviews Similar
©2025 Nuclear Energy Institute 7
>20 Planned Power Uprates
>5 Extended Fuel Cycles
(>30 Additional TBD)
Site Implementation and Additional Uprate/Cycle Extension Uprates and Advanced Fuels Transition
- Phase out: latter of 2032 or emissions <75% of 2022 levels