ML25121A089
| ML25121A089 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 99902041 |
| Issue date: | 05/08/2025 |
| From: | Ngola Otto Licensing Processes Branch |
| To: | Elliott G Framatome |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-TOP-0013, BAW-10247, Rev. 0 | |
| Download: ML25121A089 (1) | |
Text
May 8, 2025 Gayle Elliott, Director Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Framatome Inc.
3315 Old Forest Road Lynchburg, VA 24501
SUBJECT:
THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STAFFS ACCEPTANCE FOR THE REVIEW OF FRAMATOMES TOPICAL REPORT, BAW-10247, REVISION 0, SUPPLEMENT 3P, REVISION 0, REALISTIC THERMAL-MECHANICAL FUEL ROD METHODOLOGY FOR BOILING WATER REACTORS, SUPPLEMENT 3: EXTENSION TO HIGHER EXPOSURES (EPID L-2025-TOP-0013)
Dear Gayle Elliott:
By letter dated April 4, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Package Accession No. ML25094A177), Framatome, Inc. (Framatome) submitted Topical Report (TR) BAW-10247, Revision 0, Supplement 3P, Revision 0, Realistic Thermal-Mechanical Fuel Rod Methodology for Boiling Water Reactors Supplement 3: Extension to Higher Exposures, for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs review and approval.
As stated in your letter, the TR provides a justification for application of the RODEX4 methodology at exposures above 62 Gigawatt days per metric ton Uranium (GWd/MTU) and enrichment above 5 weight percent uranium-235 (U-235). A pre-submittal meeting was held on September 4, 2024 (ADAMS Accession No. ML24248A131).
The NRC staff has found that BAW-10247, Revision 0, Supplement 3P, Revision 0, contains sufficient information to begin its detailed technical safety review. Planned milestones, estimated level of effort and schedule assumptions are provided below. To facilitate the review, the NRC staff plans to conduct an audit by October 17, 2025 (tentative), and issue Requests for Additional Information (RAIs) by November 28, 2025, the draft safety evaluation (SE) by July 30, 2026, and final SE by October 30, 2026, as annotated in the enclosed schedule. The draft SE completion date assumes 90 days for RAI responses and may be adjusted, if necessary, to accommodate any delays in the submittals. The enclosed schedule includes planned milestones dates for the overall review.
The NRC staff will notify Framatome if the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) plans to review this TR. If the ACRS review is needed, the NRC staff estimates that the subcommittee and full committee meetings would occur in September 2026, and October 2026, respectively to facilitate this effort. The specific meeting dates will be confirmed and scheduled later if an ACRS review of this TR is deemed necessary.
Additionally, the NRC staff estimates that it will require approximately 800 hours0.00926 days <br />0.222 hours <br />0.00132 weeks <br />3.044e-4 months <br /> to complete the safety review. Section 170.21 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations requires that TRs are subject to fees based on the full cost of the review. You did not request a fee waiver; therefore, NRC staff-hours will be billed accordingly.
If you have any questions regarding the TR review, please contact me at 301-415-6695 or via email at Ngola.Otto@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Ngola A. Otto, Project Manager Licensing Projects Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.: 99902041
Enclosure:
Initial Review Schedule
Enclosure Initial Review Schedule Milestone Planned Date Initial Submittal April 4, 2025 Acceptance May 16, 2025 Conduct Audit October 17, 2025 Issue Requests for Additional Information (RAIs) to Framatome November 28, 2025 Response to Requests for Additional Information February 27, 2026 Issue Draft Safety Evaluation (SE)
July 30, 2026 Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS)
Subcommittee Meeting September 2026 ACRS Full Committee Meeting October 2026 Issue Final SE to Framatome October 30, 2026
SUBJECT:
THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STAFFS ACCEPTANCE FOR THE REVIEW OF FRAMATOMES TOPICAL REPORT, BAW-10247, REVISION 0, SUPPLEMENT 3P, REVISION 0, REALISTIC THERMAL-MECHANICAL FUEL ROD METHODOLOGY FOR BOILING WATER REACTORS, SUPPLEMENT 3: EXTENSION TO HIGHER EXPOSURES (EPID L-2025-TOP-0013) DATED MAY 8, 2025 DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC RidsACRS_MailCTR Resource RidsNrrLADHarrison Resource RidsOgcMailCenter Resource RidsNrrDorlOd Resource RidsNrrDssSFNB RidsNrrDorlLlpb Resource RidsNrrDssResource SKrepel, NRR JRankin, NRR KHeller, NRR PRaynaud, NRR GGeorge, NRR NOtto, NRR EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION:
Alan.Meginnis@Framatome.com ADAMS Accession Number: ML25121A089
- e-Concurrence NRR-004 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LLPB/PM*
NRR/DORL/LLPB/LA*
NRR/DSS/SFNB/BC*
NRR/DORL/LLPB/BC (A)*
NAME NOtto DHarrison SKrepel JRankin DATE 5/6/2025 5/7/2025 5/7/2025 5/8/2025 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LLPB/PM NAME NOtto DATE 5/8/2025 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY