ML25175A117
| ML25175A117 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 99902041 |
| Issue date: | 07/07/2025 |
| From: | Ngola Otto Licensing Processes Branch |
| To: | Elliott G Framatome |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-TOP-0018 | |
| Download: ML25175A117 (1) | |
Text
July 7, 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 OF FRAMATOMES TOPICAL REPORT, EMF-93-177, REVISION 1, SUPPLEMENT 1P, REVISION 0, MECHANICAL DESIGN FOR BWR FUEL CHANNELS: ATRIUM BWR ENHANCED ACCIDENT MODEL (EPID L-2025-TOP-0018)
Dear Gayle Elliott:
By letter dated May 16, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Package Accession No. ML25136A387), Framatome, Inc. (Framatome) submitted Topical Report (TR) EMF-93-177, Revision 1, Supplement 3P, Revision 0, Mechanical Design for BWR [Boiling Water Reactor] Fuel Channels: ATRIUM BWR Enhanced Accident Model, for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs review and approval. As stated in your letter, the NRCs approval of this supplement supports Framatomes goal to modernize methods in support of BWR customers who want to take advantage of the Framatome Advanced Fuel Management (AFM) designs. Framatome is requesting approval of the TR by May 2027. A pre-submittal meeting was held on November 7, 2024 (ADAMS Package Accession No. ML24310A247).
The NRC staff has found that TR EMF-93-177, Revision 1, Supplement 3P, Revision 0, contains sufficient information to begin its detailed technical safety review. The NRC staffs planned estimated level of effort and schedule goals for the review are discussed below. The schedule milestones and assumptions are provided in the enclosed Initial Review Schedule. To support a more efficient review process, the NRC staff is setting a goal of 15 percent reduction in resource hours and schedule timelines. As such, the NRC staff has determined that a 15-month review schedule and 1,000 hours0 days <br />0 hours <br />0 weeks <br />0 months <br /> is appropriate. Please note that the estimated hours include time for both NRC staff and contractor work and the 15 percent reduction was based on a best estimate of 1,180 hours0.00208 days <br />0.05 hours <br />2.97619e-4 weeks <br />6.849e-5 months <br /> and an 18-month schedule. The schedule takes into consideration the NRCs current review priorities and available technical resources which may be subject to change.
If there are emergent complexities or challenges in our review that would cause changes to the initial forecasted completion date of significant changes in the forecasted hours, the reasons for the changes, along with the new estimates, will be communicated during the routine interactions with the assigned project manager. The review schedule milestones and estimated review costs were discussed and agreed upon between Morris Byram and the NRC staff on July 7, 2025.
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, the 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 May 16, 2025 Acceptance July 7, 2025 Conduct Audit December 5, 2025 Issue Requests for Additional Information (RAIs) to Framatome January 9, 2026 Framatome Response to RAIs March 13, 2026 Issue Draft Safety Evaluation (SE)
May 29, 2026 Draft SE Proprietary Review by Framatome June 27, 2026 Issue Final SE to Framatome July 31, 2026
-A (Approved Version) Issued by Framatome August 29, 2026 NRC Issued Verification September 30, 2026
SUBJECT:
THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STAFFS ACCEPTANCE OF FRAMATOMES TOPICAL REPORT, EMF-93-177, REVISION 1, SUPPLEMENT 1P, REVISION 0, MECHANICAL DESIGN FOR BWR FUEL CHANNELS: ATRIUM BWR ENHANCED ACCIDENT MODEL (EPID L-2025-TOP-0018) DATED JULY 7, 2025 DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC RidsACRS_MailCTR Resource RidsNrrLADHarrison Resource RidsOgcMailCenter Resource RidsNrrDorlOd Resource RidsNrrDssSFNB RidsNrrDorlLlpb Resource RidsNrrDssResource SKrepel, NRR JRankin, NRR JMessina, NRR ACollier, NRR NOtto, NRR EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION:
Morris.Byram@Framatome.com ADAMS Accession Number: ML25175A117
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NAME NOtto DHarrison SKrepel JRankin DATE 07/01/2025 07/02/2025 07/07/2025 07/07/2025 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LLPB/PM NAME NOtto DATE 07/07/2025 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY