Platts - Thursday, December 09, 2004 

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Group to file license request for new US nuclear plant in 2008

Washington (Platts)--9Dec2004

A consortium of nine nuclear utilities and two reactor vendors plans to file
with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2008 at least one combined
construction and operating license (COL), the group told the agency this week.
The Dec 7 letter from Marilyn Kray, president of NuStart Energy Development
LLC, to William Beckner, NRC's director of new, research and test reactors,
marked the first formal industry commitment to seek a COL for a new power
reactor. NuStart anticipates starting preapplication discussions with NRC in
early 2007, Kray said. NuStart, comprised of nine utilities and reactor
vendors General Electric (GE) and Westinghouse Electric Co, likely will
develop applications for both GE's SBWR and Westinghouse's AP1000 reactor
designs and then decide whether to proceed with one or both applications, a
source said today. A Dominion-led consortium has yet to decide whether it will
file an application, a Dominion spokesman said.

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NRC approves NEI's sump evaluation methodology

Washington (Platts)--7Dec2004

NRC has approved industry's sump evaluation methodology. Use of the Nuclear
Energy Institute's (NEI) methodology by PWR licensees to evaluate and, if
necessary, upgrade their containment sump recirculation systems was approved
subject to "identified conditions and limitations and required modifications,"
including additional guidance on some issues, NRC staff said in its final
safety evaluation report, issued Dec. 6. Approval of the methodology starts a
90-day clock for PWR licensees to respond to NRC's Sept. 13 generic letter.
The safety evaluation report is available on NRC's Web site at
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/ops-experience/pwr-sump-performance/regs-guidance.html.

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