PERMITTING CHALLENGES FOR THE PERMITTING CHALLENGES FOR THE NEW GENERATION OF NUCLEAR NEW GENERATION OF NUCLEAR

POWER PLANTSPOWER PLANTS

Ping WanPing Wan Bechtel Power CorporationBechtel Power Corporation

Ninth Nuclear Utility Meteorological Data Users Group Meeting October 2003

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Applicable Regulatory ProcessApplicable Regulatory Process

10 CFR Part 52 Process• Design Certification• Early Site Permitting• Combined License

(Only design certification process has been demonstrated.)

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Licensing Process ComparisonLicensing Process Comparison

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Major Parts of An ESP Major Parts of An ESP ApplicationApplication

• Part 1 – Administration InformationPart 1 – Administration Information• Part 2 – Site Safety Analysis ReportPart 2 – Site Safety Analysis Report• Part 3 – Environmental ReportPart 3 – Environmental Report• Part 4 – Emergency Response PlanPart 4 – Emergency Response Plan

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Key Features of ESP ProcessKey Features of ESP Process

• To demonstrate the suitability of a site without defining and evaluating the acceptability of a particular plant design

• An ESP is in effect for 10 to 20 years.

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Permitting ChallengesPermitting Challenges

• ESP Application Format and Content

• Maintaining flexibility in deployment of future nuclear technologies

• Selection of ESP Site• Concept of Alternative Site Review

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Application Format & ContentApplication Format & Content

• No specific regulatory guidance documents available

• Most ESP Applicants follow the Format & Content of the NRC Staff Standard Review Plans:– NUREG 0800– NUREG 1555– NRR RS-002 (draft)

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Technology FlexibilityTechnology Flexibility

• Develop A Technology Neutral Approach that Provides a Broad that Provides a Broad Overall Outline of a Design Overall Outline of a Design Concept.Concept.

• Employ Plant Parameter Envelop Concept.

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Technology FlexibilityTechnology Flexibility

• PPEs are the single largest (or smaller) value PPEs are the single largest (or smaller) value for each parameter, based on engineering, for each parameter, based on engineering, safety and environmental Conservatism. safety and environmental Conservatism. – Review Current advanced nuclear

technologies– Collect vendor information– Define and select bounding plant

parameters

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• ABWR (Boiling Water Reactor)• ESBWR (Boiling Water Reactor)• AP-1000 (Pressurized water Reactor)• ACR-700 (Light Water Cooled Reactor)• IRIS (Next Generation PWR)• PBMR (Pebble Bed Modular Reactor)• GT-MHR (Gas Turbine Modular Helium

Reactor)

Advanced Nuclear Power Plant Advanced Nuclear Power Plant DesignsDesigns

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Technology Flexibility / PPETechnology Flexibility / PPE

• Not to be limited to the seven designs• To provide a broad overall outline of a

design concept• To include other potential designs if

they can be demonstrated to fall within the parameter values provided in the PPEs

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ESP Site Selection ESP Site Selection

• Deregulation of Power Industry• Concept of “Region of Interest” for

New Electric Power Generation• Merchant Plant Operates in

Competitive Marketplace• The decision for an ESP Site is

Fundamentally a Business Decision.

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ESP Site SelectionESP Site Selection

Benefits of Co-locating at an Existing Nuclear Plant Site

• Extensive site information and environmental studies

• Existing infrastructure• Reduce Environmental Impacts and

Construction Cost• Local community acceptance

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Alternative Sites ReviewAlternative Sites Review

Objective : To verify there are no “Obviously Superior Sites”

• Identification of Candidate Sites• Evaluation Criteria• Site Ranking Process

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Candidate Sites

Site Criteria• Not pose significant issues• Not degrading local resources• Not significantly impacting the

surrounding environment• Not to be located in proximity to major

population centers

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Candidate Sites

Sites Considered:• Greenfield - Undeveloped Sites• Brownfield – Previously Developed Sites• Federal Facility Sites• Existing Nuclear Power Plant Sites

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Evaluation Criteria

• Environmental (local population, groundwater, ecology, waste)

• Sociological (Socioeconomic benefits, environmental justice, land use)

• Engineering (site size, cooling water source, seismic, environmentally sensitive areas)

• Economic (electricity/market projections, transmission line access, stakeholder support)

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Site Ranking Process

• Ranking Criteria• Weighting Factors• Overall Site Merit Scores

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Summary of ChallengesSummary of Challenges

• Technology Flexibility – Conservatism Inherent in PPE Concept

• “Region of Interest” for Power Generation – NRC Acceptance

• Co-locating at an Existing Nuclear Power Plant Site – Full Justifications Required