Key Document Outlines Path Forward Toward Design Certification
Cranberry Township, PA, May 9, 2023 – Westinghouse Electric Company announced today the submission of its pre-application Regulatory Engagement Plan with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the game-changing AP300™ small modular reactor (SMR). The AP300 SMR is based on the proven, licensed Westinghouse AP1000® reactor, the only Gen III+ advanced nuclear technology operating in the world.
Westinghouse launched the AP300™ SMR on May 4. It is the only SMR based on deployed, operating & advanced reactor technology.
The engagement plan outlines the pre-application activities Westinghouse will have with NRC staff to support the AP300 SMR licensing. It documents the basic design philosophy of the AP300 technology, an overview of the proposed licensing approach, and a timeline for the planned pre-application interactions between the NRC and Westinghouse, with the goal of soliciting NRC feedback on noteworthy topics.
“Basing the AP300 SMR on an Nth-of-a-kind operating reactor is a key differentiator for our SMR technology, and the work we are undertaking with the NRC should minimize regulatory complexity and create a timely and efficient path for the licensing of the AP300 SMR design,” said David Durham, Energy Systems President for Westinghouse.
The AP300 SMR design utilizes Westinghouse’s proven Gen III+ advanced technology, which has regulatory approval in the U.S., Great Britain and China, as well as compliance with European Utility Requirements (EUR) standards for nuclear power plants. This brings licensing advantages and substantially reduces delivery risk for customers in the utility, oil & gas and industrial space. Design certification is anticipated by 2027, followed by site-specific licensing and construction on the first unit toward the end of the decade.
Westinghouse provides the technology to create a sustainable future and enhance energy security around the globe, and eventually in outer space. Westinghouse does this through cutting-edge designs and innovation based on 70 years of experience developing and deploying nuclear energy technology. The AP1000 reactor, the AP300 small modular reactor, the eVinci™ microreactor, Generation IV lead fast reactor (LFR), and Pumped-Thermal Energy Storage, together, create a blueprint for a carbon-free ecosystem that serves communities large and small with reliable, cost-effective electricity, district and process heat, and water desalination.
