AP1000 Nuclear Power Plant Overview Gianfranco Saiu, Monica Linda Frogheri
AP1000 Nuclear Power Plant Overview Gianfranco Saiu, Monica Linda Frogheri
AP1000 Nuclear Power Plant Overview Gianfranco Saiu, Monica Linda Frogheri
Abstract The Westinghouse Advanced Passive PWR AP1000 Nuclear Power Plant
development program is aimed at making available a nuclear power plant that is economical
in the world-wide deregulated electrical power industry in the near term. The AP1000 is
designed to achieve a high safety and performance record.
The AP1000 is two-loop 1100 MWe pressurizer water reactor (PWR). It is an uprated
version of the AP600. It uses passive safety systems to provide significant and measurable
improvements in plant simplification, safety, reliability, investment protection and plant
costs. The AP1000 uses proven technology, which builds on over 35 years of operating
PWR experience. The AP1000 retains a maximum amount of the AP600 design so as to
maintain the licensing basis, detailed design information/analysis, construction plan, cost
estimate developed in the $400 million dollar AP600 FOKE program.
On March 28, 2002, Westinghouse submitted to the U.S. NRC the AP1000 Design Control
Document and Probabilistic Risk Assessment, thereby initiating the formal licensing review
process. The results presented in these documents verify the safety performance of the
AP1000 and conformance with the U.S. NRC licensing requirements. Westinghouse and the
NRC had been engaged in a several rounds questions/answers. Technical issues have been
resolved and on September 13th 2004, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the
Final Design Approval (FDA) to the Westinghouse AP1000 Nuclear Power Plant; AP1000 is
expected to receive Design Certification by the NRC in 2005.
The FDA is a very important achievement for the AP1000 plant designed by Westinghouse
with the support of an international group of partners among which Ansaldo Energia
Nuclear Division has been played a major role. AP1000, together with the AP600, is the
only Advanced Plant that has obtained the FDA by US NRC. The FDA represent an
important advantage for the AP1000 commercialization in a moment in which nuclear energy
seems again to be a mandatory choice for the future energy mix in the industrialized
countries.
It is not a case, in fact, that the FDA has been granted just few weeks before the Request for
Offer of the Chinese Government for the construction of four advanced NPP in China.
Ansaldo Energia participates to this offer with a primary role between the Westinghouse
partners.
In addition to meet the US licensing requirements, the AP1000 meets all of the US utilities
requirements (URD) and a program is going on to assess plant compliance against European
Utilities Requirements (EUR).
Plans are being developed for implementation of the AP1000 plant. Key factors in this
planning are the economics of AP1000 in the de-regulated electricity market, and the
associated business model for licensing, constructing and operating these new plants.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Westinghouse Advanced Passive PWR AP1000 is a 1117 MWe pressurized water
reactor (PWR) based closely on the AP600 design. The AP1000 maintains the AP600 design
configuration, use of proven components and licensing basis by limiting the changes to the
AP600 design to as few as possible. The AP1000 design includes advanced passive safety
features and extensive plant simplifications to enhance the safety, construction, operation,
and maintenance of the plant. The plant design utilizes proven technology, which builds on
over 35 years of operating PWR experience. PWRs represent 76 percent of all Light Water
Reactors around the world, and 67 percent of the PWRs are based on Westinghouse PWR
technology.
The AP1000 is designed to achieve a high safety and performance record. It is conservatively
based on proven PWR technology, but with an emphasis on safety features that rely on
natural forces. Safety systems use natural driving forces such as pressurized gas, gravity flow,
natural circulation flow, and convection. Safety systems do not use active components (such
as pumps, fans or diesel generators) and are designed to function without safety-grade
support systems (such as AC power, component cooling water, service water, HVAC). The
number and complexity of operator actions required to control the safety systems are
minimized; the approach is to eliminate operator action rather than automate it.
The AP1000 is designed to meet U.S. NRC deterministic safety criteria and probabilistic risk
criteria with large margins. Safety analysis has been completed and documented in the
Design Control Document (DCD) and Probabilistic Risk Analysis (PRA). The extensive
AP600 testing program, which is applicable to the AP1000, verifies that the innovative plant
features will perform as designed and analyzed. PRA results show a very low core damage
frequency, which meets the goals established for advanced reactor designs and a low
frequency of release due to improved containment isolation and cooling.
Based on the evidences of the design documentation, supported by the extensive testing
programs, on September 13th 2004, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the Final
Design Approval (FDA) to the Westinghouse AP1000 Nuclear Power Plant.
An important aspect of the AP1000 design philosophy focuses on plant operability and main-
tainability. The AP1000 design includes features such as simplified system design to improve
operability while reducing the number of components and associated maintenance
requirements. In particular, simplified safety systems reduce surveillance requirements by
enabling significantly simplified technical specifications.
Selection of proven components has been emphasized to ensure a high degree of reliability
with a low maintenance requirement. Component standardization reduces spare parts,
minimizes maintenance, training requirements, and allows shorter maintenance durations.
Built-in testing capability is provided for critical components.
Plant layout ensures adequate access for inspection and maintenance. Laydown space
provides for staging of equipment and personnel, equipment removal paths, and space to
accommodate remotely operated service equipment and mobile units. Access platforms and
lifting devices are provided at key locations, as are service provisions such as electrical
power, demineralized water, breathing and service air, ventilation and lighting.
The AP1000 design also incorporates radiation exposure reduction principles to keep worker
dose as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). Exposure length, distance, shielding and
source reduction are fundamental criteria that are incorporated into the design.
Various features have been incorporated in the design to minimize construction time and total
cost by eliminating components and reducing bulk quantities and building volumes. Some of
these features include the following:
Flat, common Nuclear Island basemat design minimizes construction cost and schedule.
Integrated protection system, advanced control room, distributed logic cabinets, multiplexing,
and fiber optics, significantly reduce the quantity of cables, cable trays, and conduits.
Stacked arrangement of the Class 1E battery, dc switchgear, integrated protection system, and
the main control rooms eliminate the need for the upper and lower cable spreading rooms that
are required in current generation PWR plants.
Application of the passive safeguards systems replaces and/or eliminates many of the
conventional mechanical safeguards systems typically located in Seismic Category I
buildings in current generation PWR plants.
In addition, the AP1000 is designed with environmental consideration as a priority. The
safety of the public, the power plant workers, and the impact to the environment have been
addressed as follows:
Operational releases have been minimized by design features.
Aggressive goals for worker radiation exposure have been set and satisfied.
Total radwaste volumes have been minimized.
Other hazardous waste (non-radioactive) have been minimized.
The core consists of three radial regions that have different enrichments; the enrichment of
the fuel ranges from 2.35 to 4.8%. The temperature coefficient of reactivity of the core is
highly negative. The core is designed for a fuel cycle of 18 months with a 93% capacity
factor, region average discharge burnups as high as 60000 MWd/t.
The AP1000 uses reduced-worth control rods (termed "gray" rods) to achieve daily load
follow without requiring changes in the soluble boron concentration. The use of gray rods, in
conjunction with an automated load follow control strategy, results in simplified systems
through the elimination of boron processing equipment (such as evaporator, pumps, valves,
and piping).
Parameter Doel 4/Tihange 3 AP600 AP1000
Net Electric Output, MWe 985 610 1117
Reactor Power, MWt 2988 1933 3400
Reactor operating pressure, MPa 15.5 15.5 15.5
Hot Leg Temperature, C (F) 330 (626) 316 (600) 321 (610)
Number of Fuel Assemblies 157 145 157
Type of Fuel Assembly 17x17 17x17 17x17
Active Fuel Length, m (ft) 4.3 (14) 3.7 (12) 4.3 (14)
Linear Hear Rating, kw/ft 5.02 4.1 5.71
Control Rods / Gray Rods 52 / 0 45 / 16 53 / 16
R/V I.D., cm (inch) 399 (157) 399 (157) 399 (157)
Vessel flow (Thermal) 10 m3/hr (103 gpm) 67.1 (295) 44.1 (194) 68.1 (300)
Steam Generator Surface Area, m2 (ft2) 6320 (68,000) 6970(75,000) 11,600 (125,000)
Pressurizer Volume, m3 (ft3) 39.6 (1400) 45.3 (1600) 59.5 (2100)
Steam generator design enhancements include full-depth hydraulic expansion of the tubes in the
tubesheets, nickel chromium iron Alloy 690 thermally treated tubes on a triangular pitch, broached
tube support plates, improved anti-vibration bars, upgraded primary and secondary moisture
separators, enhanced maintenance features, and a primary-side channel head design that allows for
easy access and maintenance by robotic tooling. All tubes in the steam generator are accessible for
sleeving, if necessary.
Pressurizer - The AP1000 pressurizer is of conventional design, based on proven technology. The
pressurizer volume is 2100 ft3 (59.5 m3). The large pressurizer avoids challenges to the plant and
operator during transients, which increases transient operation margins resulting in a more reliable
plant with fewer reactor trips. It also eliminates the need for fast-acting power-operated relief valves,
a possible source of RCS leakage and maintenance.
Reactor coolant pumps - The reactor coolant pumps are high-inertia, highly-reliable, low-
maintenance, hermetically sealed canned-motor pumps that circulate the reactor coolant through the
reactor core, loop piping, and steam generators. The AP1000 pump is based on the AP600 canned-
motor pump design with provisions to provide more flow and a longer flow coast down. The motor
size is minimized through the use of a variable speed controller to reduce motor power requirements
during cold coolant conditions. Two pumps are mounted directly in the channel head of each steam
generator. This configuration eliminates the cross over leg of coolant loop piping; reduces the loop
pressure drop; simplifies the foundation and support system for the steam generator, pumps, and
piping; and reduces the potential for uncovering of the core by eliminating the need to clear the loop
seal during a small loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). The reactor coolant pumps have no seals,
eliminating the potential for seal failure LOCA, which significantly enhances safety and reduces
pump maintenance. The pumps use a flywheel to increase the pump rotating inertia. The increased
inertia provides a slower rate-of-flow coastdown to improve core thermal margins following the loss
of electric power. Testing has validated the manufacturability and operability of the pump flywheel
assembly.
Main coolant lines - Reactor coolant system (RCS) piping is configured with two identical main
coolant loops, each employing a single 31-inch (790 mm) inside diameter hot leg pipe to transport
reactor coolant to a steam generator. The two reactor coolant pump suction nozzles are welded
directly to the outlet nozzles on the bottom of the steam generator channel head. Two 22-inch (560
mm) inside diameter cold leg pipes in each loop (one per pump) transport reactor coolant back to the
reactor vessel to complete the circuit.
The RCS loop layout contains several important features that provide for a significantly simplified
and safer design. The reactor coolant pumps mount directly on the channel head of each steam
generator, which allows the pumps and steam generator to use the same structural support, greatly
simplifying the support system and providing more space for pump and steam generator maintenance.
The combined steam generator/pump vertical support is a single pinned column extending from the
floor to the bottom of the channel head. The steam generator channel head is a one-piece forging with
manufacturing and inspection advantages over multipiece, welded components. The integration of the
pump suction into the bottom of the steam generator channel head eliminates the crossover leg of
coolant loop piping, thus avoiding the potential for core uncovery due to loop seal venting during a
small loss-of-coolant accident.
The simplified, compact arrangement of the RCS also provides other benefits. The two cold leg lines
of the two main coolant loops are identical (except for instrumentation and small line connections)
and include bends to provide a low-resistance flow path and flexibility to accommodate the expansion
difference between the hot and cold leg pipes. The piping is forged and then bent, which reduces costs
and in-service inspection requirements. The loop configuration and material selection yield
sufficiently low pipe stresses so that the primary loop and large auxiliary lines meet leak-before-break
requirements. Thus, pipe rupture restraints are not required, greatly simplifying the design and
providing enhanced access for maintenance. The simplified RCS loop configuration also allows for a
significant reduction in the number of snubbers, whip restraints, and supports. Field service
experience and utility feedback have indicated the high desirability of these features.
3. SAFETY THROUGH SIMPLICITY
The safety systems for AP1000 include passive safety injection, passive residual heat
removal, and passive containment cooling. All these passive systems meet the NRC single-
failure criteria and other recent criteria, including Three Mile Island lessons learned,
unresolved safety issues, and generic safety issues.
Passive systems and the use of experience-based components do more than increase safety,
enhance public acceptance of nuclear power, and ease licensing - they also simplify overall
plant systems, equipment, and operation and maintenance. The simplification of plant
systems, combined with large plant operating margins, greatly reduces the actions required by
the operator in the unlikely event of an accident. Passive systems use only natural forces,
such as gravity, natural circulation, and compressed gas-simple physical principles we rely on
every day. There are no pumps, fans, diesels, chillers, or other rotating machinery required
for the safety systems. This eliminates the need for safety-related AC power sources. A few
simple valves align the passive safety systems when they are automatically actuated. In most
cases, these valves are fail safe. They require power to stay in their normal, closed position.
Loss of power causes them to open into their safety alignment. In all cases, their movement is
made using stored energy from springs, compressed gas or batteries.
Simple changes in the safety-related systems from AP600 to AP1000 allow accommodation
of the higher plant power without sacrificing design and safety margins.
Since there are no safety-related pumps, increased flow was achieved by increasing pipe size.
Additional water volumes were achieved by increasing tank sizes.
The AP1000 design provides for multiple levels of defense for accident mitigation (defense-
in-depth), resulting in extremely low core damage probabilities while minimizing the
occurrences of containment flooding, pressurization, and heat-up. Defense-in-depth is
integral to the AP1000 design, with a multitude of individual plant features capable of
providing some degree of defense of plant safety. Six aspects of the AP1000 design
contribute to defense-in-depth:
Stable Operation. In normal operation, the most fundamental level of defense-in-depth
ensures that the plant can be operated stably and reliably. This is achieved by the selection of
materials, by quality assurance during design and construction, by well-trained operators, and
by an advanced control system and plant design that provide substantial margins for plant
operation before approaching safety limits.
Physical Plant Boundaries. One of the most recognizable aspects of defense-in-depth is the
protection of public safety through the physical plant boundaries. Releases of radiation are
directly prevented by the fuel cladding, the reactor pressure boundary, and the containment
pressure boundary.
Passive Safety-Related Systems. The AP1000 safety-related passive systems and equipment
are sufficient to automatically establish and maintain core cooling and containment integrity
for an indefinite period of time following design basis events assuming the most limiting
single failure, no operator action and no onsite and offsite ac power sources.
Diversity within the Safety-Related Systems. An additional level of defense is provided
through the diverse mitigation functions within the passive safety-related systems. This
diversity exists, for example, in the residual heat removal function. The PRHR HX is the
passive safety-related feature for removing decay heat during a transient. In case of multiple
failures in the PRHR HX, defense-in-depth is provided by the passive safety injection and
automatic depressurization (passive feed and bleed) functions of the passive core cooling
system.
Non-safety Systems. The next level of defense-in-depth is the availability of certain non-
safety systems for reducing the potential for events leading to core damage. For more
probable events, these highly reliable non-safety systems automatically actuate to provide a
first level of defense to reduce the likelihood of unnecessary actuation and operation of the
safety-related systems.
Containing Core Damage. The AP1000 design provides the operators with the ability to drain
the IRWST water into the reactor cavity in the event that the core has uncovered and is
melting. This prevents reactor vessel failure and subsequent relocation of molten core debris
into the containment. Retention of the debris in the vessel significantly reduces the
uncertainty in the assessment of containment failure and radioactive release to the
environment due to ex-vessel severe accident phenomena. (See Section 3 for additional
discussion regarding in-vessel retention of molten core debris.)
AP1000 defense-in-depth features enhance safety such that no severe release of fission pro-
ducts is predicted to occur from an initially intact containment for more than 100 hours after
the onset of core damage, assuming no actions for recovery. This amount of time provides for
performance of accident management actions to mitigate the accident and prevent
containment failure. The frequency of severe release as predicted by PRA is 1.95 x 10-8 per
reactor year, which is much lower than for conventional plants (see Figure 4).
AP1000
U. S. NRC Current Utility
Results
Requirements Plants Requirements
The AP1000 uses passive safety systems to improve the safety of the plant and to satisfy
safety criteria of regulatory authorities. The use of passive safety systems provides
superiority over conventional plant designs through significant and measurable improvements
in plant simplification, safety, reliability, and investment protection. The passive safety
systems require no operator actions to mitigate design basis accidents. These systems use
only natural forces such as gravity, natural circulation, and compressed gas to make the
systems work. No pumps, fans, diesels, chillers, or other active machinery are used. A few
simple valves align and automatically actuate the passive safety systems. To provide high
reliability, these valves are designed to actuate to their safeguards positions upon loss of
power or upon receipt of a safeguards actuation signal. They are supported by multiple,
reliable power sources to avoid unnecessary actuations.
The passive safety systems do not require the large network of active safety support systems
(ac power, HVAC, cooling water, and the associated seismic buildings to house these
components) that are needed in typical nuclear plants. As a result, support systems no longer
must be safety class, and they are simplified or eliminated.
These passive safety systems provide a major enhancement in plant safety and investment
protection as compared with conventional plants. They establish and maintain core cooling
and containment integrity indefinitely, with no operator or ac power support requirements.
The passive systems are designed to meet the single-failure criteria, and probabilistic risk
assessments (PRAs) are used to verify their reliability.
The AP1000 passive safety systems are significantly simpler than typical PWR safety
systems since they contain significantly fewer components, reducing the required tests,
inspections, and maintenance. They require no active support systems, and their readiness is
easily monitored.
Emergency core cooling system - The passive core cooling system (PXS) (Figure 5.2-5)
protects the plant against reactor coolant system (RCS) leaks and ruptures of various sizes
and locations. The PXS provides the safety functions of core residual heat removal, safety
injection, and depressurization. Safety analyses (using US NRC-approved codes) demonstrate
the effectiveness of the PXS in protecting the core following various RCS break events, even
for breaks as severe as the 8-inch (200 mm) vessel injection lines. The PXS provides
approximately a 76F (42.2C) margin to the maximum peak clad temperature limit for the
double-ended rupture of a main reactor coolant pipe.
Safety injection and depressurization - The PXS uses three passive sources of water to
maintain core cooling through safety injection. These injection sources include the core
makeup tanks (CMTs), the accumulators, and the IRWST. These injection sources are
directly connected to two nozzles on the reactor vessel so that no injection flow can be spilled
for the main reactor coolant pipe break cases.
Long-term injection water is provided by gravity from the IRWST, which is located in the
containment just above the RCS loops. Normally, the IRWST is isolated from the RCS by
squib valves. The tank is designed for atmospheric pressure, and therefore, the RCS must be
depressurized before injection can occur.
Outside cooling
air intake
Steel containment
vessel
Air baffle
In-vessel retention of molten core debris - In-vessel retention (IVR) of molten core debris
via water cooling of the external surface of the reactor vessel is an inherent severe accident
management feature of the AP1000 passive plant. During postulated severe accidents, the
accident management strategy to flood the reactor cavity with in-containment refueling water
storage tank (IRWST) water and submerge the reactor vessel is credited with preventing
vessel failure in the AP1000 probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). The water cools the
external surface of the vessel and prevents molten debris in the lower head from failing the
vessel wall and relocating into the containment. Retaining the debris in the reactor vessel
protects the containment integrity by preventing ex-vessel severe accident phenomena, such
as ex-vessel steam explosion and core-concrete interaction, which have large uncertainties
with respect to containment integrity.
The passive plant is uniquely suited to in-vessel retention because it contains features that
promote external cooling of the reactor vessel. Figure 7 provides a schematic of the AP1000
reactor vessel, vessel cavity, vessel insulation and vents configuration that promotes
IVR of molten core debris.
The reliable multi-stage reactor coolant system (RCS) depressurization system results in low
stresses on the vessel wall after the pressure is reduced.
The vessel lower head has no vessel penetrations to provide a failure mode for the vessel
other than creep failure of the wall itself.
The reactor cavity can be flooded to submerge the vessel above the coolant loop elevation
with water intentionally drained from the in-containment refueling water storage tank.
The reactor vessel insulation design concept provides an engineered pathway for
water-cooling the vessel and for venting steam from the reactor cavity.
The results of the AP1000 IVR analysis show that, with the AP1000 insulation designed to
increase the cooling limitation at the lower head surface and the cavity adequately flooded,
the AP1000 provides significant margin-to-failure for IVR via external reactor vessel cooling.
The AP1000 is a logical extension of the AP600 design. The AP1000 maintains the same
design philosophy of AP600, such as use of proven components, systems simplification and
state-of-the-art construction techniques. The AP1000 optimizes the power output while
maintaining the AP600 NI footprint, to reduce capital and generation costs.
Simplification - AP1000 is an advance passive nuclear power plant that has been designed to
meet globally recognized requirements. A concerted effort has been made to simplify
systems and components, to facilitate construction, operation and maintenance and to reduce
the capital and generating costs.
The use of passive systems allows the plant design to be significantly simpler than
conventional pressurized water plants. In addition to being simpler, the passive safety
systems do not require the large network of safety support systems found in current
generation nuclear power plants (e.g., Class 1E ac power, safety HVAC, safety cooling water
systems and associated seismic buildings). The AP1000 uses 50% fewer valves, 83% less
pipe (safety grade), 87% less cable, 36% fewer pumps, and 56% less seismic building
volumes than an equivalent conventional reactor.
Simplicity reduces the cost for reasons other than reduction of the number of items to be
purchased. With a fewer number of components, installation costs are reduced, construction
time is shortened and maintenance activities are minimized.
Construction Schedule- The AP1000 has been designed to make use of modern modular
construction techniques. Not only does the design incorporate vendor designed skids and
equipment packages, it also includes large structural modules (Figure 8) and special
equipment modules. Modularization allows construction tasks that were traditionally
performed in sequence to be completed in parallel. The modules, constructed in factories, can
be assembled at the site for a planned construction schedule of 3 years from ground-
breaking to fuel load. This duration has been verified by experienced construction managers
through 4D (3D models plus time) reviews of the construction sequence.
Availability and O&M Costs - The AP1000 combines the best proven PWR technology with
utility operating experience to enhance reliability and operability. Steam generators are
similar to the recent replacement steam generators, canned motor pumps and rugged turbine
generators are proven performers with outstanding operating records. The Digital on-line
diagnostic instrumentation and control system features an integrated control system that
avoids reactor trips due to single channel failure. In addition, the plant design provides large
margins for plant operation before reaching the safety limits. This assures a stable and
reliable plant operation with a reduced number of reactor trips (less than one per year).
Based on the above, and considering the short planned refueling outage (17 days) and plans
to use a 18 to 24-month fuel cycle, the AP1000 is expected to exceed the 93% availability
goal.
For AP1000 availability is enhanced by the simplicity designed into the plant, as described
above. There are fewer components which result in lower maintenance costs, both planned
and unplanned. In addition, the great reduction in safety-related components results in a large
reduction in inspection and tests. Simplicity is also reflected in the reduced AP1000 staffing
requirements.
Module Type Number
Structural 122
Piping 154
Mechanical 55
Electrical 11
______________________
TOTAL 342
As a reference figures the anticipated AP1000 electricity cost will be in the range of 3.0 to
3.5/kwh.
5. AP1000 DEPLOYMENT
US Programs
The Nuclear Power 2010 program sponsored by the DOE is expected to re-vitalize the
nuclear industry in USA, creating all conditions for initiating the construction of a new
nuclear power plant in USA by the year 2010. The goal of Nuclear Power 2010 is to support
industry initiatives to eliminate barriers to the deployment of a series of advanced nuclear
plants in the U.S. in the near term. The initiative encourages investment in projects that can
improve the economic competitiveness of new nuclear power plants.
The program is expected to effectively shorten the time between plant contract and power
operation. The required lead time for an advanced nuclear plant such as AP1000 after it has
been licensed is estimated to be approximately 5-6 years between the plant order and its
commercial operation. This includes approximately 3 to 4 years for construction, with the
remaining 2 years being required for the power company to order long lead items, prepare the
site and perform startup operations. The Early Site Permit (ESP) and Combined Operating
License (COL) are part of the U.S. licensing process established under 10 CFR Part 52 and
would be completed prior to the initiation of site activities.
Three US Power companies are currently engaged with the US NRC to complete an ESP for
three sites that could accommodate an advanced nuclear plant like AP1000. The ESP
licensing process is a significant milestone in the realization of new nuclear build in the US.
It has been projected that the US power companies will receive ESPs by 2005 thereby
allowing the completion of COL and initiation of new plant construction activities.
In response to the DOE program, Westinghouse has joined with Entergy, Exelon Southern,
Duke, Constellation, EdF, Florida P&L, TVA and GE in a group named NuStart Energy
Development, LLC.
The group has submitted proposal to U.S. Department of Energy (in Response to Nuclear
Power Solicitation) for a project to:
Select a plant Site
Prepare a COL application for W AP1000 and GE ESBWR
Prepare project proposal for each design, including pricing and contractual
terms, for potential downselection in 2007
Submit COL application(s) to NRC in 2008
Obtain COL in (2010)
Project lays foundation for future decision on whether to construct.
6. CONCLUSION
On September 13th 2004, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted, after a process
that lasted more than two years, the Final Design Approval (FDA) to the Westinghouse
AP1000 Nuclear Power Plant.
The FDA is a very important achievement for the AP1000 plant designed by Westinghouse
with the support of an international group of partners among the which Ansaldo Energia
Nuclear Division has been played a major role.
AP1000, together with the AP600, is the only Advanced Plant that has obtained the FDA by
US NRC. The FDA represent an important advantage for the AP1000 commercialization in a
moment in which nuclear energy seems, once again, to be a mandatory choice for the future
energy mix in the industrialized countries.
The AP1000 is, today, a mature product and it is playing a major role in the worlds Nuclear
Energy arena.
In U.S. the Nuclear Power 2010 program sponsored by the DOE is expected to re-vitalize
the nuclear industry in USA, creating all conditions for initiating the construction of a new
nuclear power plant in USA by the year 2010.
In Europe, the on-going EPP Phase 2D activities are further establishing the AP1000 plant
design as a suitable design for Europe. AP1000 largely complies with the latest European
Utility Requirements while retaining the standard plant economic advantage of being largely
the same AP1000 plant design as for the U.S.
The EPP-AP1000 EUR compliance assessment and the Nuclear Power 2010 are valuable
elements for sustaining a long-term positive view of nuclear power contributions to worlds
energy supply mix. It has become increasingly clear that nuclear power generation additions
are most competitive with other energy choices when a standard plant design can be applied
in multiple locations.
7. REFERENCES
1. J.W. Winters, J. A. Clelland, AP1000 Design And Construction Integration, ICAPP04-4254, June
2004
2. E.W. Cummins, T.L. Schulz, Westinghouse AP1000 Advanced Passive Plant, ICAPP04-4254, June
2004
3. G. Saiu, K.J. Demetri, European Utility Requirements (EUR) Volume 3 Assessment for AP1000,
ICONE13-50748, Bejing, May 2005
4. European Utility Requirements for LWR Nuclear Power Plants, Volume 1 & 2, Rev. C, April 2001