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Westinghouse's AP1000 received approval today from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in a final ruling certifying it as a standardised design. The rule to certify the 1,100MW advanced PWR becomes effective 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register, likely to occur some time next month. Although it will be the fourth NRC certified standardised design, the AP1000 will be the first "Generation III+" reactor to receive such certification, Westinghouse said. The US Department of Environment considers Gen III+ plants to have significant improvements in safety and economics over the Generation III advanced reactor designs certified by NRC in the 1990s. Westinghouse said it expects an AP1000 could be constructed in about 36 months from first concrete to fuel load. |
