The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and NRC regulations limit licensing of commercial nuclear power reactors to 40 years, and allow reactor operators to renew their licenses for additional 20-year periods. License renewal rests on the demonstration that currently operating nuclear power plants continue to maintain adequate levels of safety over the extended operating period. Licensing for extended plant operation has been enhanced through maintenance of the licensing bases, with appropriate adjustments to address new information from industry operating experience. Additionally, industry and regulatory activities have provided ongoing assurance that the licensing bases will continue to provide an acceptable level of safety. Because nuclear power accounts for approximately 20% of the U.S. electric generation capacity, most utilities that own nuclear power plants are or will be seeking extended operating licenses for their operating plants.

SI has performed technical consultation and support for license renewal for most of the utilities that have sought extended operating licenses, and has developed comprehensive Fatigue Management Programs for more than 50 nuclear units world-wide that satisfy the requirements associated with managing fatigue for license renewal.

SI is well qualified to provide technical support, consultation, preparation and review of License Renewal Applications (LRAs), fatigue evaluations, and support of implementation of LRA commitments. Many of SI's experts have been involved in license renewal efforts since the Pilot Plant activities in the 1980s. In particular, SI has been extensively involved in most of the significant industry fatigue-related matters since the mid-1980s, including:

• EPRI’s FatiguePro (1986 - present)
• EPRI Fatigue Management Handbook (1994)
• EPRI/NEI Environmental Fatigue Studies (1996 - 1999)
• EPRI Materials Reliability Program (on-going)

SI can provide license renewal support in any of the following ways:

• Preparation and review of effective management programs to address potentially significant age-related degradation mechanisms
• Preparation and review of Aging Management Reviews (AMRs)
• Preparation and review of specific portions of the LRA, especially fatigue and materials-related sectons
• Preparation and review of analyses/evaluations initiated by AMRs
• Preparation and review of responses to questions from the NRC after LRA submittal
• Support in implementation of LRA commitments
• Consultation or third party review in the following areas:
• Stress and Fatigue (including environmental effects)
• IGSCC and IASCC
• Corrosion
• BWR Vessel Internals
• PWR Vessel Internals
• Design Basis Documentation
• Material Embrittlement
• Inspection

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License Renewal Presentation

For more information, contact SI.