By Gary Adkins, Vice President of Regulatory and Licensing, and featured in Nuclear News.
Subsequent license renewal (SLR) authorizes nuclear power plants to operate for an additional 20 years beyond the 60 years of the initial license (years 1–40) and the first license renewal (years 41–60). NUREG-2191, Generic Aging Lessons Learned for Subsequent License Renewal (GALL-SLR), and NUREG-2192, Standard Review Plan for Review of Subsequent License Renewal Applications (SRP-SLR), were issued in July 2017 and provide guidance for generic evaluation of plant aging management programs and reviews of SLR applications, respectively, by Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff.
The first SLR application was submitted to the NRC for review in January 2018. A total of 10 additional SLR applications addressing 20 operating units have been submitted to the NRC. Nine operating units have been approved by the NRC, and 13 units are under review. These 22 units do not have any issues, including operating experience issues, precluding them from achieving a renewed license.
There are 21 additional units that have formally notified the NRC of planned SLR application submittals in the 2025–2027 time frame, with additional units planned in the years beyond 2027. The success of the applications to date has set the stage for future application submittals, demonstrating that nuclear power plants can be licensed for 80 years of operation pending any site-specific operating experience issues.
The nuclear plant restart process from a decommissioning status consists of gaining NRC approval to restore the licensing basis of a plant to an operational status, returning plant components to a status that supports safe operation, and making any upgrades necessary to meet the proposed operational licensing basis.
The Crane Clean Energy Center, Duane Arnold Energy Center, and Palisades nuclear plant all have expressed interest in returning to operational status and resuming commercial operations after ceasing operations in 2019, 2020, and 2022, respectively. These three plants have also notified the NRC of the intent to submit SLR applications in the 2025–2029-time frame.
SLR is essential for companies considering the restart of nuclear power plants. Palisades, Crane, and Duane Arnold each have fewer than 10 years remaining in their current operating licenses. SLR provides the assurance that plant operations can continue for an additional 20 years, years 61–80 years of operation. Substantial financial investments are required to return plants to operational status. Obtaining a renewed license provides the assurance that the investments made to restart these plants will prove to be financially beneficial for the utility.
Additionally, companies that are building data centers have identified nuclear power as a viable power source, because these data facilities require a continuous and substantial power supply, often exceeding 500 megawatts, to store and process large amounts of data. For these companies to invest in building data centers with dedicated nuclear power plant supply, an SLR is a key component in providing assurance of continued power operation for an additional 20 years.
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