Page 18 - Nuclear Plant Journal - March April 2013
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Sequoyah
License
Renewal
By Tennessee Valley Authority.
Response to questions by Newal
Agnihotri, Editor of Nuclear Plant
Journal.
1.
The $23 million expected cost as
mentioned in your news release, is it
just the license renewal application
preparation cost for the US NRC or
it is the complete cost, including the
hardware prices for systems, equipment,
and instruments, including design, labor,
and material cost?
The $23 million expected cost
in the news release includes the cost
of developing the license renewal
application, NRC review fees, performing
required calculation updates, revising
procedures and issuing work orders for
inspections. The cost does not include
the cost of required inspections or the
hardware cost for plant modifications that
may be necessary prior to or during the
period of extended operation.
2.
How are you assisting US NRC
in their evaluation of the long-term
environmental effects of storing of used
nuclear fuel at nuclear plant sites?
The NRC is on a two-year schedule
to address theWaste Confidence Decision
and Rule deficiencies identified by the
2012 court decision and has had several
meetings to solicit public input. In
addition, NRC is planning to issue draft
reports for public comment. TVA has
participated in the public meetings to date
and will review NRC draft documents
as they become available, providing
comments as appropriate.
3.
What are the proposed modifications
of systems, equipment, and instruments
as part of the plant license renewal?
No specific modifications are
required to support plant license renewal.
The license renewal process ensures that
programs are in place to manage the
effects of aging through the period of
extendedoperation.Modifications of plant
systems, equipment and instruments are
performed during the period of extended
operation as determined necessary
through the monitoring activities of the
aging management programs.
4.
What modifications required due
to the US NRC’s Fukushima Near-Term
Task Force are part of the current plant
license renewal modifications?
Modifications required to support
the US NRC’s Fukushima Near-Term
Task Force are not a prerequisite or a
requirement for plant license renewal.
However, plant modifications that affect
the plant design and licensing basis,
including those implemented in response
to the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force
findings, will be evaluated to ensure the
affected equipment is included in the
proper aging management programs.
5.
What, if any, fuel upgrade is being
undertaken during this license renewal?
No fuel upgrade is being undertaken
as part of the Sequoyah license renewal
project.
6.
What PRA studies are parts of this
license renewal process?
The existing Sequoyah Nuclear
Power Plant (SQN) internal events PRA
were updated to meet current regulatory
standards. The updated PRA was
then used to evaluate Severe Accident
Mitigation Alternatives (SAMA) as part
of the development of the SQN license
renewal environmental report.
7.
What non-NRC guidance such as
NEI and other industry guidelines and
standards are being relied upon for the
plant license renewal?
NEI-95-10, “Industry Guideline
for Implementing the Requirements of
10CFR Part 54 – The License Renewal
Rule,” was used in the development of the
Sequoyah License Renewal Application.
8.
Are there any safety-related
instrument upgrades to digital technology
being undertaken as part of this
extension?
No
safety-related
instrument
upgrades to digital technology are being
undertaken as part of Sequoyah license
renewal.
9.
What material degradation issues
have been observed in the reactor coolant
system in the past and what measures
are being taken to ensure that these are
managed during the renewed license term
of the plant?
Nomaterial degradation in the reactor
coolant system has been identified that
would require replacement of systems,
structures or components for the extended
life of the plant. Reactor coolant system
aging management programs will manage
the effects of aging on the system for the
period of extended operation.
10.
How is the water chemistry being
controlled to ensure that the fluid in the
reactor coolant system is not aggressive
on the equipment?
The SQN Chemistry Program
monitors concentrations of corrosive
impurities and maintains water quality
in accordance with the Electric Power
Research Institute (EPRI) primary
water chemistry guidelines to ensure
that the reactor coolant system fluid is
not aggressive to system components.
The SQN Chemistry Program also
maintains water quality of the secondary
plant systems in accordance with EPRI
guidelines.
Contact: Scott Brooks, telephone:
(615) 232-6141, email:
gov.
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Nuclear Plant Journal, March-April 2013
