Safety Evaluation Report – Related to the Early Site Permit Application in the Matter of PSEG Power, LLC and PSEG Nuclear, LLC for the PSEG Early Site Permit Site – Docket No. 52-043 – PSEG Power, LLC and PSEG Nuclear, LLC (NUREG-2202)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: June 2016
Date Published: October 2016

Office of New Reactors
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

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Abstract

This safety evaluation report¹ (SER) documents the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff’s technical review of the site safety analysis report (SSAR) and emergency planning information included in the early site permit (ESP) application submitted by PSEG Power, LLC and PSEG Nuclear, LLC (PSEG or the applicant), for the proposed PSEG Site, in Salem County, New Jersey. Since the applicant did not apply for a limited work authorization (LWA), this SER does not include a technical review for an LWA.

In a May 25, 2010, letter, PSEG submitted an ESP application for the PSEG Site in accordance with Subpart A, “Early Site Permits,” of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 52, “Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants.” The proposed PSEG Site is located on the southern part of Artificial Island on the east bank of the Delaware River in Lower Alloways Creek Township, Salem County, New Jersey. The site is 24.1 kilometers (km) (15 miles (mi)) south of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, 28.97 km (18 mi) south of Wilmington, Delaware, 48.2 km (30 mi) southwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 12.1 km (7.5 mi) southwest of Salem, New Jersey. The other nuclear facilities licensed by the NRC and located adjacent to this site are Salem Generating Station (SGS) Units 1 and 2 and Hope Creek Generating Station (HCGS) Unit 1.

PSEG has not selected a specific reactor technology, but used a plant parameter envelope (PPE) in developing its application. PSEG used technical information from various reactor designs to develop bounding parameters (i.e., PPE) that are intended to envelop the proposed facility characterization necessary to evaluate the suitability of the site for future construction and operation of a nuclear power plant.

In its application, PSEG seeks an ESP that could be referenced as part of a future application to construct and operate a nuclear plant at the PSEG Site. In order to utilize the finality on issues resolved in the ESP proceeding, a future application to build a plant on the PSEG Site may be for any of the reactor designs identified or a different design that falls within the site characteristics and design parameters set out in the ESP. According to the PPE, the bounding new plant will have a total nuclear generating capacity of 4,614 megawatts thermal (MWt) for a single unit or 6,830 MWt for a dual unit, with a capability of producing up to approximately 2,200 megawatts electric (MWe) net of electrical power. A future plant built on the PSEG Site would be built adjacent to and north of the existing SGS/HCGS units operated by PSEG Nuclear, LLC.

This SER presents the results of the staff’s review of site safety analysis information submitted in conjunction with the ESP application. Appendix A to this SER identifies the proposed permit conditions, site characteristics, bounding design parameters, and inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria (ITAAC) that the staff recommends be imposed, should an ESP be issued to the applicant. Appendix A to this SER also includes certain site related items (Combined License (COL) action items) that will need to be addressed at the COL or construction permit (CP) stage, should the applicant later apply to construct a new nuclear plant on the PSEG Site and references the PSEG Site ESP in its application. The staff concluded that addressing these items is not required for the staff to make its regulatory findings at the ESP stage and that, for reasons specified in Section 1.6, “Summary of Combined License Action Items,” of this SER, the COL action items are more appropriately addressed when the applicant has applied for a COL or CP.

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¹This SER documents the NRC staff’s position on all safety issues associated with the early site permit application. This SER has undergone a final review by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), and the results of the ACRS review are in a final letter report provided by the ACRS. This report is included as Appendix E to this SER.