Kewaunee Power Station

1.0 Site Identification

Type of Site:	Decommissioning Power Reactor Facility
Location:	Kewaunee, WI
License No.:	DPR-43
Docket No.:	50-305
License Status:	DECON
Project Manager:	Amy Snyder

2.0 Site Status Summary

The Kewaunee Power Station (KPS) was a two-loop pressurized-water reactor designed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation and licensed by the NRC to generate an approximate maximum power output of 1772 megawatts-thermal in the Town of Carlton along the coast of Lake Michigan in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin. The operating license for KPS was issued on December 21, 1973, with an expiration date of December 21, 2013. Commercial operation commenced on June 16, 1974.

On February 24, 2011 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML110100575), the NRC approved a license renewal application for KPS, which extended the expiration date of the KPS license to December 21, 2033.

KPS permanently ceased power operations on May 7, 2013, and Dominion Energy Kewaunee, Inc. (DEK, the licensee at that time) certified to the NRC by letter dated May 14, 2013 (ML13135A209) that as of May 14, 2013, all the fuel was permanently removed from the KPS reactor vessel and placed into the KPS spent fuel pool (SFP). Accordingly, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2), the KPS license no longer authorizes operation of the KPS reactor or emplacement or retention of fuel into the KPS reactor vessel.

In accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(4)(i), on February 26, 2013 (ML13063A248), DEK submitted to the NRC the Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR) for KPS, which identified SAFSTOR as the method of decommissioning KPS and updated the Irradiated Fuel Management Plan. A public meeting was conducted a public meeting near the site on April 24, 2013. DEK updated the PSDAR and provided to the NRC PSDAR, Revision 1 by letter dated April 25, 2014 (ML14118A382).  DEK completed transferring the spent nuclear fuel from the spent fuel pool (SFP) to the on-site Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) in 2017. In 2018, DEK completed removing all the spent fuel storage racks from SFP and completed all SFP activities.

By letter dated May 10, 2021 (ML21131A141), as supplemented by letters dated May 13, 2021 (ML21145A118), October 28, 2021 (ML21301A177), February 16, 2022 (ML22047A057), and March 15, 2022 (ML22076A065), DEK and EnergySolutions, LLC (EnergySolutions) (together, the Applicants) requested that the NRC consent to the indirect transfer of control of Renewed Facility Operating License (RFOL) No. DPR-43 for KPS and the general license for the KPS independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI).

On March 31, 2022, an Order was issued (ML22014A387) that approved the indirect transfer of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-43 for the KPS and the general license for the KPS ISFSI, held by DEK, to Kewaunee Solutions, Inc. (Kewaunee Solutions) and approved a draft conforming license amendment to reflect the indirect license transfer.  The conforming amendment was approved on June 28, 2022 (ML22160A526) and noted that the Revision 2 of the KPS PSDAR, submitted by EnergySolutions on May 13, 2021 (ML21145A083) was effective upon the indirect license transfer.

By letter dated March 29, 2023 (ML23093A031), Kewaunee Solutions and EnergySolutions respectively, or the licensees), submitted, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, “Specific Exemptions,” a request for an exemption to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8)(i)(A) that would allow the KPS licensees to use funds from the nuclear decommissioning Trust (NDT) for site restoration activities. Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the licensees also requested an exemption from 10 CFR 50.75(h)(1)(iv), which would allow trust disbursements for site restoration activities to be made without prior notice to the NRC, similar to withdrawals in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8) for decommissioning activities. On January 26, 2024, the Commission granted Kewaunee Solutions, Inc., and EnergySolutions the exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8)(i)(A) and 10 CFR 50.75(h)(1)(iv) to allow the use of a portion of the funds from the KPS NDT for site restoration activities in accordance with (1) the licensees’ PSDAR and Decommissioning Site-Specific Cost Estimate, (2) forecasted cost and scheduling information from the most recent KPS Decommissioning Trust Fund (DTF) Status Report, and (3) as provided in response to the NRC’s request for additional information on this exemption request. Additionally, the Commission granted the licensees an exemption from the requirement of 10 CFR 50.75(h)(1)(iv) to allow such withdrawals from the KPS DTF for site restoration activities without prior NRC notification.

Major decommissioning and dismantlement activities began in 2022 and is scheduled to end by 2055 to include decommissioning of the on-site ISFSI.

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

On May 13, 2021, Kewaunee Solutions submitted Revision 2 of the KPS PSDAR, submitted by Energy Solutions. On June 6, 2021, the NRC stated in a letter (ML21148A074) to Energy Solutions that the NRC staff will not consider the Energy Solutions PSDAR submittal dated May 13, 2021, under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.82(a)(4) because Energy Solutions (at the time) was not the licensee for Kewaunee Power Station. However, the NRC staff treated the Energy Solutions PSDAR submittal as a supplement to the Dominion’s license transfer application dated May 10, 2021. A specific PSDAR evaluation of Revision 2 will be performed.

4.0 Estimated Date For Closure

2055 to include the on-site ISFSI.