Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP)

Project Overview

DOE and INL established the NGNP Project as required by Congress in Subtitle C of Title VI of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The mission of the NGNP Project is to develop, license, build, and operate a prototype modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) plant that would generate high-temperature process heat for use in hydrogen production and other energy-intensive industries while generating electric power at the same time. As stipulated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, prelicensing activities for the NGNP prototype began with the development of the NGNP Licensing Strategy Report to Congress that was jointly issued by NRC and DOE in August 2008. Subsequent NRC interactions with DOE and INL centered primarily on the NRC's review and assessment of a series of NGNP white paper submittals that describe the approaches that DOE and INL propose to pursue in establishing the technical safety bases and criteria for licensing the NGNP prototype. NGNP prelicensing interactions began in 2006 and were suspended in 2013 after DOE decided in 2011 not to proceed into the detailed design and license application phases of the NGNP Project. DOE's decision cited impasses between DOE and the NGNP Industry Alliance in cost sharing arrangements for the public-private partnership required by Congress.

See the following related pages for additional details:

• Significant NGNP Pre-licensing Submittals from DOE and INL
• Requests for Additional Information and Responses on NGNP White Papers
• NRC Staff Assessment of NGNP White Papers and Key Licensing Issues