Areva nuclear reactor moves ahead in U.S.

LUSBY, MARYLAND - The effort to build Areva's new nuclear reactor design in the United States took a small step forward.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission accepted for technical review the last piece of UniStar Nuclear Energy's application to build a plant in Lusby, Md., with Areva's U.S. Evolutionary Power Reactor design. UniStar's safety analysis portion of the application was submitted in March. It then underwent a preliminary review to ensure it had all the information necessary before it was accepted for technical review.

Diane Screnci, spokeswoman for the commission, said the technical review process could take two and a half years. Ray Ganthner, Areva's senior vice president for new plant deployment, said a lot of work for UniStar's application took place in Lynchburg.

"A lot of the foundation for that work, the engineering and the drawings and documents and specifications were done by our workforce here in Lynchburg, and also our engineers in Charlotte, N.C.," he said. "We feel like we are embedded in that document that was submitted.... We really congratulate UniStar on getting it in."

Areva's EPR design is being used for several nuclear power plants under construction in other countries. However, its design certification is still pending in the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules allow the applications for design certification and combined operation and construction licenses to be reviewed at the same time.

That can allow a license for construction and operation of a plant to be issued soon after the design is certified. Theoretically, the next day, Ganthner said. The design certification is progressing, Ganthner said. "The schedule is to have that review done and a draft safety evaluation in about two years," he said.

The goal of Areva and UniStar is to have an EPR up and running at the Calvert Cliffs site, where UniStar's parent Constellation Energy has two other nuclear plants, by 2015. Meanwhile, UniStar and Areva are preparing to submit applications for three other new plants late this summer, Ganthner said.

Officials from UniStar Nuclear Energy did not return a phone call for comment.