Department of Energy Interest and Involvement In Nuclear Plant License Renewal Activities

Conference · Sun Jun 02 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5786583

Bustard, Larry D. ^[1]; Harrison, Dennis L. ^[2]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. US Department of Energy (USDOE), Washington DC (United States)

Recognizing the importance of nuclear license renewal to the nation's energy strategy, the Department of Energy (DOE) initiated a plant lifetime improvement program during 1985 to determine the feasibility of the license renewal option for US nuclear plants. Initial activities of the DOE program focused on determining whether there were technical and economic obstacles that might preclude or limit the successful implementation of the license renewal option. To make this determination, DOE cosponsored with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) pilot-plant efforts by Virginia Electric Power and Northern States Power. Both pilot-plant efforts concluded that life extension is technically and economically feasible. In parallel with the pilot-plant activities, DOE performed national economic studies that demonstrated the economic desirability of life extension. Having demonstrated the feasibility of life extension, DOE, in conjunction with EPRI, selected two lead plants to demonstrate the license renewal process. These lead plants are Yankee Atomic's Yankee Rowe facility and Northern States Power's Monticello facility. DOE also initiated activities to develop the technical and regulatory bases to support the license renewal process in the United States. DOE has recently identified nuclear plant license renewal to be an important element of its National Energy Strategy. This paper summarizes the significant results, conclusions, and ongoing activities of the DOE effort.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5786583
• Report Number(s): SAND--91-0745C; CONF-910603--10; ON: DE91010477
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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