
                                  MEMORANDUM



Tetra Tech, Inc.
10306 Eaton Place, Suite 340
Fairfax, VA 22030
phone	703-385-6000
fax	703-385-6007

TO:			Paul Shriner, EPA
FROM:		John Sunda (SAIC) and Kelly Meadows
DATE: 		March 11, 2011

SUBJECT:		Future of Nuclear Power Plant Designs

The DOE websites and publications all refer to nuclear technologies classifications as being Generation I, II, III, III+, or IV. Those currently operating in US are Generation II and III.  

It appears that in the relatively near term new nuclear plants will be what DOE calls Generation III+ designs (light water reactors). Recently, the DOE has entered into a 50-50 cost shared collaborative program with industry with two main goals: "removing the technical, regulatory, and institutional barriers to building new nuclear power plants in the United States, and securing industry decisions to construct and operate those plants" (U.S.DOE 2009).  Most of the objectives and activities planned under NP 2010 have been accomplished or are near completion and the program is being phasing out entirely in FY 2011.  

The following Generation III+ new reactor designs have completed or nearly completed the design certification application review process at the NRC:
   * The Westinghouse Advanced Passive Pressurized Water Reactor (AP1000); 
   * The General Electric-Hitachi Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR);
   * The Mitsubishi Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (USAPWR);
   * The Areva Evolutionary Power Reactor (US EPR).

These Generation III+ reactor designs incorporate both active and passive safety features and are generally more efficient than existing Generation III reactors. However, the thermal efficiency was reported to be around 35% to 37% for several of them which is only slightly better than the already built 30+ yr old Generation II & III plants. The current licensing schedule for new reactors planned in the US is presented in Attachment A.

NRC design certification pre-application reviews may occur soon for:
   * The Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR);
   * The Westinghouse International Reactor Innovative & Secure reactor (IRIS);
   * The Eskom Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR);
   * The Toshiba Super Safe, Small and Simple (4S);
   * The General Atomics Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR).

These include some innovative designs with generally higher thermal efficiencies in the range of 40-48% (World Nuclear Association 2011).

The DOE Generation IV program is focused on very high temperature reactor technologies for use in a Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP).  These reactors will be capable of producing hydrogen and other energy products. The program is also focused on readying technologies that will further improve the economic and safety performance of existing light water reactors (U.S.DOE 2008). Generation IV innovative designs such as the very high temperature reactor (HTR) will likely have efficiencies in the mid 40s% with the PB-HTR design having an expected efficiency of 46% and others Generation IV HTR types having efficiencies around 45% (U.S.DOE 2008).  Commercial development of these will be much longer term, likely by 2020 to 2030.

References

U.S. DOE. Office of Nuclear Energy. Nuclear Power 2010. May 2009. Accessed at:
http://www.ne.doe.gov/pdfFiles/factSheets/NP2010.pdf

U.S. DOE. "Next-Generation Nuclear Energy - Generation IV systems concepts excel in safety, sustainability, cost effectiveness and proliferation resistance." (last modified February 1, 2008).
Accessed at: http://www.ne.doe.gov/pdfFiles/factSheets/NextGenerationNuclearEnergy.pdf

World Nuclear Association. Advanced Nuclear Power Reactors. January 27, 2011.
Acessed at: http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf08.html

                                 ATTACHMENT A
                      New Reactor Licensing Applications
                              (See attached PDF)
