REVISED: NRC APPROVES RULE TO CERTIFY

AMENDED AP1000 REACTOR DESIGN

Note to Editors: Revision reflects actual expiration date of the design certification.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has voted to approve a rule certifying an amended 

version of Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactor design for use in the United States. The amended 

certification, which will be incorporated into the NRC’s regulations, will be valid until 

Feb. 27, 2021.

“The Commission is able to reach this final step in approving the amended AP1000 

reactor design due to the staff’s dedicated work ensuring the design meets NRC’s safety 

requirements,” said NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko. “The design provides enhanced safety 

margins through use of simplified, inherent, passive, or other innovative safety and security 

functions, and also has been assessed to ensure it could withstand damage from an aircraft 

impact without significant release of radioactive materials.” 

The Commission has also found good cause to make the rule immediately effective once 

it is published in the Federal Register; the rule is expected to be published within seven business 

days. NRC rules normally become effective 30 days after publication. The Federal Register

notice and the Commission’s directions to the staff on publishing the approved rule will include 

a discussion on the good cause finding.

The design certification process provides for public participation and early resolution of 

safety issues for proposed reactor designs. NRC certification, in the form of a final rule, means 

the design meets the agency’s applicable safety requirements. If an applicant for a nuclear power 

plant license references a certified design, the applicant need not submit safety information for 

the design. Instead, the license application and the NRC’s safety review would address the 

remaining safety issues specific to the proposed nuclear power plant.

The AP1000 is a 1,100 megawatt electric pressurized-water reactor that includes passive 

safety features that would cool down the reactor after an accident without the need for human 

intervention. Westinghouse submitted an application for certification of the original AP1000 

standard plant design on March 28, 2002; the NRC issued a rule certifying that design on 

Jan. 27, 2006.

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001

E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: www.nrc.gov

Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov

No. 12-003 January 5, 2012
Westinghouse submitted an application to amend the AP1000 on May 27, 2007. The 

NRC’s extensive technical review of the amendment request focused on ensuring the agency’s 

safety requirements have been met. This transparent process, including input from the Advisory 

Committee on Reactor Safeguards, led to the NRC issuing a final safety evaluation report on the 

amended AP1000 in August. The NRC issued a proposed rule for the amended design in 

January. Stakeholders provided more than 12,000 comments on the proposed rule; the NRC staff 

considered these comments in developing the final rule. 

The NRC is currently reviewing six Combined License applications that reference the 

amended AP1000 design. The NRC has certified three other standard reactor designs: the 

Advanced Boiling Water Reactor, System 80+, and AP600. The agency is currently reviewing 

applications to certify the Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor, the U.S. Advanced 

Pressurized Water Reactor and the EPR pressurized-water reactor.

More information about the amended AP1000 design review can be found on the NRC’s 

website.

###

News releases are available through a free Listserv subscription or by clicking on the EMAIL UPDATES 

link on the NRC homepage (www.nrc.gov). E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are 

posted to NRC's website. For the latest news, follow the NRC on www.twitter.com/NRCgov.