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 ope and III. It appears that in the relatively near term new nuclear plants Generation III+ designs ( l ight water reactors). 50 cost shared collaborative program with industry technical, regulatory, and institutional barriers to buildi the United States, and securing industry decisions to construct and operate those plants” (U
. S
. DOE 20 09 )
. Most of the objectives and activities planned under NP 2010 have been accomplished or are near completion and the prog 2011. The following Generation III+ the d esign c ertification application  The Westinghouse Advanced Passive Pressurized Water  The General Electric
- (ESBWR) ;  The Mitsubishi Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (  The Areva Evolutionary Power Reactor These Generation III+ reactor designs incorporate both active and passive safet y features and are generall y more efficient than existing Generation III reactors. However, thermal efficiency

was reported to be around 35 only slightl y b etter than the already built 30+ yr old



### MEMORANDUM

10306 Eaton Place, Suite 340

Paul Shriner, EPA John Sunda (SAIC) and Kelly Meadows March 11, 2011 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 ope rating in US are Generation II It appears that in the relatively near term new nuclear plants will be what DOE calls ight water reactors). Recently , the DOE has entered into a 50 collaborative program with industry with two main goals: “removing the technical, regulatory, and institutional barriers to buildi ng new nuclear power plants in the United States, and securing industry decisions to construct and operate those plants”

Most of the objectives and activities planned under NP 2010 have been accomplished or are near completion and the prog ram is being phasing out entirely in

Generation III+ new reactor designs have completed or nearly completed pplication review process at the NRC: Westinghouse Advanced Passive Pressurized Water Reactor (AP1000)

- Hitachi Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor Mitsubishi Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor ( US APWR) ; Evolutionary

Power Reactor (US EPR). These Generation III+ reactor designs incorporate both active and passive safet y features are generall y more efficient than existing Generation III reactors. However, efficiency was reported to be around 35 % to 37 % for several of them which etter than the already built 30+ yr old G eneration II & III plants. The The DOE websites and publications all refer to nuclear technologies classifications as rating in US are Generation II will be what DOE calls Recently , the DOE has entered into a 50
- with two main goals: “removing the ng new nuclear power plants in the United States, and securing industry decisions to construct and operate those plants”

Most of the objectives and activities planned under NP 2010 have been ram is being phasing out entirely in FY new reactor designs have completed or nearly completed Reactor (AP1000) ; Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor
These Generation III+ reactor designs incorporate both active and passive safet y features are generall y more efficient than existing Generation III reactors. However, the % for several of them which is eneration II & III plants. Thecurrent licensing schedule for new reactors planned in the US is presented in Attachment

A. NRC d esign c ertification pre - a pplication review s 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 G as Turbine M odular H elium R eactor ( GT
- MHR)
. These include some innovative designs with generally higher thermal efficiencies in the range of 40
- 48% ( World Nuclear Association 2011)
. T he DOE Generation IV program is focused on very high temperature reactor te chnologies 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 readyi ng technologies that will further improve the economic and safety performanc e of existing light water reactors (U.S.DOE 2008)
. Gen eration IV i nnovative 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 G en eration IV HTR ty pes having efficiencies around 45% (U.S.DOE 2008). Commercial development of these will be much longer term , likel y b y 2020 to 2030
. References U .S. DOE . Offi ce 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 s ys tems concepts excel in safety, sustainability, cost effectiveness and proliferation res istance.” (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)