NRC close to vote on new Westinghouse nuke reactor

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Friday May 14, 7:43 pm Eastern Time

NRC close to vote on new Westinghouse nuke reactor

WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - Westinghouse Electric Co.'s 
design for a new nuclear reactor moved a step closer on Friday to 
final approval by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  

The company's AP600 nuclear power reactor would capable of 
producing 600 megawatts of electricity and is designed to have a 
60-year operating life.  

The NRC said it wanted public comment on certifying the plant's 
design for a 15-year period under the agency's new licensing 
process. NRC staff approved the plant's design last September and 
full commission approval is the last hurdle the reactor must clear.  

The Westinghouse reactor's design relies on natural forces such as 
convection and gravity flow of emergency cooling water. This 
reduces reliance on pumps, valves and emergency generators that 
ensure the safety of today's plants. Because of its simplicity, the 
mid-size reactor could be built faster than existing plants, usually 
within three to four years.  

The reactor would be smaller, cheaper and less complicated than 
existing plants, according to the Nuclear Industry Institute, a trade 
group.  

Last year, a joint venture between Morrison Knudsen Corp. 
(NYSE:MK - news) and state-owned British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. 
agreed to buy the Westinghouse nuclear business unit from CBS 
Corp. (NYSE:CBS - news) for $1.2 billion, renaming it 
Westinghouse Electric Co.  

In addition to submitting comments on Westinghouse's application, 
interested parties may also request an informal NRC hearing on the 
reactor's design.  

Both comments and hearing requests are due within 75 days after 
the NRC's proposed certification of the plant is published in the 
Federal Register next week.  

Westinghouse's application has been pending at the NRC since 
1992.

------------------------
Sandy Perle
E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205

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