NRC Accepts for Review Application Related to UAMPS Small Modular Reactor Project

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 7, 2023

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted a Limited Work Authorization application for formal review related to a small modular reactor project being pursued by Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems.

After technical review of the application, which was submitted on July 31, 2023, the NRC has docketed the application that seeks approval to commence early construction activities for the Carbon Free Power Project prior to issuance of the Combined License.

The NRC staff’s goal is to conduct and complete an efficient and high-quality review of the LWA application by August 2025, which will align with scheduled activity progression on the project.

When approved, the LWA will pave the way for the initiation of early-scope construction that is expected to start mid-2025.

“Our team is pleased that the NRC has accepted the LWA application as it represents a major achievement in the project’s advancement and brings the CFPP closer to its objective,” said Mason Baker, CFPP LLC President. CFPP LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UAMPS.

“The commencement of early construction activities is a vital step in advancing the project and sets a noteworthy precedent in the field of small modular nuclear energy regulation and development,” he said.

CFPP LLC submitted the LWA application as the first part of the CFPP Combined License Application.

This was the first instance under the current LWA regulations where a standalone LWA application was submitted in advance of the remainder of the COLA. The second part of the CFPP Combined License Application remains on schedule to be submitted to the NRC in January 2024.

The LWA application acceptance is a key development for the CFPP.

The CFPP will utilize NuScale Power’s VOYGR™-6 SMR power plant design. NuScale’s Standard Design Approval application is based on a VOYGR power plant design featuring six 77 MWe NuScale Power Modules™.

The CFPP is proposed to be sited within the southwest region of the Idaho National Laboratory in southeast Idaho. The INL site, a U.S. Department of Energy facility, covers an expansive area of approximately 890 square miles and is situated near Idaho Falls, Idaho.