GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy applies for 15-year licence renewal for ABWR technology

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy yesterday said it has submitted its application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to renew the certification for its advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) technology.

GE Hitachi says the ABWR design provides greater certainty over the costs for building new nuclear power plants and is seeking to extend the design certification for 15 years beyond June 2012, when its original ABWR certification is set to expire.

"The application includes an important design update to reflect the current NRC requirement for an aircraft impact assessment," it said in a statement.

GE Hitachi's ABWR belongd to the first 'Gen III' model and was originally certified in 1997.

''The GE Hitachi ABWR technology remains the world's only Generation III design in operation,'' said Danny Roderick, senior vice president, nuclear plant projects for GEH.

Roderick said, "Four ABWRs are operating in Japan, and the global nuclear alliance is building four more units in Japan and Taiwan."