UniStar Announces Plans To Submit COL For Susquehanna Unit
Written by NucNet
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
NucNet News No. 261
19 Dec (NucNet): UniStar Nuclear Energy, a joint venture between
Constellation Energy and the EDF Group, today announced an agreement
with an affiliate of PPL Corporation to submit to the US Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) a combined construction and operating
licence (COL) for a potential third reactor near PPL's Susquehanna
nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania.
The agreement means PPL joins a growing list of energy companies, including Constellation Energy, EDF, AmerenUE, Alternate Energy Holdings and Amarillo Power, that are pursuing advanced nuclear power plants based on Areva's US Evolutionary Power Reactor (US EPR) technology.
UniStar said in a statement that today's announcement "adds momentum" to its proposed fleet of at least four US EPRs in the US. In November, UniStar announced it had selected Alstom to provide turbine generator systems for the first four proposed US EPRs.
UniStar plans to submit a COL for PPL's Berwick site in the fourth quarter of 2008, in time for the potential plant to qualify for production tax credits under the US Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Berwick site is being developed by PPL subsidiary, PPL Nuclear Development.
In July 2007, UniStar submitted a partial COL to the NRC to construct and operate a potential third reactor unit at Constellation Energy's Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant in Maryland. The full COL, which UniStar plans to submit in the first quarter of 2008, will serve as the reference document for the PPL COL and all future UniStar COLs.
In June 2007, PPL Corporation told the NRC it intended to submit a COL for a third nuclear unit at Susquehanna. The company said it would not build the proposed new unit on its own, but would proceed with construction only in a joint venture arrangement.
Constellation Energy and EDF formed UniStar as a nuclear holding company to develop, own and operate new nuclear power plants in the US and Canada. The US EPR, based on Areva's European Pressurised Water Reactor design, is the joint venture's prime reactor technology.
Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
EDF And Constellation Energy Form Nuclear Joint Venture (News in Brief No. 17, 23 July 2007)
PPL Plans Application For Third Susquehanna Unit (News No. 147, 13 June 2007)
UniStar Chooses Alstom To Supply Turbines For New US N-Plants (News in Brief No. 38, 15 November 2007)
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