Ameren Missouri has requested an amendment for technical specifications and regulatory exemptions from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ameren's request is for the Callaway Nuclear Plant.
The initial request for the amendment was made in Oct. 2022, where Ameren requested an amendment "to revise the TS (technical specifications) to allow use of Framatome GAIA fuel with M51 as a fueld cladding material," according to a release from the NRC.
The NRC responded to Ameren's request in Nov. and marked the acceptance review as "unacceptable with opportunity to supplement." NRC staff requested supplemental information from Ameren, which was provided on Dec. 1.
Prior to the NRC beginning a detailed technical review of the request, an acceptance review of the amendment request and regulatory exemptions was performed.
"The acceptance review was performed to determine if there is sufficient technical information in scope and depth to allow the NRC staff to complete its detailed technical review," a release from the NRC states. "The acceptance review is also intended to identify whether the application has any readily apparent information insufficiencies in its characterization of the regulatory requirements or the licensing basis of the plant."
After review, NRC staff determined the request for the Callaway County Plant to provide sufficient detail to begin the detailed technical review. Staff will also make "an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed amendment in terms of regulatory requirements and the protection of public health and safety and the environment."
The acceptance review has less scope and death then the detailed technical review, according to the NRC release.
The NRC has estimated the license amendment request will take approximately 1,000 hours, with an additional 400 hours for exemptions to be completed. The review is expected to be completed in approximately 9 months, or by the end of Sept.
The length of time required for the review could increase because of requests for more information or other complications.