COL Application for US-APWR Nuclear Power Plants Designed by MHI

The NRC’s positive decision on docketing indicates that the Comanche Peak Unit 3/4 project is making steady progress and that the construction plan of the US-APWR has made an important major step forward. In December 2007 MHI submitted its application to have the US-APWR design certification (DC) from the NRC; that application is currently under review, formally docketed by the NRC in this February.

Luminant selected MHI’s US-APWR as its technology of choice in March 2007, following an extensive evaluation of prospective nuclear power generating technologies. Each unit is capable of generating electric power almost 875,000 average-sized homes in the state of Texas, where Luminant is based.

MHI developed the US-APWR based on technologies for a 1,538 MWe APWR planned for use at Tsuruga Power Station Units 3 and 4 of the Japan Atomic Power Company. The US-APWR has a larger core, new automatic safety systems and other advanced design elements. Since 1970 MHI has been playing a major role in building 23 PWR-based reactors now operating in Japan, with a 24th under construction. MHI also provides a wide range of maintenance services to the plants once they are in operation. With the background of these experiences and track record, in July 2006 MHI established Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems, Inc. (MNES), a wholly owned subsidiary in Washington, D.C., to introduce the US-APWR to the U.S. market.