G-RG-CP Preparation and Review of Applications for Construction Permits

1. This document describes the technical data and analyses that should be submitted by an applicant for a construction permit. This document also provides guidance to the regulatory agency on review of the construction permit application.

2. Issuance of a construction permit for a new reactor should be contingent on meeting the technical requirements of G-TR-L, “General safety requirements for licensing of nuclear power reactors,” as they relate to construction permits. This guide describes an acceptable way of demonstrating compliance with those requirements. An applicant may propose and justify alternative methods to show compliance.

3. Issuance of a construction permit should also be contingent on a separate regulatory action to approve the site for the reactor. Approval of the site should be granted according to the requirements of G-TR-S “Reactor siting safety requirements,” and the guidance in G-RG-S, “Reactor siting risk-informed review guide.”

4. The regulatory agency expects that applicants for construction permits will propose a reactor design that has been certified by way of a thorough review process, or has been licensed to operate, in the country of origin or another country. The agency expects that the applicant will make available the design information used in the certification or licensing process, and the safety evaluation issued by the regulatory agency. This document provides guidance on the content of that information.

5. The applicant should submit a preliminary safety analysis report (PSAR), which shows that the design information and safety evaluation from the country of origin or other licensing authority demonstrate conformance with the requirements of G-TR-L and the guidelines provided in this document. The applicant should supply additional information to justify aspects of the design which were not covered by the safety evaluation of the country of origin. The applicant should also demonstrate the acceptability of any deviations from the previously approved design.

6. The applicant should show that the design is suitable for the approved site. That includes an assessment of compatibility with site characteristics and an assessment of the response of the plant to site hazards. This document provides guidance on how an applicant can meet that requirement.

7. This document provides guidance to the regulatory staff in prioritizing the significance of review topics, and thereby allocating resources for the review.

8. The reactor design evaluation should cover six areas of assessment. First, the general characteristics of the reactor design should be evaluated. Second, the probabilistic safety assessment and severe accident analysis of the plant should be evaluated. Third, a deterministic analysis of anticipated operational occurrences and design basis accidents should be performed. Fourth, classification of plant equipment should be evaluated. Fifth, the safety requirements for safety-related systems, structures and components (SSC) should be evaluated. Sixth, the applicant’s provisions for safe management of construction should be evaluated, including the quality assurance program, and standards for design, procurement and installation of SSC.

9. Detailed guidance for the preparation of a construction permit application is contained in Appendices A through E, covering the following topics:

Appendix A: General plant characteristics
Appendix B: Probabilistic safety assessment and severe accident analysis
Appendix C: Deterministic safety analysis
Appendix D: Classification of plant equipment
Appendix E: Safety requirements
Appendix F: Safety management

10. This guidance document is risk-informed. The procedures call for in-depth regulatory staff review of technical areas that are significant to risk. In addition to risk-significance, other criteria for prioritizing staff review effort are detailed in the section below titled “Review guidance.” For areas with high review priority, the procedure calls for a higher level of staff expertise, a greater depth and scope of staff review and more use of independent assessments and calculations. However, the applicant should submit information in all areas to show that the design meets the criteria stated in G-TR-L which are relevant to issuance of a construction permit.

11. A brief description of each review area is presented in the section below entitled “Content of the application.” The detailed submittal guidance, acceptance criteria and review guidance in each area are presented in the appendices.