Westinghouse begins licensing process with Nuclear Regulatory Commission for microreactor

On Tuesday, Cranberry Township-based Westinghouse Electric Company announced it had begun the process of licensing its eVinci microreactor with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

The NRC and CNSC signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in 2019 to facilitate reviews of advanced nuclear technologies. Westinghouse said it had filed a Notice of Intent on Tuesday, allowing it to submit key licensing reports about its carbon-free, safe microreactor designed to provide approximately 5 MW of electricity for eight-plus years without refueling. The microreactors can be used for various applications, including electricity and heating for remote communities, universities, mining operations, industrial centers, data centers, and defense facilities, Westinghouse said.

“We look forward to working closely with both regulatory agencies as we move through the timely development and deployment of this unique advanced reactor technology,” said David Durham, Energy Systems President for Westinghouse. “This joint engagement is critical to rapidly delivering a safe, reliable, and efficient microreactor to our customers.”

The NRC and CNSC will look at reports on key requirements for the classification of systems, structures, and components in the eVinci microreactor before proceeding with the next step of licensing. This approach, the company said, will ensure standard design deployment in both countries. Other topics for review are transportation requirements for shipping the microreactor, as well as factory safety testing and inspection programs.

In 2022, Westinghouse submitted 24 technical white papers to the NRC. Two topical reports for formal NRC review were delivered in December, with the hopes of gaining early NRC approval on critical aspects of the technology and design of the microreactor.