On Wednesday, regulators in the U.K. offered an update on their generic design assessment of the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor marketed by GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy.
Based on progress made to date and their experience with the Areva EPR design approved late last year, the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency estimated their review of the ABWR could be complete as early as 2017. That would put the total length of the review at four years, compared to four and a half for the EPR. According to a release from the agencies, regulators plan to begin step two of the review process in January. They will issue another progress report toward the end of this year.
The ABWR design review began in January after Hitachi purchased Horizon Nuclear Power, which is planning new units at Wylfa and Oldbury. The 1,350 megawatt to 1,460 megawatt reactor's design was certified in the U.S. in 1997.