The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the
Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales, the
regulators who undertake the Generic Design Assessment
of new reactor designs, are satisfied that this reactor
meets regulatory expectations on safety, security and
environmental protection at this stage of the
regulatory process.
ONR has issued a Design Acceptance Confirmation (DAC)
and the environment agencies have issued a Statement of
Design Acceptability (SoDA) to Hitachi-GE. Horizon
Nuclear Power is proposing to build and operate two of
these reactors in Wylfa Newydd on Anglesey and
Oldbury-on-Severn near Thornbury in South
Gloucestershire.
Dr Jo Nettleton, Deputy Director for Radioactive
Substances and Installations Regulation at the
Environment Agency said:
We’ve concluded that the generic design of the UK
ABWR should be capable of meeting the high standards
of environment protection and waste management that
we require in the UK. We only came to this conclusion
after carefully reviewing the submissions provided by
Hitachi-GE and their responses to the questions and
issues we raised. We’ve also carefully considered all
the comments we received from people during our
public consultation and we’re grateful for all who
took part for taking time to respond.
Mark Foy, ONR’s Chief Nuclear Inspector said:
The completion of the generic design assessment of
the UK ABWR is a significant step in our regulation
of the overall process to construct this type of
reactor in the UK, ensuring that the generic design
meets the highest standards of safety that we expect
in this country. We’re already working on our
assessment of Horizon’s site licence application and
on the development of the site specific safety case
to progress, in due course, the construction and
operation of these reactors at Wylfa Newydd.
Tim Jones, Natural Resources Wales’s Executive Director
for North and Mid Wales, said:
It is our job to ensure that any new nuclear power
station will meet high standards of environmental
protection and waste management, ensuring that our
communities and environment are kept safe.
Following a public consultation on our initial
findings, we have concluded that the UK ABWR design
is acceptable. We will now work on the detailed
assessments of the permits, licences and consents
that Horizon Nuclear Power will need to have in place
to build Wylfa Newydd.
The regulators have documented progress of each stage
of their assessment through a series of reports.
ENDS
Notes to editors
-
The regulators began assessment of Hitachi-GE’s UK
ABWR in 2013.
- Generic Design Assessment (GDA) is a joint process
between the Office for Nuclear (ONR) Regulation,
Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
- The Office for Nuclear Regulation is the nuclear
safety and security regulator for the UK.
- The Environment
Agency and Natural
Resources Wales are the environmental
regulators of nuclear sites in England and Wales
respectively.
- Information on Generic Design Assessment on the
joint regulators’ website
- All assessment reports, decision documents and a
copy of the Design Acceptance Confirmation (DAC) and
Statement of Design Acceptability (SoDA) are available
online. Office for
Nuclear Regulation Environment
Agency Natural
Resources Wales
- The DAC and SoDA are valid for a period of ten
years from issue and can be extended subject to review
and agreement of the regulators. The Statement of
Design Acceptability (SoDA) is being issued jointly by
the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales. GDA
applies to both England and Wales.
- The issuing of a DAC and SoDA does not mean that
construction of a new nuclear power station can start.
In addition to GDA the operator (Horizon Nuclear Power
in this case) must obtain a nuclear site licence and
relevant consents from ONR, environmental permits from
the Environment Agency or Natural Resources Wales and
planning permission (Development Consent Order) from
the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy’s Secretary of State. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-for-operators-of-new-nuclear-power-stations
- Horizon Nuclear Power submitted an application for
a Nuclear Site Licence to build and construct a UK ABWR
power station at Wylfa Newydd to ONR in March 2017. ONR
is in the process of assessing the application.
- Horizon Nuclear Power submitted an application to
NRW for a Radioactive Substances Regulation
environmental permit in November 2017.
