No. S-97-12
May 22, 1997
DESIGN CERTIFICATION CEREMONY
FOR
ABB-COMBUSTION ENGINEERING
OPENING COMMENTS
BY
DR. SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, CHAIRMAN
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
MAY 21, 1997
Welcome to this ceremony for the certification of the System 80+ standard plant design. I
especially want to welcome Mr. Newman of ABB-Combustion Engineering.
This ceremony signifies the culmination of nearly 10 years of effort by the NRC and the nuclear
industry, to achieve the dual goals of standardization and a more predictable licensing process
through the use of certified designs....
This effort began in the Fall of 1987 with the ABB-Combustion Engineering application for the
System 80+ design and the issuance of the Commission's revised Policy Statement on
Standardization. In this policy statement, the Commission encouraged the use of standard plant
designs, and announced its intent to develop a regulatory framework for the certification of such
designs. The Commission continues to believe that design certification will result in future
nuclear power plants with enhanced safety and reliability.
The ensuing 10 years have involved many challenges for the NRC staff, both in reforming the
licensing process and in reviewing the design certification applications....
Both the NRC and the industry vendors have worked vigorously to develop creative solutions to
the issues involved in certifying the next generation of reactor designs. The result of this long
and arduous process is this design certification; together with the certification of the GE Nuclear
Energy Advanced Boiling Water Reactor design, it is the highest level of design approval ever
issued by the NRC. I am pleased to present this certificate to Mr. Newman.
