NuScale Power, LLC announced today they received notification that NuScale’s first-ever Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Design Certification Application (DCA) was accepted for review by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). By accepting the DCA for review, the NRC staff is confirming that NuScale’s submission addresses all NRC requirements and contains sufficient technical information to conduct the review. NuScale marked a major milestone on December 31, 2016 when the company asked the NRC to approve the SMR design, the first submitted in the United States.

“This is a great next step for a new American nuclear technology and a step we see as affirming NuScale as a true leader in SMR technology development,” NuScale CEO John Hopkins said. “The uncommon fact that the NRC was able to accept our application during the 60-day docketing review period is validation of all of our hard work over the past eight years.”

NuScale’s application consisted of nearly 12,000 pages of technical information, representing the work of more than 800 NuScale staff and some 40,000 NRC staff-hours in pre-application discussions and interactions.

The NRC has targeted completing the certification process for the NuScale SMR power plant design in 40 months from acceptance.