AmerenUE submits COLA for 1,600 MW nuclear generating unit
28 July 2008 — AmerenUE said it submitted a combined Construction and Operating License Application (COLA) to the NRC for a potential new nuclear power plant in Missouri.
AmerenUE said it intends to seek approval to build a new 1,600 MW pressurized water reactor adjacent to its existing nuclear unit, Callaway Plant. The company’s single-unit, 1,190 MW Callaway electric generating plant accounts for 19 percent of the company’s total generation.
Although AmerenUE said it has made no definite decision to build a second nuclear power plant at this time, seeking NRC approval and a license will preserve the nuclear option for the future. NRC approval generally places applicants in a position to seek nuclear-specific federal loan guarantees and production tax credits, made possible by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The company said its decision on whether to build depends on a number of factors, including the forecasted demand for power, the projected financing challenges of building an advanced nuclear power plant and state and federal regulatory and legislative actions.
AmerenUE said it plans to build the plant as a result of an anticipated increase in demand of nearly 30 percent for power in Missouri in the next two decades. The company says it will need to build a large generating plant to be on line in the 2018-2020 timeframe.
AmerenUE said it has selected the advanced U.S. Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR), designed by AREVA. Four EPRs are being built including one in Finland (2011 completion), one in France (2012 completion) and two in China (2013/14 completion).
The NRC estimates the regulatory process for the COLA to require up to 42 months for completion. The NRC says it will determine the actual review schedule after the agency completes its acceptance review of the AmerenUE application.
