Standard design approval vs design certification

Two different ways the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission can approve a reactor design without approving a specific plant. A design certification is a formal rule the NRC publishes, such as NuScale's, valid for 40 years, and can be referenced directly in a later licence application. A standard design approval is a lighter step that also lets a design be cited in a future application but carries less regulatory weight and is valid for 15 years without renewal. Both leave every other licensing step, including a construction permit and an operating licence, still to come, so 'NRC approved' can describe either one, or neither, depending on which was actually granted.

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concept:standard-design-approval

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