AP600; A simplified, passive APWR plant design

This paper reports on the AP600, a greatly simplified 600 MWe pressurized water reactor (PWR) plant with major improvements in safety, operability, maintainability, life cycle cost, and construction schedule, compared to existing nuclear plants. In 1985, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) initiated a program to investigate the potential for small ({<=} 600 MWe) innovative advanced light water reactor (ALWR) plants. As part of this program, a conceptual design for a 600 MWe PWR plant featuring a simplified reactor coolant loop, passive safeguards systems, and modular construction was developed. This concept was based on an earlier conceptual design of a 10 MWe PWR plant with similar features, which was developed to provide a secure power source for military installations. In 1986, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiated technology programs in support of ALWR's, including a program on the advanced passive 600 MWe PWR plant concept which has been developed into the AP600 plant described here.