NuScale US600 small modular reactor design certification: NRC design certification review for NuScale Power, LLC — issued, 71.3 months from docketing to decision. Sourced dates and schedule.
Background: NRC reactor licensing process, explained · The ADVANCE Act, explained: what changed and where the NRC stands
Current state
| Type | Design certification |
| Outcome | Issued |
| Applicant | NuScale Power, LLC |
| Facility | NuScale US600 (12 x 50 MWe modules) |
| Docket | 52-048 |
| Submitted | 2017-01-06 |
| Docketed (accepted for review) | 2017-03-15 |
| NRC planned schedule | — |
| NRC target date | — |
| Final safety evaluation | 2020-08-28 |
| Decision | 2023-02-21 |
| Review time (docketed → decision) | 71.3 mo |
| Submitted → decision | 73.5 mo |
| NRC-reported review duration | — |
| NRC-reported resources vs estimate | — |
Review time is measured in average months from the date the NRC docketed the application to the decision. The NRC's own reported durations may measure to the final safety evaluation instead.
Notes
Measuring to the FSER (2020-08-28) vs to the rule (2023) differs by ~2.5 years of rulemaking. Docketed and FSER pre-ADVANCE. Submitted: Transmittal letter dated December 31, 2016. Same FR notice's DATES line: 'The application was received on January 13, 2017.' (after electronic processing was completed January 12, 2017). NRC schedule page: 'Received design certification application | 01/06/17 – A'. Docketed: Conflict: NRC schedule page lists 'Issue acceptance letter to applicant | 03/23/17 – A'. Decision: Final rule certifying the design published in the Federal Register January 19, 2023 (88 FR 3287); decided.date = effective date of the certification rule.
Timeline
- 2017-01-06 — Application received: “received a design certification application (DCA) from NuScale Power, LLC (NuScale), on January 6, 2017” (source)
- 2017-03-15 — Accepted for review (docketed): “The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted for docketing an application for a design certification ... DATES: March 15, 2017.” (source)
- 2020-08-28 — Final safety evaluation issued. (source)
- 2023-02-21 — Issued: “This final rule is effective on February 21, 2023.” (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. See the NNN Data License Terms for reuse of the event history.
NNN coverage
About NuScale Power
- Nuclear power for data centers, explained: every deal tracked 2026-10-01
- Singapore's nuclear future: policy, money and the industry map 2026-09-22
- Analysts size Africa's SMR market at $105B, 15 GW by 2035 2026-09-07
- Top SMR developers in 2026, ranked by what they've actually built 2026-08-05
- Small modular reactors, explained: who is building them worldwide 2026-07-09
Related reviews
- NuScale US460 standard design approval Issued · 21.9 mo
- NuScale US600 standard design approval Issued · —
- AP1000 design certification renewal and amendment (DCD Revision 20) Under review · —
- APR1400 design certification Issued · 54.5 mo
- U.S. ABWR design certification renewal (GE-Hitachi) Issued · 127.3 mo
See all 75 reviews in the NRC Licensing Review Tracker →
Sources
- https://www.nrc.gov/facilities-safety/new-reactors/advanced-reactors/who-were-working-with/past-licensing-activities/nuscale
- https://www.nrc.gov/facilities-safety/new-reactors/advanced-reactors/who-were-working-with/past-licensing-activities/nuscale/application-review-schedule
- https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2017-03438
- https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2017-06309
- https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-00729