ML25325A334
| ML25325A334 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  |
| Issue date: | 12/05/2025 |
| From: | Audrey Klett Plant Licensing Branch 1 |
| To: | Mcfeaters C Public Service Enterprise Group |
| Williams, S | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-LRO-0032 | |
| Download: ML25325A334 (0) | |
Text
December 5, 2025 Mr. Charles V. McFeaters President and Chief Nuclear Officer PSEG Nuclear LLC - N09 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038
SUBJECT:
SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NO. 2 - REVIEW OF THE FALL 2024 STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTION REPORT (EPID L-2025-LRO-0032)
Dear Mr. McFeaters:
By letter dated May 15, 2025, PSEG Nuclear LLC (the licensee) submitted a report summarizing the results of the steam generator tube inspections performed in fall 2024 during refueling outage 2R27 at Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit No. 2 (Salem Unit 2). Salem Unit 2 Technical Specification (TS) 6.9.1.10, Steam Generator Tube Inspection Report, requires submittal of the report. By letter dated October 6, 2025, the licensee provided additional information about the steam generator tube inspections.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff reviewed the submittal and concludes that the licensee provided the information required by TS 6.9.1.10 and that no additional follow-up actions are required at this time. The NRC staffs review is enclosed.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-415-0489 or via email at Audrey.Klett@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Audrey Klett, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-311
Enclosure:
Review of Steam Generator Tube Inspection Report cc: Listserv
Enclosure REVIEW OF THE FALL 2024 STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTION REPORT SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NO. 2 DOCKET NO. 50-311 By letter LR-N25-0048 dated May 15, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML25135A078), PSEG Nuclear LLC (the licensee) submitted a report summarizing the results of the steam generator tube inspections performed in fall 2024 during refueling outage 2R27 at Salem Generating Station, Unit No. 2 (Salem Unit 2). Salem Unit 2 Technical Specification (TS) 6.9.1.10, Steam Generator Tube Inspection Report, requires submittal of the report. The licensee provided additional information about the inspections in letter LR-N25-0084 dated October 6, 2025 (ML25279A204).
Salem Unit 2 has four AREVA Model 61/19T replacement steam generators with thermally treated Alloy 690 tubing that the licensee placed into service in 2008. The 61 in the model number indicates approximately 6,100 square meters of heat transfer surface area per steam generator. The 19 in the model number indicates the approximate outside diameter of the steam generator tubes in millimeters (0.75 inches). Each steam generator contains 5,048 tubes arranged in a triangular pitch. The steam generator tube nominal wall thickness is 0.043 inches.
The tubes were hydraulically expanded at both ends over the full depth of the tubesheet and seal welded at the tubesheet primary face. The U-bends in rows 1 through 16 of the tubes were stress relieved after bending. Eight stainless steel broached tube support plates (TSPs) with trefoil land design support the vertical section of the tubes. Three sets of stainless steel V-shaped anti-vibration bars (AVBs) support the U-bend section of the tubes. A loose part trapping system is installed in each of the steam generator upper secondary side internals, near the top of the downcomer. At the time of the 2R27 outage, the replacement steam generators had operated for approximately 14.87 effective full power years. The most recent steam generator tube inspection before the 2R27 outage occurred in spring 2017 during refueling outage 2R22.
The licensee provided the scope, extent, methods, and results of the steam generator tube inspections in its report. In addition, the licensee described corrective actions (e.g., tube plugging) taken in response to the inspection findings. After reviewing the information provided by the licensee, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff noted the following:
The degradation mechanisms detected during the 2R27 outage were tube wear at the AVBs and the TSPs.
The maximum depth of tube wear detected was 32 percent through-wall for AVB wear and 13 percent through-wall for TSP wear.
Ten tubes with AVB wear ranging between 27 percent and 32 percent through-wall were preventatively plugged to support the next steam generator tube inspection projected to occur during the 2R32 outage.
The forward looking operational assessment was performed using a probabilistic method for AVB wear and a deterministic method for TSP wear.
Based on a review of the information provided, the NRC staff concludes that the licensee provided the information required by its technical specifications. In addition, the staff concludes that there are no technical issues that warrant additional follow-up action as of the date of this report because the inspections appear to be consistent with the objective of detecting potential tube degradation and the inspection results appear to be consistent with industry operating experience at similarly designed and operated units.
Principal Contributor: Paul Klein, NRR DATE: December 5, 2025
ML25325A334 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL1/PM NRR/DORL/LPL1/LA NRR/DNRL/NCSG/BC NAME AKlett KEntz (KZeleznock for)
SBloom DATE 12/01/2025 12/01/2025 11/20/2025 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL1/BC (A)
NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/PM NAME UShoop AKlett DATE 12/05/2025 12/05/2025