Oct. 14--Dominion power will decide by December whether to go with another design for a planned third nuclear reactor at North Anna Power Station.

The utility announced in January that it had been unable to reach an agreement with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy on an engineering, procurement and con-struction agreement that would allow it to move ahead with Unit 3 at its plant on Lake Anna.

"We've received proposals from the major reactor vendors in the world and we've been doing analysis on them," Dominion nuclear operations spokesman Richard Zuercher said Monday. He declined to say which vendors have been contacted.

In its application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a combined license to build and operate Unit 3, Dominion said it would use GE Hitachi's Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor, or ESBWR. One of a new generation of advanced reactors, it has not yet been certified by the NRC. It's one of several advanced reactors in the design and certification stage.

GE Hitachi first submitted plans for the ESBWR in 2005.

"It will be well into 2010 before we complete technical work and rulemaking, with final certification into 2011," NRC Spokesman Scott Burnell said yesterday.

That's a problem for Dominion because it would like to have Unit 3 operating at North Anna as early as 2016.

GE Hitachi said in a statement yesterday that it remains "strongly interested in working with Dominion on a new plant project."

The Wilmington, N.C.-based firm said either the ESBWR or its Advanced Boiling Water Reactor -- already certified by the NRC -- "would be an attractive option for Dominion's consideration."

GE's Advanced Boiling Water Reactor is among four NRC-certified designs.

The others include:

The System 80+ Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor by Westinghouse Electric Co., certified in 1997

Westinghouse's AP600 Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor, certified in 1999

The Westinghouse AP1000 Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor. That was certified in 2006, but the company filed an amendment which is under review.

Each is billed as simpler, safer and more efficient than the nation's existing 104 commercial nuclear reactors. North Anna's two existing reactors are Westinghouse pressurized water reactors built in the 1970s.

If Dominion chooses another design, it could affect the NRC's timetable for review of its combined license application. For now, a decision on that is expected next year.

Dominion is among several utilities reconsidering plans to use the ESBWR.

Entergy Corp. decided not to use it for planned units in Mississippi and Louisiana, and Exelon is looking at other alternatives.

Rusty Dennen: 540/374-5431 Email: rdennen@freelancestar.com

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