LIFE EXTENSION | HB ROBINSON RENEWAL
How 12 months made 20 years
HB Robinson and the US NRC were able to complete an NPP licence renewal in 12 months, adding 20 years to the generating station’s operating life.
The NRC issued HB Robinson with its initial operating licence in August 1970 and renewed it in 2004. The second 20-year renewal extends operations to July 2050. Source: Duke Energy
WHEN THE HB ROBINSON nuclear plant in Hartsville, South Carolina, US, was commissioned in 1971 it was the first commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) in the south-eastern US and the largest NPP in the world. It had taken just over four years to build, from the start of construction in April 1967. In April 2026, when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(USNRC) issued a second licence renewal for the plant, it highlighted another milestone: it was described by the USNRC as the “fastest licence renewal review in agency history and the first completed under new federal timelines aimed at accelerating nuclear energy decisions”. HB Robinson is a three-loop Westinghouse pressurised
water reactor (PWR) rated at 759MWe and 2339MWt. The plant’s single PWR is operated by Duke Energy Progress and it is the second nuclear facility in Duke Energy’s fleet to receive a second licence renewal. Oconee Nuclear Station received its second renewal in March 2025. Duke Energy’s nuclear fleet provides around 51% of customers’ energy needs in the Carolinas. Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, the NRC staff issue initial operating licences for commercial power reactors for 40 years, but this term was based on economic and antitrust considerations rather than on technical limitations. Regulations allow for licence renewals and there are no limitations in the Atomic Energy Act or regulations on the number of times a licence may be renewed. Each
The review of HB Robinson was completed within the 12-month time frame established by Executive Order 14300, cutting six months from the NRC’s previous schedule. Source: Fluor
30 | October 2026 |
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renewal extends the initial 40-year licence for up to 20 years of operation. Given the initially expected 40-year service life, some plant or equipment may have originally been engineered for that period. The NRC’s subsequent licence renewal (SLR) safety review has to verify that the applicant has identified ageing effects that could impair the ability of structures and components (SCs) within the scope of SLR to perform their intended functions, and to demonstrate that these effects will be adequately managed during a period of extended operation. The NRC issued HB Robinson with its initial operating licence on 31 August 1970 and renewed the operating licence on 19 April 2004. Under that initial licence extension it would close by 31 July 2030. The second 20-year renewal extends the plant’s authorisation to operate to July 2050, in which case the South Carolina plant will have generated power for 80 years. The review was completed within the 12-month time frame
established by Executive Order 14300 (see tables), cutting six months from the NRC’s previous 18-month schedule. NRC said it had achieved this partly by conducting its review on parallel tracks, issuing a final supplemental environmental impact statement in March 2026 and a safety evaluation in April this year. NRC chairman Ho K Nieh said: “By focusing on essential factors for sustained nuclear power plant safety and applying lessons learned from past renewals, our team was able to work efficiently while maintaining their commitment to enabling timely safety decisions.” Duke used the process defined in the 2017 Generic Aging
Lessons Learned for Subsequent Licence Renewal (GALL SLR) Report, which summarises NRC staff approved ageing management programmes (AMPs) for many SCs. The NRC said: “If an applicant commits to implementing these staff approved AMPs, the time, effort, and resources for subsequent licence review application SLRA review can be greatly reduced, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the SLR review process.” The report is also a quick reference for applicant and staff reviewers.
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