The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has launched a four-month review of an application from Westinghouse Electric Company to update its AP1000 reactor design, marking the first time a certified US reactor design will be revised using actual construction and operating experience.

The NRC said it aims to complete its technical review by 31 August, roughly four months after accepting the application.

The update would align the certified AP1000 design with the “as-built configuration” of the Vogtle-3 and -4 AP1000 units in Georgia, which began operating in 2023 and 2024.