The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has updated and renewed its certification of Westinghouse’s AP1000 pressurised water reactor design, incorporating changes and lessons learned from the construction and operation of the Vogtle-3 and -4 nuclear plants in the state of Georgia.

The NRC said in a statement the renewed certification, valid until 2066, is intended to simplify licensing for future AP1000 projects by reducing the need for repeated regulatory reviews of design changes already approved by the agency.