The May 17 drone strike cut off-site power to Unit 3; the mission ran October 12–20 at the UAE government's request.
The deal would let Saudi Arabia enrich uranium domestically to 5 percent U-235, with a possible later rise to under 20 percent.
Workers could have been exposed to asbestos in a steam-system valve during overhaul work at a planned outage in March 2026.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the corrosion damage was not caught during routine checks and that similar battery problems have occurred at other nuclear plants.
Updated design folds in lessons from Vogtle Units 3 and 4, where the NRC reviewed and approved nearly 200 license amendments.
License amendment covers custom equipment and procedures for moving the assembly from the reactor core to the spent fuel pool.
International Atomic Energy Agency
ANS Nuclear Newswire
UK Office for Nuclear Regulation
