Economic Analysis on Direct Use of Spent Pressurized Water Reactor Fuel in CANDU Reactors-I: DUPIC Fuel Fabrication Cost

A preliminary conceptual design of a D irect U se of spent P ressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel I n C anada deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactors (DUPIC) fuel fabrication plant was studied, which annually converts spent PWR fuel of 400 tonnes heavy element (HE) into CANDU fuel. The capital and operati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nuclear technology 2001-05, Vol.134 (2), p.110-129
Main Authors: Choi, Hangbok, Ko, Won Il, Yang, Myung Seung
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
CAPITALIZED COST
Costs
DESIGN
DEUTERIUM
Deuterium compounds
DOUGLAS POINT ONTARIO REACTOR
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
Economics
Energy
Energy. Thermal use of fuels
Exact sciences and technology
Fission nuclear power plants
FUEL FABRICATION PLANTS
Fuels
Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy
Mathematical models
NUCLEAR FUELS
OPERATING COST
OPERATION
Preparation and processing of nuclear fuels
PWR TYPE REACTORS
Sensitivity analysis
SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
URANIUM
WASTE DISPOSAL
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Summary:A preliminary conceptual design of a D irect U se of spent P ressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel I n C anada deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactors (DUPIC) fuel fabrication plant was studied, which annually converts spent PWR fuel of 400 tonnes heavy element (HE) into CANDU fuel. The capital and operating costs were estimated from the viewpoint of conceptual design. Assuming that the annual discount rate is 5% during the construction (5 yr) and operation period (40 yr) and contingency is 25% of the capital cost, the levelized unit cost (LUC) of DUPIC fuel fabrication was estimated to be 616 $/kg HE, which is mostly governed by annual operation and maintenance costs that correspond to 63% of LUC. Among the operation and maintenance cost components being considered, the waste disposal cost has the dominant effect on LUC (~49%). From sensitivity analyses of production capacity, discount rate, and contingency, it was found that the production capacity of the plant is the major parameter that affects the LUC.
ISSN:0029-5450
1943-7471
DOI:10.13182/NT01-A3190