The Economics of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (1994)

Summary and Introduction

Executive Summary
1. Introduction

Chapters 2 and 3

2. Methodology and common assumptions

• 2.1 Methodology
• 2.2 Scope of the study
• 2.3 Common assumptions
  • 2.3.1 Costing basis
  • 2.3.2 Discount rate

3. The nuclear fuel cycle

• 3.1 General
• 3.2 The front-end of the fuel cycle
  • 3.2.1 Uranium mining and milling
  • 3.2.2 Conversion
  • 3.2.3 Enrichment
  • 3.2.4 Fabrication
  • 3.2.5 Wastes arising in the front-end of the fuel cycle
• 3.3 Fuel at reactor
• 3.4 The back-end of the fuel cycle
• 3.4.1 Transport and interim storage of spent fuel
• 3.4.2 Reprocessing option
• 3.4.3 Direct disposal option
• 3.4.4 Final disposal of waste

4.The costs of the PWR fuel cycle stages

4.1 The front-end of the fuel cycle

• 4.1.1 Uranium purchase
  • 4.1.2 Conversion
  • 4.1.3 Enrichment
  • 4.1.4 Uranium oxide fuel fabrication
• 4.2 Fuel at the reactor
• 4.3 The back-end of the fuel cycle
  • 4.3.1 General
  • 4.3.2 Reprocessing option costs
  • 4.3.3 Direct disposal option costs
• 4.4 Environmental factors
• 4.5 Safeguards

5.The calculation of total fuel costs for PWR

• 5.1 Principles of assembling stage costs into overall fuel cost
• 5.2 Basic data
  • 5.2.1 Choice of reactor parameters and base date
  • 5.2.2 Tails assay for enrichment
  • 5.2.3 Lead and lag time
  • 5.2.4 Loss factor
  • 5.2.5 Unit price assumptions
• 5.3 PWR cost calculations
  • 5.3.1 Costs for the reprocessing option
  • 5.3.2 Time flow of costs for the reprocessing option
  • 5.3.3 Costs for the direct disposal option
  • 5.3.4 Time flow of costs for the direct disposal option
• 5.4 BWR fuel cycle cost

6.Sensitivity analyses for PWR fuel costs

• 6.1 General
• 6.2 Technical parameters
  • 6.2.1 Reactor life
  • 6.2.2 Tails assay
  • 6.2.3 Burn-up
• 6.3 Discount rate
• 6.4 Fuel cycle component prices
• 6.5 Comparison of total fuel cycle costs
• 6.6 Likely range of total fuel cycle costs

7.Comparison between the results of the present study and
the 1985 study

8.Other fuel cycles

• 8.1 CANDU
  • 8.1.1 CANDU fuel
  • 8.1.2 Basic assumptions
  • 8.1.3 Fuel cycle costs for CANDU
• 8.2 ATR
  • 8.2.1 ATR fuel
  • 8.2.2 Basic assumptions
  • 8.2.3 Fuel cycle costs for ATR

  Chapters 9 and 10
  

9. Conclusions

10. References

ANNEXES

1. Method of calculating a levelised price and a fuel cycle cost
2. Comparison between investment appraisal and financial appraisal
3. Reprocessing option cost estimates and future trends
4. Direct disposal option cost estimates and future trends: Sweden (reference)
5. Direct disposal option cost estimates: United States
6. Direct disposal option cost estimates: Germany
7. Comparison of waste disposal costs
8. Plutonium and recovered uranium credits
9. Nuclear fuel cycle costs versus burn-up
10. Sensitivity analysis on estimated fuel cycle cost
11. List of abbreviations, units and glossary of terms
12. List of members of the expert group and the editorial review group