Economic Impacts of Irradiated High Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel Management
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Commercial nuclear power plants typically use nuclear fuel that is enriched to less than five weight percent in the isotope 235U. However, recently several vendors have proposed new nuclear power plant designs that would use fuel with 235U enrichments between five weight percent and 19.75 weight percent. Nuclear fuel with this level of 235U enrichment is known as “high assay low-enriched uranium.” Once it has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor and becomes used (or spent) nuclear fuel, it will be stored, transported, and disposed of. However, irradiated high assay low-enriched uranium differs from typical irradiated nuclear fuel in several ways, and these differences may have economic effects on its storage, transport, and disposal, compared to typical irradiated nuclear fuel. This report describes those differences and qualitatively discusses their potential economic effects on storage, transport, and disposal.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- NA0003525
- OSTI ID:
- 2430058
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--2024-01681
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
A Review of Candidates for a Validation Data Set for High-Assay Low-Enrichment Uranium Fuels
Fuel Assembly and Irradiation Parametric Study for Extended-Enrichment and High-Burnup Light-Water Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel in Dry Storage Casks and Transportation Packages