Quantifying the Economic Impacts of Managing Irradiated High-Assay Low-Enriched Fuel
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Commercial nuclear power plants typically use nuclear fuel that is enriched up to 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 fuel 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. A previous report described these differences qualitatively (Price et al., 2024); this report builds on the previous report and provides quantitative estimates of the potential economic effects on storage, transport, and disposal of high assay low-enriched uranium spent fuel.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- NA0003525
- OSTI ID:
- 2585489
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--2025-10269; 1785480
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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