Optimized nuclear plant decommissioning economics through repowering

Conference · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:389850

Demoss, D; Charles, R P ^[1]

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1. Sargent and Lundy, Chicago, IL (United States)

Nuclear power has provided a significant portion of electricity produced in the US over the last 39 years. Since the first commercial nuclear plant at Shippingport, Pennsylvania, started producing power in 1957, 110 nuclear plants have been placed in service. This accounts for approximately 20% of the US electric power production. In some states the number is much higher: Illinois relies on nuclear power for approximately 70% of its electricity needs. The generation of electricity from nuclear power will start to decrease in the year 2005 due to a number of plants being taken out of service as they reach the end of their design life (EDL). As these nuclear plants approach their design basis life of 40 years, plant owners will be faced with strategic decisions concerning continued operation through license renewal, decommissioning, or repowering. Without license renewal 20 units totaling more than 14 gigawatts will reach EDL by the year 2010. Three basic options are available to nuclear utilities: (1) continued operation through nuclear license renewal beyond EDL; (2) shutdown and decommissioning at EDL; (3) continued operation through nonnuclear repowering. This paper briefly reviews license renewal and decommissioning issues. Its primary focus is on the feasibility of Option 3 by reviewing the conceptual technical requirements for nonnuclear repowering and its associated economics.

• OSTI ID: 389850
• Report Number(s): CONF-960426--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
AGING
ECONOMICS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING
REACTOR LICENSING
RETROFITTING