ECONOMICS OF NUCLEAR POWER

Technical Report · Sat Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1959

OSTI ID:4256301

Jukes, J A

A large amount of datu on tue economics and costs of different reactor systems was presented at the 1955 Geneva Conference on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. This paper discusses the changes which have taken place since then as a result both of the experience in the actual construction of stations and through theoxperience the paper reviews the extent to which it is now practicable to quote realistic costs for nuclear power. The geographical situation is shown to be of great importance. Apart from differences in the costs of construction in different places, there are important differences in the cost of obtaining capital and in the accounting conventions. Big cost differences also occur through variations in load factor and in the size of the electricity demand. Capital costs are the part of the costs of nuclear power which can be assessed most accurately. But these depend upon the ability to make good estimates; the capital costs of many nuclear power stations, planned or under construction, have been revised upwards during tue last three years. Accurate estimates can only be made when a design has been completed. Running coats are much more difficult to estimate. The cost of the wages of the operating staff is small, but some uncertainty surrounds the cost of maintenance. The major uncertainty is, however, the cost of the fuel because fuel elements of standard production design cannot be tested in advance under normal operating conditions to full burn-up. Present predictions have necessarily io be based on the extrapolation of data obtained from lower burn-ups or from experimental fuel elements irradiated under special conditions. The soundness of the predicted burn-ups can only be judged by a detailed study of the experimental evidence. Operating experience with a given reactor should enable successive marks of fuel elements to show improved performance. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Berks, Eng.
• NSA Number: NSA-13-007204
• OSTI ID: 4256301
• Report Number(s): A/CONF.15/P/72
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BURNUP
CONFERENCE
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRICITY
ENVIRONMENT
ERRORS
FABRICATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
IRRADIATION
MAINTENANCE
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURED VALUES
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
PERSONNEL
PLANNING
POWER
POWER PLANTS
REACTORS
SWITZERLAND