Economic potential of plutonium in spent nuclear fuel

Journal Article · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:436823

Rodwell, E; Burch, W D; Taylor, I N; Thompson, M L ^[1]

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1. Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)

This paper summarizes a review of the potential of the plutonium in spent nuclear fuel to become an economically competitive fissile material via the following long-awaited scenario. New light water reactors (LWRs) using {sup 235}U as the fissile material in their fresh fuel continue to be deployed, thereby depleting the world`s most accessible, highest grade uranium ores and raising the ore`s cost. When this cost rises sufficiently, plutonium, whose net cost of separation from spent fuel is independent of the cost of uranium ore, becomes an economically competitive alternative to {sup 235}U.

• OSTI ID: 436823
• Report Number(s): CONF-9606116--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 74; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
COST
ECONOMICS
FUEL MANAGEMENT
PLUTONIUM
SPENT FUELS
URANIUM ORES
WATER COOLED REACTORS