Abstract
Nuclear power plants (NPPs) with water cooled reactors [either light water reactors (LWRs) or heavy water reactors (HWRs)] constitute the large majority of the currently operating plants. Water cooled reactors can make a significant contribution to meeting future energy needs, to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and to energy security if they can compete economically with fossil alternatives, while continuing to achieve a very high level of safety. It is generally agreed that the largest commercial barrier to the addition of new nuclear power capacity is the high capital cost of nuclear plants relative to other electricity generating alternatives. If nuclear plants are to form part of the future generating mix in competitive electricity markets, capital cost reduction through simplified designs must be an important focus. Reductions in operating, maintenance and fuel costs should also be pursued. The Department of Nuclear Energy of the IAEA is examining the competitiveness of nuclear power and the means for improving its economics. The objective of this TECDOC is to emphasize the need, and to identify approaches, for new nuclear plants with water cooled reactors to achieve competitiveness while maintaining high levels of safety. The cost reduction methods discussed herein can be implemented into plant
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Citation Formats
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Improving economics and safety of water cooled reactors. Proven means and new approaches.
IAEA: N. p.,
2002.
Web.
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Improving economics and safety of water cooled reactors. Proven means and new approaches.
IAEA.
None.
2002.
"Improving economics and safety of water cooled reactors. Proven means and new approaches."
IAEA.
@misc{etde_20256606,
title = {Improving economics and safety of water cooled reactors. Proven means and new approaches}
author = {None}
abstractNote = {Nuclear power plants (NPPs) with water cooled reactors [either light water reactors (LWRs) or heavy water reactors (HWRs)] constitute the large majority of the currently operating plants. Water cooled reactors can make a significant contribution to meeting future energy needs, to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and to energy security if they can compete economically with fossil alternatives, while continuing to achieve a very high level of safety. It is generally agreed that the largest commercial barrier to the addition of new nuclear power capacity is the high capital cost of nuclear plants relative to other electricity generating alternatives. If nuclear plants are to form part of the future generating mix in competitive electricity markets, capital cost reduction through simplified designs must be an important focus. Reductions in operating, maintenance and fuel costs should also be pursued. The Department of Nuclear Energy of the IAEA is examining the competitiveness of nuclear power and the means for improving its economics. The objective of this TECDOC is to emphasize the need, and to identify approaches, for new nuclear plants with water cooled reactors to achieve competitiveness while maintaining high levels of safety. The cost reduction methods discussed herein can be implemented into plant designs that are currently under development as well as into designs that may be developed in the longer term. Many of the approaches discussed also generally apply to other reactor types (e.g. gas cooled and liquid metal cooled reactors). To achieve the largest possible cost reductions, proven means for reducing costs must be fully implemented, and new approaches described in this document should be developed and implemented. These new approaches include development of advanced technologies, increased use of risk-informed methods for evaluating the safety benefit of design features, and international consensus regarding commonly acceptable safety requirements that would facilitate development of standardized designs which can be built in several countries without major re-design efforts. This publication has been prepared to address a recommendation of the IAEA Symposium on Evolutionary Water Cooled Reactors: Strategic Issues, Technologies and Economic Viability (Seoul, Republic of Korea, December 1998): namely that increased emphasis should be placed on achieving simplified water cooled reactor designs with improved economics. The task was carried out during 1999-2001 jointly by the Nuclear Power Technology Development Section, Division of Nuclear Power, and the Planning and Economic Studies Section of the Department of Nuclear Energy, in co-operation with the Division of Nuclear Installation Safety of the Department of Nuclear Safety. This report has been developed with participation of representatives from eleven industrial organizations and four government agencies as well as the OECD-NEA and the European Commission.}
place = {IAEA}
year = {2002}
month = {May}
}
title = {Improving economics and safety of water cooled reactors. Proven means and new approaches}
author = {None}
abstractNote = {Nuclear power plants (NPPs) with water cooled reactors [either light water reactors (LWRs) or heavy water reactors (HWRs)] constitute the large majority of the currently operating plants. Water cooled reactors can make a significant contribution to meeting future energy needs, to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and to energy security if they can compete economically with fossil alternatives, while continuing to achieve a very high level of safety. It is generally agreed that the largest commercial barrier to the addition of new nuclear power capacity is the high capital cost of nuclear plants relative to other electricity generating alternatives. If nuclear plants are to form part of the future generating mix in competitive electricity markets, capital cost reduction through simplified designs must be an important focus. Reductions in operating, maintenance and fuel costs should also be pursued. The Department of Nuclear Energy of the IAEA is examining the competitiveness of nuclear power and the means for improving its economics. The objective of this TECDOC is to emphasize the need, and to identify approaches, for new nuclear plants with water cooled reactors to achieve competitiveness while maintaining high levels of safety. The cost reduction methods discussed herein can be implemented into plant designs that are currently under development as well as into designs that may be developed in the longer term. Many of the approaches discussed also generally apply to other reactor types (e.g. gas cooled and liquid metal cooled reactors). To achieve the largest possible cost reductions, proven means for reducing costs must be fully implemented, and new approaches described in this document should be developed and implemented. These new approaches include development of advanced technologies, increased use of risk-informed methods for evaluating the safety benefit of design features, and international consensus regarding commonly acceptable safety requirements that would facilitate development of standardized designs which can be built in several countries without major re-design efforts. This publication has been prepared to address a recommendation of the IAEA Symposium on Evolutionary Water Cooled Reactors: Strategic Issues, Technologies and Economic Viability (Seoul, Republic of Korea, December 1998): namely that increased emphasis should be placed on achieving simplified water cooled reactor designs with improved economics. The task was carried out during 1999-2001 jointly by the Nuclear Power Technology Development Section, Division of Nuclear Power, and the Planning and Economic Studies Section of the Department of Nuclear Energy, in co-operation with the Division of Nuclear Installation Safety of the Department of Nuclear Safety. This report has been developed with participation of representatives from eleven industrial organizations and four government agencies as well as the OECD-NEA and the European Commission.}
place = {IAEA}
year = {2002}
month = {May}
}