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Title: An Assessment of the Economics of Future Electric Power Generation Options and the Implications for Fusion

Abstract

This study examines the potential range of electric power costs for some major alternatives to fusion electric power generation when it is ultimately deployed in the middle of the 21st century and, thus, offers a perspective on the cost levels that fusion must achieve to be competitive. The alternative technologies include coal burning, coal gasification, natural gas, nuclear fission, and renewable energy. The cost of electricity (COE) from the alternatives to fusion should remain in the 30-50 mils/kWh (1999 dollars) range of today in carbon sequestration is not needed, 30-60 mils/kWh if sequestration is required, or as high as 75 mils/kWh for the worst-case scenario for cost uncertainty. The reference COE range for fusion was estimated at 70-100 nmils/kWh for 1- to 1.3-GW(e) scale power plants. Fusion costs will have to be reduced and/or alternative concepts derived before fusion will be competitive with the alternatives for the future production of electricity. Fortunately, there are routes to achieve this goal.

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (US)
OSTI Identifier:
14035
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-1999/243
TRN: US0110954
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-96OR22464
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 1 Sep 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 03 NATURAL GAS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; COAL; COAL GASIFICATION; ECONOMICS; NATURAL GAS; FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS; NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS; THERMONUCLEAR POWER PLANTS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; CARBON DIOXIDE; AIR POLLUTION CONTROL; COMPETITION; POWER GENERATION

Citation Formats

Delene, J G, Hadley, S, Reid, R L, Sheffield, J, and Williams, K A. An Assessment of the Economics of Future Electric Power Generation Options and the Implications for Fusion. United States: N. p., 1999. Web. doi:10.2172/14035.
Delene, J G, Hadley, S, Reid, R L, Sheffield, J, & Williams, K A. An Assessment of the Economics of Future Electric Power Generation Options and the Implications for Fusion. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/14035
Delene, J G, Hadley, S, Reid, R L, Sheffield, J, and Williams, K A. 1999. "An Assessment of the Economics of Future Electric Power Generation Options and the Implications for Fusion". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/14035. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/14035.
@article{osti_14035,
title = {An Assessment of the Economics of Future Electric Power Generation Options and the Implications for Fusion},
author = {Delene, J G and Hadley, S and Reid, R L and Sheffield, J and Williams, K A},
abstractNote = {This study examines the potential range of electric power costs for some major alternatives to fusion electric power generation when it is ultimately deployed in the middle of the 21st century and, thus, offers a perspective on the cost levels that fusion must achieve to be competitive. The alternative technologies include coal burning, coal gasification, natural gas, nuclear fission, and renewable energy. The cost of electricity (COE) from the alternatives to fusion should remain in the 30-50 mils/kWh (1999 dollars) range of today in carbon sequestration is not needed, 30-60 mils/kWh if sequestration is required, or as high as 75 mils/kWh for the worst-case scenario for cost uncertainty. The reference COE range for fusion was estimated at 70-100 nmils/kWh for 1- to 1.3-GW(e) scale power plants. Fusion costs will have to be reduced and/or alternative concepts derived before fusion will be competitive with the alternatives for the future production of electricity. Fortunately, there are routes to achieve this goal.},
doi = {10.2172/14035},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/14035}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999},
month = {Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999}
}