System levelized fuel cost of electricity generation in a two-component nuclear energy system with a closed uranium-plutonium NFC

The authors propose an approach to the calculation of the levelized unit fuel cost (LUFC) of electricity generation for a fast reactor in a two-component nuclear energy system (NES) with regard for plutonium production. The approach is based on taking into account the additional economic effect, which can be achieved through the sale at the market price of the natural uranium released due to the substitution of thermal reactors by fast reactors with MOX fuel based on the plutonium bred in a fast reactor. This requires considering simultaneously the reactor parts of the fuel cycle for fast and thermal reactors. Relationships have been obtained which connect the key neutronic and fuel characteristics with the NPP and fuel cycle economic performance. The described methodology was used for the computational study of the LUFC for a fast sodium-cooled reactor. Calculations have shown that, in the considered case, taking into account the plutonium production leads to the LUFC reduction by nearly half and, therefore, to a major decrease in the total unit cost of electricity generation (levelized cost of electricity or LCOE)

Some economic aspects of reducing americium production in a two-component system of thermal and fast reactors

The article analyzes the economic aspects of reducing the production of americium during the transition from a single-component nuclear energy system (NES) based on thermal reactors in an open fuel cycle to a two-component system with thermal and fast reactors in a closed nuclear fuel cycle. Scenarios for the development of these systems in Russia up to the end of the century are modeled. Two methods are considered for reducing the production of americium in a two-component NES with fast sodium reactors. The first method, closing the fuel cycle for plutonium in BN reactors of SFR type, is based on the use of plutonium separated from spent nuclear fuel of thermal reactors with the shortest possible (according to technical specifications) time for MOX fuel preparation and use thus preventing the main part of plutonium-241 from decay into americium. The second way is transmutation of americium. The study was carried out by using the mathematical code CYCLE designed for modeling of the NES with closed nuclear fuel cycle (NFC). The technical and economic data used in the paper was taken from published studies of Russian specialists and materials of European Union specialists presented in the IAEA/INPRO SYNERGIES project. The results of the research show that the efficiency of closing the NFC by using plutonium from thermal reactors in MOX fuel of fast sodium reactors is comparable to the efficiency of the homogeneous transmutation considered in the paper. The combination of the americium accumulation prevention method and transmutation method might significantly reduce the rate of the americium accumulation in a nuclear energy system, but the estimated costs of the considered homogeneous transmutation can significantly worsen the economic performance of sodium fast reactors