This report, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), provides a comprehensive set of cost data supporting a cost analysis for the relative economic comparison of options for use in the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Program. The report describes the AFCI cost basis development process, reference information on AFCI cost modules, a procedure for estimating fuel cycle costs, economic evaluation guidelines, and a discussion on the integration of cost data into economic computer models. This report contains reference cost data for 25 cost modules-23 fuel cycle cost modules and 2 reactor modules. The cost modules were developed in the areas of natural uranium mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, depleted uranium disposition, fuel fabrication, interim spent fuel storage, reprocessing, waste conditioning, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) packaging, long-term monitored retrievable storage, near surface disposal of low-level waste (LLW), geologic repository and other disposal concepts, and transportation processes for nuclear fuel, LLW, SNF, transuranic, and high-level waste.
INL/EXT
SUMMARYThis report, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), provides a comprehensive set of cost data supporting an ongoing, credible, technical cost analysis basis for use in the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Program. System analysts will use this report to evaluate the impacts and benefits of a wide range of AFCI and Generation IV deployment options. The objectives underlying this report are to (1) understand the issues and opportunities for keeping nuclear power an economically competitive option, (2) evaluate the elements dominating nuclear fuel cycle costs, and (3) develop the tools to evaluate the economics of creative solutions to make the nuclear fuel cycle even more cost competitive.The intended use of the cost data is for the relative economic comparison of options rather than for determination of total fuel cycle costs with great accuracy. Each element of cost has a probabilistic range of accuracy, and when the costs are coupled together into a total fuel cycle system estimate, the uncertainty range is additive. This information is being used in studies to evaluate costs of fuel cycle options. Fuel cycle costs are an important part of the comprehensive evaluation, which also includes measures of sustainability, proliferation resistance, adaptability to different energy futures, and waste management impacts (e.g., heat load impacts on the repository). These evaluations will result in the identification of cost drivers within the fuel cycle where development may be focused to reduce the costs within the system. This report describes the AFCI cost basis development process, reference information on AFCI cost modules, a procedure for estimating fuel cycle costs, economic evaluation guidelines, and a discussion on the integration of cost data into economic computer models. This report contains reference cost data for 25 cost modules-23 fuel cycle cost modules and 2 reactor modules. The c...
