Economic Advantages of Starting-up of Inherently Safe Fast Reactors with a Closed Fuel Cycle on Fortificated Uranium

Abstract

The publication substantiates the economic advantages of using in the starting loads of inherently safe fast reactors with a closed fuel cycle of enriched uranium instead of uranium-plutonium regenerate obtained by reprocessing of thermal reactors spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The justifications are given taking into account both the preliminary technical and economic assessments carried out by the basic enterprises of TVEL JSC and SHK JSC, and the neutron-physical and system-economic studies performed at the Private Institution of the ITCP Proryv (Breakthrough). It is shown that the starting-up of a fast reactor on enriched uranium instead of uranium-plutonium fuel, taking into account the costs of preliminary reprocessing of thermal reactors spent fuel, allows achieving a significant economic gain at the stage of construction and commissioning of nuclear power plants. It is also shown that even at moderately high values of the discount coefficient, the uranium start of a fast reactor with a closed fuel cycle is economically preferable in comparison with the option of starting on uranium-plutonium fuel from the positions of the break-even tariff.