Economic analysis on direct use of spent pressurized water reactor fuel inCANDU reactors - I: DUPIC fuel fabrication cost

A preliminary conceptual design of a Direct Use of spent Pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel In Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactors (DUPIC) fue l fabrication plant was studied which annually converts spent PWR fuel of 4 00 tonnes heavy element (HE) into CANDU fuel. The capital and operating cos ts were estimated from the viewpoint of conceptual design. Assuming that th e annual discount I-ate if 5% during the construction (5 yr) cmd operation period (40 yr) and contingency is 25% of the capital cost, the levelized un it cost (LUC) of DUPIC fuel fabrication was estimated to be 616 $/kg HE, wh ich is mostly governed by annual operation and maintenance costs that corre spond to 63% of LUC. Among the operation and maintenance cost components be ing considered, the waste disposal cast has the dominant effect on LUC (sim ilar to 49%). From sensitivity analyses of production capacity, discount ra te, and contingency, it was found that the production capacity of the plant is the major parameter that affects the LUC.