Download or read book Approaches for Assessing the Economic Competitiveness of Small and Medium Sized Reactors written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication assists existing and potential stakeholders in the definition of competitive approaches regarding design and deployment of small and medium sized reactors (SMR). It provides a framework for assessment of the investment attractiveness of nuclear power plant projects that adopts small reactor to be deployed in multi-modules and incorporate modularization construction technology. Main chapters detail past experience and future plans in several IAEA Member States and present the suite of models to assist designers and guide potential users on the economic performance and investment attractiveness of SMRs. A framework for the consolidated application of such models is also suggested. The annexes, contributed by Member States, provide in depth descriptions of different assessment models and give examples of their application.
Download or read book Development of the Mathematics of Learning Curve Models for Evaluating Small Modular Reactor Economics written by and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The cost of nuclear power is a straightforward yet complicated topic. It is straightforward in that the cost of nuclear power is a function of the cost to build the nuclear power plant, the cost to operate and maintain it, and the cost to provide fuel for it. It is complicated in that some of those costs are not necessarily known, introducing uncertainty into the analysis. For large light water reactor (LWR)-based nuclear power plants, the uncertainty is mainly contained within the cost of construction. The typical costs of operations and maintenance (O&M), as well as fuel, are well known based on the current fleet of LWRs. However, the last currently operating reactor to come online was Watts Bar 1 in May 1996; thus, the expected construction costs for gigawatt (GW)-class reactors in the United States are based on information nearly two decades old. Extrapolating construction, O&M, and fuel costs from GW-class LWRs to LWR-based small modular reactors (SMRs) introduces even more complication. The per-installed-kilowatt construction costs for SMRs are likely to be higher than those for the GW-class reactors based on the property of the economy of scale. Generally speaking, the economy of scale is the tendency for overall costs to increase slower than the overall production capacity. For power plants, this means that doubling the power production capacity would be expected to cost less than twice as much. Applying this property in the opposite direction, halving the power production capacity would be expected to cost more than half as much. This can potentially make the SMRs less competitive in the electricity market against the GW-class reactors, as well as against other power sources such as natural gas and subsidized renewables. One factor that can potentially aid the SMRs in achieving economic competitiveness is an economy of numbers, as opposed to the economy of scale, associated with learning curves. The basic concept of the learning curve is that the more a new process is repeated, the more efficient the process can be made. Assuming that efficiency directly relates to cost means that the more a new process is repeated successfully and efficiently, the less costly the process can be made. This factor ties directly into the factory fabrication and modularization aspect of the SMR paradigm—manufacturing serial, standardized, identical components for use in nuclear power plants can allow the SMR industry to use the learning curves to predict and optimize deployment costs.
Download or read book Nuclear Small Modular Reactors written by Maryam Rasti and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. nuclear industry experience is fraught with excessive cost overruns and schedule delays. Nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs) could potentially mitigate this problem with smaller, simpler reactor designs that can be produced in a factory and transported to the final site for installation. Previous economic analyses incorporate significant cost reductions attributed to the shift from stick-build to modular construction. This analysis attempts to provide a more realistic assessment of SMR economic viability by utilizing conservative assumptions in a top-down cost estimation and discounted cash flow analysis. An overnight construction cost of 6,918 $/kW is determined by applying scaling factors to reference cost data for a typical Westinghouse four-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR-12). Two metrics are used to evaluate competitiveness: net present value (NPV) and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Results indicate that NPV is negative for all SMR project scenarios in competitive electricity markets. The lowest achievable LCOE is 66.79 $/MWh with an overnight construction cost of 4,770 $/kW, five year lead-time, 7.32% discount rate, and 10% capital cost reduction due to learning improvements. The LCOE calculated for a conventional natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) facility with the same nameplate capacity is 55.90 $/MWh for comparison. Results show that the most optimistic SMR conditions only become competitive with NGCC in a high natural gas price or a high carbon tax scenario (52 $/ton CO2)
Download or read book Options to Enhance Proliferation Resistance of Innovative Small and Medium Sized Reactors written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication addresses specific considerations for proliferation resistance and safeguards for small and medium sized reactors (SMRs). It describes the framework analysis through comparing and harmonising the Generation IV International Forum and the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles methodologies, defines the proliferation resistance assessment and safeguards by design approach and presents the current implementation of proliferation resistance measures in innovative SMRs. The appendices include information on the example of a procedure to support a facility's analysis of the safeguarding situation in support of safeguards by design, and a template listing required proliferation resistance related design information. An overview of SMR design and development activities and countries' national perspectives is given in the annexes.
Download or read book INPRO Methodology for Sustainability Assessment of Nuclear Energy Systems written by International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As part of the INPRO methodology this manual provides guidance on assessing a nuclear energy system in the area of economics. This is an independent assessment of the economic competitiveness of nuclear power, compared with available alternatives. The publication starts with a short description of the goals and output of an energy system planning study, followed by general background information on performing an INPRO economic assessment, and presents a discussion of the basic principles and the associated user requirements and criteria. In the appendices, additional background information on economic terms and support tools is provided.
Download or read book Handbook of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors written by Daniel T. Ingersoll and published by Woodhead Publishing. This book was released on 2020-10-22 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Handbook of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, Second Edition is a fully updated comprehensive reference on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which reflects the latest research and technological advances in the field from the last five years. Editors Daniel T. Ingersoll and Mario D. Carelli, along with their team of expert contributors, combine their wealth of collective experience to update this comprehensive handbook that provides the reader with all required knowledge on SMRs, expanding on the rapidly growing interest and development of SMRs around the globe. This book begins with an introduction to SMRs for power generation, an overview of international developments, and an analysis of Integral Pressurized Water Reactors as a popular class of SMRs. The second part of the book is dedicated to SMR technologies, including physics, components, I&C, human-system interfaces and safety aspects. Part three discusses the implementation of SMRs, covering economic factors, construction methods, hybrid energy systems and licensing considerations. The fourth part of the book provides an in-depth analysis of SMR R&D and deployment of SMRs within eight countries, including the United States, Republic of Korea, Russia, China, Argentina, and Japan. This edition includes brand new content on the United Kingdom and Canada, where interests in SMRs have increased considerably since the first edition was published. The final part of the book adds a new analysis of the global SMR market and concludes with a perspective on SMR benefits to developing economies. This authoritative and practical handbook benefits engineers, designers, operators, and regulators working in nuclear energy, as well as academics and graduate students researching nuclear reactor technologies. Presents the latest research on SMR technologies and global developments Includes new case study chapters on the United Kingdom and Canada and a chapter on global SMR markets Discusses new technologies such as floating SMRs and molten salt SMRs
Download or read book Small Modular Reactors written by Daniel T Ingersoll and published by Woodhead Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-20 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is currently significant interest in the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) for the generation of both electricity and process heat. SMRs offer potential benefits in terms of better affordability and enhanced safety, and can also be sited more flexibly than traditional nuclear plants. Small Modular Reactors: Nuclear Power Fad or Future? reviews SMR features, promises, and problems, also discussing what lies ahead for reactors of this type. The book is organized into three major parts with the first part focused on the role of energy, especially nuclear energy, for global development. It also provides a brief history of SMRs. The second major part presents basic nuclear power plant terminology and then discusses in depth the attributes of SMRs that distinguish them from traditional nuclear plants. The third and final major section discusses the current interest in SMRs from a customer’s perspective and delineates several remaining hurdles that must be addressed to achieve wide-spread SMR deployment. Provides decision-makers in governments, business, and research with the needed background on small nuclear power and an overview of the current situation Presents a balanced discussion of the many advantages of SMRs and the challenges they face Written by a highly respected expert in the nuclear industry
Download or read book Future Energy written by Trevor M. Letcher and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2020-01-18 with total page 822 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Future Energy: Improved, Sustainable and Clean Options for Our Planet, Third Edition provides scientists and decision-makers with the knowledge they need to understand the relative importance and magnitude of various energy production methods in order to make the energy decisions necessary for sustaining development and dealing with climate change. The third edition of Future Energy looks at the present energy situation and extrapolates to future scenarios related to global warming and the increase of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This thoroughly revised and updated edition contains over 40 chapters on all aspects of future energy, with each chapter updated and expanded by expert scientists and engineers in their respective fields. Provides readers with an up-to-date overview of available energy options, both traditional and renewable, as well as the necessary tools needed to make informed decisions Covers a wide spectrum of future energy resources presented in a single book with chapters written by experts from each particular field Includes many new chapters that cover topics on conventional oil and fossil fuels, a new section on energy storage, and a look at new energy
Download or read book Small Modular Reactors for Electricity Generation written by Jorge Morales Pedraza and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-03-11 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a flexible, cost-effective energy alternative to large scale nuclear power reactors, this book examines the potential future use of small modular reactors for the generation of electricity in different regions. Exploring advanced nuclear technologies, chapters describe the current situation and perspective of the small modular reactors market (SMRs) in different regions around the word, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa. Particular attention is paid to the benefits of using these types of reactors for the generation of electricity, discussing their efficiency and reduced construction time, as well as exploring the main difficulties encountered in the development stage. Looking at the potential dangers that SMRs pose to the environment and population, the text presents the new safety measures that have been adopted in SMRs design to reduce future risk.
Download or read book Deployment Indicators for Small Modular Reactors written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 2018-10-31 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication provides IAEA Member States with a methodology to evaluate the potential for deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in a national energy portfolio. It elaborates the specific attributes of SMRs and evaluates their deployment potential from the viewpoints of energy demand, finance and economics, infrastructure, climate change and energy security in an energy portfolio. Case studies are used to illustrate the types of conditions that are potentially favourable for SMRs and Member States can further adapt the process to country-specific needs.
Download or read book The Technological and Economic Future of Nuclear Power written by Reinhard Haas and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-01-01 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book discusses the eroding economics of nuclear power for electricity generation as well as technical, legal, and political acceptance issues. The use of nuclear power for electricity generation is still a heavily disputed issue. Aside from technical risks, safety issues, and the unsolved problem of nuclear waste disposal, the economic performance is currently a major barrier. In recent years, the costs have skyrocketed especially in the European countries and North America. At the same time, the costs of alternatives such as photovoltaics and wind power have significantly decreased. Contents History and Current Status of the World Nuclear Industry The Dramatic Decrease of the Economics of Nuclear Power Nuclear Policy in the EU The Legacy of Csernobyl and Fukushima Nuclear Waste and Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants Alternatives: Heading Towards Sustainable Electricity Systems Target Groups Researchers and students in the fields of political, economic and technical sciences Energy (policy) experts, nuclear energy experts and practitioners, economists, engineers, consultants, civil society organizations The Editors Prof. Dr. Reinhard Haas is University Professor of energy economics at the Institute of Energy Systems and Electric Drives at Technische Universität Wien, Austria. PD Dr. Lutz Mez is Associate Professor at the Department for Political and Social Sciences of Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. PD Dr. Amela Ajanovic is a senior researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Energy Systems and Electrical Drives at Technische Universität Wien, Austria.--
Download or read book Nuclear Reactor Technology Assessment for Near Term Deployment written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by International Atomic Energy Agency. This book was released on 2013 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Given the increasing interest in the near term deployment of new nuclear power plants, IAEA Member States have requested guidance on the process of evaluating and selecting available technology options. Reactor technology assessment enables the evaluation, selection, and deployment of the best technology to meet the objectives of a nuclear power programme. This publication demonstrates how reactor technology assessment is performed and how the process and results of this work enable decision making in nuclear power planning. The approach also provides decision makers with the documentation necessary to support their conclusions.
Download or read book Small Modular Reactors written by NEA. and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent interest in small modular reactors (SMRs) is being driven by a desire to reduce the total capital costs associated with nuclear power plants and to provide power to small grid systems. According to estimates available today, if all the competitive advantages of SMRs were realised, including serial production, optimised supply chains and smaller financing costs, SMRs could be expected to have lower absolute and specific (per-kWe) construction costs than large reactors. Although the economic parameters of SMRs are not yet fully determined, a potential market exists for this technology, particularly in energy mixes with large shares of renewables. This report assesses the size of the market for SMRs that are currently being developed and that have the potential to broaden the ways of deploying nuclear power in different parts of the world. The study focuses on light water SMRs that are expected to be constructed in the coming decades and that strongly rely on serial, factory-based production of reactor modules. In a high-case scenario, up to 21 GWe of SMRs could be added globally by 2035, representing approximately 3% of total installed nuclear capacity.
Download or read book Uranium Enrichment and Nuclear Weapon Proliferation written by Allan S. Krass and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-11-20 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1983, this book presents both the technical and political information necessary to evaluate the emerging threat to world security posed by recent advances in uranium enrichment technology. Uranium enrichment has played a relatively quiet but important role in the history of efforts by a number of nations to acquire nuclear weapons and by a number of others to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. For many years the uranium enrichment industry was dominated by a single method, gaseous diffusion, which was technically complex, extremely capital-intensive, and highly inefficient in its use of energy. As long as this remained true, only the richest and most technically advanced nations could afford to pursue the enrichment route to weapon acquisition. But during the 1970s this situation changed dramatically. Several new and far more accessible enrichment techniques were developed, stimulated largely by the anticipation of a rapidly growing demand for enrichment services by the world-wide nuclear power industry. This proliferation of new techniques, coupled with the subsequent contraction of the commercial market for enriched uranium, has created a situation in which uranium enrichment technology might well become the most important contributor to further nuclear weapon proliferation. Some of the issues addressed in this book are: A technical analysis of the most important enrichment techniques in a form that is relevant to analysis of proliferation risks; A detailed projection of the world demand for uranium enrichment services; A summary and critique of present institutional non-proliferation arrangements in the world enrichment industry, and An identification of the states most likely to pursue the enrichment route to acquisition of nuclear weapons.
Download or read book Internationalization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle written by Russian Academy of Sciences and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2009-01-26 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The so-called nuclear renaissance has increased worldwide interest in nuclear power. This potential growth also has increased, in some quarters, concern that nonproliferation considerations are not being given sufficient attention. In particular, since introduction of many new power reactors will lead to requiring increased uranium enrichment services to provide the reactor fuel, the proliferation risk of adding enrichment facilities in countries that do not have them now led to proposals to provide the needed fuel without requiring indigenous enrichment facilities. Similar concerns exist for reprocessing facilities. Internationalization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle summarizes key issues and analyses of the topic, offers some criteria for evaluating options, and makes findings and recommendations to help the United States, the Russian Federation, and the international community reduce proliferation and other risks, as nuclear power is used more widely. This book is intended for all those who are concerned about the need for assuring fuel for new reactors and at the same time limiting the spread of nuclear weapons. This audience includes the United States and Russia, other nations that currently supply nuclear material and technology, many other countries contemplating starting or growing nuclear power programs, and the international organizations that support the safe, secure functioning of the international nuclear fuel cycle, most prominently the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Download or read book Nuclear Energy Basic Principles written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the rationale and vision for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The publication identifies the basic principles that nuclear energy systems must satisfy to fulfil their promise of meeting growing global energy demands.
Download or read book Reduction of Capital Costs of Nuclear Power Plants written by OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and published by OECD. This book was released on 2000 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The competitiveness of nuclear power plants depends largely on their capital costs that represent some 60 per cent of their total generation costs. Reviewing and analysing ways and means to reduce capital costs of nuclear power plants are essential to enhance the economic viability of the nuclear option. The report is based upon cost information and data provided by experts from NEA Member countries. It investigates the efficiency of alternative methods for reducing capital costs of nuclear units. It will provide stakeholders from the industry and governmental agencies with relevant elements in support of policy making.
