Economy of the balanced nuclear fuel cycle at innovative REMIX-fuel

DOI: 10.33917/mic-2.97.2021.55-63

The estimates of the competitiveness of the balanced closed nuclear fuel cycle with thermal reactors VVER, PWR and BWR and innovative REMIX-fuel are given. REMIX-fuel obtained by reprocessing spent fuel. Considered three options for REMIX-fuel — А, Б and C, differing in the way of achieving enrichment (concentration of fissile isotopes ²³⁵U and ²³⁹Pu), needed for reactors. The fuel component of the NPP electricity cost is used as competitiveness criterion, which reflects all the costs of the fuel cycle for both before the reactor and after the reactor stages. The developed economic-mathematical model of the fuel cycle makes it possible to calculate a cost indicators of nuclear fuel components and the fuel components of the NPP electricity cost depending on the cost characteristics of key technological conversions, including reprocessing of spent fuel, enrichment of regenerated and natural uranium, manufacture of fuel assemblies, radioactive waste management and compare with the traditional fuel cycle.