ORNL-5388 - the Molten Salt Energy Technologies Web Site

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THE LWR WllH PWTONIUM RECYCLE
WIMUM ANNUAL RECUIREMEM: Zi - LWR WITH PLUTONIUM
RECYCLE
yo. - 67 ' Id IT/*-
IL - LWR ON THE THROWAWAY
6-31
2::
1980 1m 2003 mo nno 2mo 20(0 2mo
Fig. 6.2-13. The Effect on the Nuclear
Contribution of Recycling Plutonium in LWRs
(High-Cost U308 Supply).
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-Hf LWR WIIH PWIONIUM RECYCLE
I I I I 1 I I
IPBO IWO 1010 zom m fou) mo
YUR
Fig. 6.2-15. The Effect of U308 Supply
on the Nuclear Contribution of the LWR with
Plutonium Recycle (Case 2L).
c*Sf 2L -THE LWI WITH PWIONIUM RfCYCU
Fig. 6.2-14. Relative Nuclear Contri-
butions of LWRs Located Inside (LWR-Pu) and
Outside (LWR-U) Energy Centers (High-Cost
u308 supply) -
requirements do not differ significantly from
those of the LWR on the throwaway cycle (see
Fig. 6.2-2) because the nuclear growth pro-
jection was specified to be 350 GWe in the
year 2000 plus 15 GWe/yr thereafter. Thus,
the primary effect of reprocessing is to allow
the nuclear system to grow beyond the 400-GWe
level even though a scarcity of U308 exists
at costs below $160/lb. Viewed.differently,
the primary effect of reprocessing is not
to support the construction of additional
nuclear units in the earlier years when
U308 is in plentiful supply.
The installed nuclear capacity that must be located in the energy centers as a
function of time is shown by the lower curve in Fig. 6.2-14, the difference between the
two curves indicating the nuclear capacity that can be made available outside the centers.
The maximum capacity which must be located in the energy centers is approximately 260 GWe,
while a maximum of 400 GWe can be available outside the center. For approximately three
decades (from the year 2000 to the year 2030), over 300 GWe can be available outside the
centers. The use of plutonium recycle to allow the nuclear system to grow beyond the
400-GWe level as the U308 supply becomes scarce is vividly illustrated in Fig. 6.2-14.
Note that the number of units loaded with plutonium increases significantly as the in-
stalled capacity exceeds the 400-GWe level and that they comprise an increasing fraction
of the total installed capacity in later years.