Updated NGNP Fuel Acquisition Strategy

Abstract

A Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) fuel acquisition strategy was first established in 2007. In that report, a detailed technical assessment of potential fuel vendors for the first core of NGNP was conducted by an independent group of international experts based on input from the three major reactor vendor teams. Part of the assessment included an evaluation of the credibility of each option, along with a cost and schedule to implement each strategy compared with the schedule and throughput needs of the NGNP project. While credible options were identified based on the conditions in place at the time, many changes in the assumptions underlying the strategy and in externalities that have occurred in the interim requiring that the options be re-evaluated. This document presents an update to that strategy based on current capabilities for fuel fabrication as well as fuel performance and qualification testing worldwide. In light of the recent Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) project closure, the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) fuel development and qualification program needs to support both pebble and prismatic options under the NGNP project. A number of assumptions were established that formed a context for the evaluation. Of these, the most important are: • Basedmore » on logistics associated with the on-going engineering design activities, vendor teams would start preliminary design in October 2012 and complete in May 2014. A decision on reactor type will be made following preliminary design, with the decision process assumed to be completed in January 2015. Thus, no fuel decision (pebble or prismatic) will be made in the near term. • Activities necessary for both pebble and prismatic fuel qualification will be conducted in parallel until a fuel form selection is made. As such, process development, fuel fabrication, irradiation, and testing for pebble and prismatic options should not negatively influence each other during the period prior to a decision on reactor type. • Additional funding will be made available beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2012 to support pebble bed fuel fabrication process development and fuel testing while maintaining the prismatic fuel schedule. Options for fuel fabrication for prismatic and pebble bed were evaluated based on the credibility of each option, along with a cost and schedule to implement each strategy. The sole prismatic option is Babcock and Wilcox (B&W) producing uranium oxycarbide (UCO) tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles in compacts. This option finishes in the middle of 2022 . Options for the pebble bed are Nuclear Fuel Industries (NFI) in Japan producing uranium dioxide (UO2) TRISO fuel particles, and/or B&W producing UCO or UO2 TRISO fuel particles. All pebble options finish in mid to late 2022.« less