Benchmarking of economic evaluation models for an advanced loop-type sodium cooled fast reactor

An economic calculation model based on detailed mass-flow (hereinafter referred to as the “JAEA model”) was developed for the comprehensive evaluation of an advanced loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) cycle system designed in the Fast Reactor Cycle Technology Development (FaCT) project launched in 2007 in Japan. The JAEA model enables calculation of the inventory or processing amount of nuclear fuel in a nuclear fuel cycle and its composition in each facility by simulating mass-flow among nuclear supply chains, and has a function to evaluate the economics and radiotoxicity of nuclear waste based on the processing amount. To identify the difference in economic evaluation methods between the JAEA model and an internationally-authorized code, and verify its calculation functions, the generation cost of an advanced loop-type SFR system was evaluated using the JAEA model and the Generation IV Excel Calculations of Nuclear Systems (G4-ECONS) developed by the Generation IV International Forum (GIF). It was clarified that the JAEA model is influenced to higher degree by the discount rate. When the present value was not taken into account, the results of both methods were quite similar, but it was found that the sensitivity of the load factor is relatively larger the G4-ECONS than in the JAEA model.