Fuel cycles optimization of nuclear power industry in China

•Four most potential nuclear fuel cycle modes in China are given.•Natural uranium requirements (NUR) under different fuel cycle modes are analyzed.•An optimization model including three aspects is constructed.•Optimization problem under two scenarios of reprocessing capacity are solved.•Annual and cumulative NUR under two scenarios are calculated.

With the rapid rise of installed nuclear power in China, meeting the increasing demands on natural uranium and rationally treating the vast spent fuel are essential issues for the sustainable development of Chinese nuclear power industry. This paper discusses four most potential nuclear fuel cycle modes in China and analyzes the natural uranium requirements under these different fuel cycle modes first based on three development patterns (low-, medium-, and high-speed) of installed nuclear power capacity. Then, an optimization model including natural uranium requirements, spent fuel final disposal amounts and total cost of electricity generation is constructed and optimization problem under two scenarios of reprocessing capacity are solved and results discussed. The annual and cumulative natural uranium requirements under these two scenarios are also calculated. Finally some conclusions are put forward based on the analyses.