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Recycled Nuclear Fuel Cost Calculator

(last updated 1 Oct 2007)
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Calculates the material balance and cost of nuclear fuel produced from natural uranium (U_nat), re-enriched depleted uranium (U_dep), uranium recycled from spent fuel (U_rep), plutonium recycled from spent fuel (MOX), and uranium blended down from highly enriched uranium (HEU).

Enter a value into any one field of the Material Balance and click the "Calculate" button below. HELP
"t" = metric tonne. "HM" = heavy metal. "Pu_f" = fissile plutonium (Pu-239 and Pu-241). "wt-%" = weight-percent.
"RB" = Raw Blendstock. "FB" = Final Blendstock.

Material Balance
	U_nat	U_dep	U_rep	MOX	HEU
Source Material	t U₃O₈ (= t U_nat)	t UF₆ (= t U_dep)	t UO₃ (= t U_rep)	kg Pu (= kg Pu_f) t U₃O₈ (= t U)	kg UO₃ HEU (= kg U) t U₃O₈ RB (= t U)
Conver- sion	t UF₆ (nat)		t UF₆ (rep)	t UF₆	t UF₆ HEU t UF₆ RB
Re-Enrich- ment		SWU t UF₆ (nat-equiv.)
Enrich- ment	SWU t UF₆ (enriched)	SWU t UF₆ (enriched)	SWU t UF₆ (rep,enriched to equiv.)		SWU t UF₆ FB
Fuel Fab.	t UO₂ (= t U)	t UO₂ (= t U)	t UO₂ (= t U)	t MOX (= t HM)	t UO₂ (= t U)
Power Plant	GWh_e ( = GWa_e)

Cost Summary (in Thousand US$)

U_nat U_dep U_rep MOX HEU

Source Material

Conversion

Re-Enrichment

Enrichment

Fuel Fabrication

Total

Cost Summary Chart

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Cost Parameters

U_nat U_dep U_rep MOX HEU

Source Material $ / lb U₃O₈ *) $ / kg U $ / kg U $ / kg Pu
$ / kg U $ / kg U HEU
$ / kg U RB

Conversion $ / kg U *) $ / kg U $ / kg U HEU

Re-Enrichment $ / SWU

Enrichment $ / SWU *) $ / SWU

Fuel Fabrication $ / kg U $ / kg U $ / kg HM $ / kg U

Assay Summary

U_nat U_dep U_rep MOX HEU

[wt-% U-235] [wt-% U-235] [wt-% U-235] [wt-% U-235] [wt-% Pu_f] [wt-% U-235]

Feed (re-enr.)
(enr.) (HEU)
(RB)
(FB)

Fuel

Tails (re-enr.)
(enr.)

Process Parameters

Source
Material U_dep U_dep feed assay: wt-% U-235
MOX Pu_f equiv. of U-235: g Pu_f per g U-235
Pu_f conc. in total Pu: wt-% Pu_f
MOX U component assay: wt-% U-235
MOX U component supplied as: U₃O₈, UF₆

HEU HEU assay: wt-% U-235 · wt-% U-236
Raw Blendstock (RB) assay: wt-% U-235
Raw Blendstock (RB) supplied as: U₃O₈, UF₆
Final Blendstock (FB) assay: wt-% U-235
Factor for U-236 effect: excess wt-% U-235 per wt-% U-236

Conversion Losses: %

Re-Enrichment Tails assay: wt-% U-235

Enrichment Tails assay: wt-% U-235

Fuel Fabrication Losses: %

Power Plant burnup · initial enrichment:

Efficiency: %

Process Parameters
Source Material	U_dep	U_dep feed assay: wt-% U-235
MOX	Pu_f equiv. of U-235: g Pu_f per g U-235 Pu_f conc. in total Pu: wt-% Pu_f MOX U component assay: wt-% U-235 MOX U component supplied as: U₃O₈, UF₆
HEU	HEU assay: wt-% U-235 · wt-% U-236 Raw Blendstock (RB) assay: wt-% U-235 Raw Blendstock (RB) supplied as: U₃O₈, UF₆ Final Blendstock (FB) assay: wt-% U-235 Factor for U-236 effect: excess wt-% U-235 per wt-% U-236
Conversion	Losses: %
Re-Enrichment	Tails assay: wt-% U-235
Enrichment	Tails assay: wt-% U-235
Fuel Fabrication	Losses: %
Power Plant	burnup · initial enrichment: Efficiency: %

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