Nuclear Fuel Cycle Cost Calculator
Based on work performed by DOE-NE’s Systems Analysis and Integration Campaign
Comparison of alternate fuel-cycle approaches
The limited recycle and continuous recycle approaches have several potential benefits over the once-through fuel cycle approach. For more information, see the report of the Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Screening Study.
As shown in the table below, the mass of spent fuel and waste, defined as spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste disposed per energy generated, is much less for the limited recycle and continuous recycle approaches. In addition, the activity of spent fuel and waste is less at various points in the future. Also, the amount of natural uranium required per energy generated is substantially lower for the continuous recycle approach as compared to the other two approaches. Finally, the levelized cost of the two recycle approaches is expected to be only slightly higher than the levelized cost of the once-through fuel cycle approach.
Fuel Cycle Metrics and Values from Evaluation and Screening Study
| Metric | Units | Once-Through | Limited Recycle | Continuous Recycle |
| Levelized Cost of Electricity at Equilibrium (LCAE)a | ($/MWe-hr) | 49.5 | 53.7 | 51.9 |
| 95% Confidence interval of the LCAE | ($/MWe-hr) | 30-60 | 25-65 | 25-65 |
| Natural uranium required per energy generated | (t/GWe-yr) | 188.6 | 171.2 | 1.3 |
| Natural thorium required per energy generated | (t/GWe-yr) | 0b | 0b | 0b |
| Mass of depleted uranium + recovered uranium disposed per energy generated | (t/GWe-yr) | 166.7 | 167.7 | 0b |
| Mass of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste disposed per energy generated | (t/GWe-yr) | 21.9 | 3.4 | 1.3 |
| Activity of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at 10 years per energy generated | (Ci/GWe-yr) | 12,700,000 | 12,100,000 | 8,620,000 |
| Activity of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at 100 years per energy generated | (Ci/GWe-yr) | 1,340,000 | 1,330,000 | 1,030,000 |
| Activity of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at 100,000 years per energy generated | (Ci/GWe-yr) | 1,650 | 1,320 | 728 |
a Mean value using the default cost values, uncertainties are substantially larger than the differences
b Zero by definition for the selected fuel cycles