The cost of operating with failed fuel at Virginia power

Virginia Power has completed a study of the costs incurred due to fuel failures in its pressurized water reactors. This study was prompted by histories of high primary coolant activity and subsequent fuel inspections at the North Anna and Surry power stations. The study included an evaluation of the total costs of fuel failures as well as an evaluation of the economics of postirradiation fuel inspections. The major costs of fuel failures included personnel radiation exposure, permanently discharged failed fuel, radwaste generation, increased labor requirements, containment entry delays due to airborne radioactivity, and ramp rate restrictions. Although fuel failures affect a utility in several other areas, the items evaluated in the study were thought to be the most significant of the costs. The study indicated that performing a postirradiation failed fuel examination can be economically justified at tramp-corrected 131I levels of > 0.015 μCi/g. The savings to the utility can be on the order of several million dollars. Additionally, the cost penalty of performing a fuel inspection at lower iodine levels is generally in the range of $200,000. This economic penalty is expected to be outweighed by the intangible benefits of operating with a defect-free core