Nuclear power generation in competition with other sources for base load electricity generation

The latest studies performed by OECD and IAEA on the subject were analyzed in order to clarify the international context. Nuclear, gas and coal are compared. The general conclusion is that nuclear power is competitive for electricity generation considering new plants to be commissioned around year 2000. If the discount rate is 5% per annum it is considered the best option in most of the countries included in the studies. If 10% is chosen the levelized costs favour the gas option. In the Argentine case, the analysis of possible plants for the near future shows a clear advantage for the gas projects. This is mainly due to the low capital costs and low local gas prices. The possible evolution of this situation is considered: gas prices will most probably increase because they should approach the price of fuel oil or diesel oil which are used as substitutes in winter for electricity generation and the export projects to Chile and Brasil will also push prices up. The environmental aspects of the question and its influence on regulations and costs is a matter of speculation. Some countries have already penalized greenhouse gases emissions but it is not clear how and when this trend will affect local prices. (author). 4 refs., 6 tabs