The economics of sodium-cooled fast reactors

Specific technical features of fast reactors make them more expensive than water-cooled reactors in terms of initial investment, an over cost of 30% is acknowledged in this study. Their consumption of natural uranium is negligible being fed on depleted uranium (except for the very first cycle when an important quantity of plutonium is necessary). In the context of the scarcity of natural uranium, fast reactors could provide a competitive KWh compared with PWR. The study shows that sodium-cooled fast reactor could be economically competitive somewhere in the second part of the 21. century. The development of fast reactors could be accelerated by other arguments than economic competitiveness, for instance some governments might value more the energy independence given by a fleet of fast reactors or by considerations linked to non-proliferation or to the burning of actinides. In addition the article details the worldwide resource in natural uranium. (A.C.)