Core designs for the de-regulated market

Electricity market deregulation has a dramatic effect on electricity competition and prices which encourages innovation and cost reductions for power production. For nuclear fuel flexibility, cost pressure and risk management is called for. Savings on fuel, considering all aspects not only the technical, can give a large contribution to the reduction of the overall electricity production cost. Increased priority is given to burn-up extension even though the fuel back-end cost is low as in Sweden. Regarding the risk management: cost pressure vs reliability and safety aspects calls for increased sharing of experience and R and D between utilities and with vendors may be even more important than competition in this area. (authors)