The advanced Candu reactor (ACR): practical innovation - p1n8

AECL has developed the new Advanced CANDU^R Reactor (ACR), to meet market requirements for low cost, reliable energy supplies. The objective was to achieve a capital cost such that the ACR plant will be competitive with alternative options for large-scale base-load electricity supply. Key customer requirements, including enhanced safety, low-operating costs and reliable performance, are being addressed as being equally important as design requirements. This paper discusses the design characteristics of the ACR-700 reference design. The ACR-700 is an evolutionary extension of the proven Candu 6 design, with eight units in operation in four countries around the world and the three units currently under construction. These provide a sound basis for projecting highly reliable performance, low project risk and assured costs for the ACR-700. The program includes development and qualification activities that address the new features and design extensions in the advanced plant. For product development and performance assurance, the design features parameters have been carefully reviewed and deliberately selected so as to be well founded on the existing Candu knowledge base. Development and qualification support work coupled with ongoing AECL programs to support and enhance the performance and reliability of the existing Candu plants will provide sound assurance that the ACR-700 design will meet customer expectations. Not only is the specific capital cost of $1000/kW overnight achievable with the new design, but also projected generating costs are competitive with natural gas. In addition, extensive use of modern design and construction technology ensures a short project schedule. Enhanced safety is through the provision of increased safety margins and the use of improved and more passive safety systems. The paper describes the ACR-700 design, and the approach to successful deployment in competitive power markets, through concurrent engineering to address all aspects of the plant life-cycle: design, construction, manufacturing, commissioning, operations maintenance and fuelling, as well as decommissioning and waste disposal. (authors)