[en] This article presents the different notions of cost concerning electricity production. Costs are in fact complex economic data that are designed in the view of the type of decision they will help to settle. Electricity production industry is facing new challenges with the opening of national markets and the stiffening of competition, so decisions about the economic policy of major electricity producers have to be taken carefully and managers require real and valid costs to do so. (A.C.)

[en] This paper describes a micro-economic, cost-engineering model of a centralized (Generic Interim Storage Facility - GISF) facility to monitor LWR irradiated fuel with particular attention to scale economies (e.g., to compare the likely costs at a power plant site or at regional, national and international facilities). This paper is based on the cost estimates of the Private Fuel Services Facility (PFSF) on the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians' Reservation in Utah, licensed by the US NRC in 2006 to centralize storage of 40.000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) for 20 to 40 years. Assuming movement of the 40.000 MTHM every 40 years to a new facility, the levelized costs are 144 dollars/kg without high security and physical protection, and 208 dollars/kg with high security through 2111 (assuming disposal within a century), or about 0.50 dollars/MWh to 0.75 dollars/MWh depending on the burnup and thermal efficiency of the nuclear power plant. This cost estimate is generalized to explore scale economies for facilities with and without high security and physical protection. There are declining levelized costs with increasing size to 120.000 MTHM without high security, and to 500.000 MTHM with high security, i.e., the higher the level of security, the stronger the economies of scale. (author)

No abstract available

[en] This paper focuses on one of the important technology issues facing the gamma processing industry today: that of strategically planning for extending the useful life of a production irradiator. Production irradiator owners are typically faced with the difficult question of whether or not to significantly reinvest in their facilities after 15-20 years of service. At this point in time the irradiator has likely provided many years of safe, reliable service and has paid for itself many times over. As the equipment ages, it may become less reliable, due to wear and maintenance practices, and more costly to operate. The cost of refurbishing the equipment may be significant and the downtime required to complete the refurbishment is also likely to be a challenge. This makes it essential to present a clear and rational justification for reinvesting in the facility. There has been a growing trend in recent years for irradiator owners to refurbish or upgrade their facilities. This trend is driven by the need to keep the facilities operating efficiently and safely as well as by the desire to take advantage of advancements that have occurred in the technology over the years. These advancements can enhance equipment efficiency, improve operational effectiveness and maintain or exceed quality assurance requirements. This paper illustrates the value of reinvesting in irradiator facilities, and highlights the significant benefits derived

[en] Several advanced power plant concepts are currently under development. These include the Modular High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors, the Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor and the Advanced Light Water Reactors. One measure of the attractiveness of a new concept is its cost. Invariably, the cost of a new type of power plant will be compared with other alternative forms of electrical generation. This report provides a common starting point, whereby the cost estimates for the various power plants to be considered are developed with common assumptions and ground rules. Comparisons can then be made on a consistent basis. This is the second update of these cost estimate guidelines. Changes have been made to make the guidelines more current (January 1, 1992) and in response to suggestions made as a result of the use of the previous report. The principal changes are that the reference site has been changed from a generic Northeast (Middletown) site to a more central site (EPRI's East/West Central site) and that reference bulk commodity prices and labor productivity rates have been added. This report is designed to provide a framework for the preparation and reporting of costs. The cost estimates will consist of the overnight construction cost, the total plant capital cost, the operation and maintenance costs, the fuel costs, decommissioning costs and the power production or busbar generation cost

[en] A first assessment of the technical and economical consequences of liquid nitrogen cooling of new superconductors is given. For the investigation the applications of superconductivity are classified in two categories: First, systems where superconductors are practically indispensable for achieving the system's objectives; second, superconductor applications in competition with highly developed conventional technologies. Further development of those superconducting systems in the first category for which the cost of cryogenic equipment is a smaller fraction of the total system cost (e.g. fusion reactor or MHD generator) will hardly be affected. However, for systems like particle accelerators, research magnets, and NMR spectroscopy and imaging systems, the cryogenic equipment expenditures are significant and LN₂ cooling leads here to a reduction of investment and operating costs, to simplified handling and maintenance, to better reliability and availability, and will thereby improve the acceptance and further spread of these systems. In the second category each application of superconductivity has to be compared with its conventional counterpart, separately. Here, electonic components, power switches, resistive current limiters, and especially the power transmission cables are those applications which look most promising. For magnet applications the main advantageous arguments are less the cost saving aspect but more the higher reliability, simplicity, N₂-availability, and ease of handling. (orig.)

[en] Short communication

[en] The nuclear industry has higher costs for personnel, equipment, construction, and engineering than conventional industry, which means that cost estimation procedures may need adjustment. The authors account for the special technical and labor requirements of the nuclear industry in making adjustments to equipment and installation cost estimations. Using illustrative examples, they show that conventional methods of preliminary cost estimation are flexible enough for application to emerging industries if their cost structure is similar to that of the process industries. If not, modifications can provide enough engineering and cost data for a statistical analysis. 9 references, 14 figures, 4 tables

[en] According to the French Court of Auditors, the production cost of nuclear power reached 60 euros/MWh in 2013 while it had been 50 euros/MWh in 2010. This sharp increase (+20% in 3 years) is explained by 3 reasons. First the investment for maintenance have increased because of the ageing of the plants and of post-Fukushima safety upgrading. Secondly, there has been a very strong increase in operational costs due to hiring skilled labour to cope with maintenance works and thirdly a decrease in annual production of nuclear power. The operating life extension of plants has a reduced impact on the operational cost of the plant itself while the impact on the rentability of nuclear assets is important. The Court of Auditors estimates the production cost at 61.6 euros/MWh for the 2011-2025 period and for a 50-year long operating life. Because of higher costs in construction, the cost of 'new nuclear' is estimated by ADEME to be 80 euros/MWh, it is worth noting that EDF foresees a selling price of 106 euros/MWh for the EPR at Hinkley Point plant. (A.C.)

[en] Purpose: Detailed evaluation and cost analysis of a cranial contrast-enhanced MRI (c-ceMRI) in outpatients, inpatients, patients in an intensive care unit and children under anesthesia. Materials and Methods: Based on a detailed process-oriented model, we calculated the cost of a cranial MRI for the four situations mentioned above. A comprehensive evaluation of the overhead and personnel costs was performed. Results: We performed 5108 MRI examinations on 2 scanners in the year 2008. 2150 examinations (42 %) were identified as c-ceMRI. For inpatients we calculated a total cost of Euro 242.46 per examination with a personnel cost of Euro 81.71 for the radiological department. In outpatients we calculated total costs of Euro 181.97 with radiological personnel costs of Euro 68.67. Patients coming from an intensive care unit were treated by an intensive care team, which resulted in total costs of Euro 416.58 with Euro 283 in costs for radiological personnel (32.8 %). MRI examinations of children under anesthesia resulted in costs of Euro 616.79 for the hospital, of which Euro 285.78 were radiological personnel costs (34.5 %). Conclusion: In this study we evaluated for the first time different radiological scenarios of a c-ceMRI at a university hospital. Considering the present reimbursement situation, all outpatients covered by statutory health insurance resulted in a deficit for the hospital. Particularly high costs for patients in intensive care units as well as for children under anesthesia have to be taken into account and are currently not adequately covered by care providers. (orig.)