Security of the NPP by nuclear fuel

Atomic lobbyists all over the world persistently repeat, that all of us are found on the verge power dead spot, that all that can burn, that is gas, coal and petroleum, already almost finished, that all of shall stay absolutely with anything. In this frightening situation as completely natural and only way of salvation of Humankind from inevitable death, is atomic energy. To the scared Humankind does not remain anything other how to be seized by this “life belt”.

Such image persistently formed by atomic energy. Whether this “optimistic picture“ has any basis? So, a main question: whether the atomic energy is unrestricted store of fuel raw material?

For an assessment of security of the NPP with nuclear fuel we shall cite one detailed research [40]: “Resources of uranium now estimate in 2,4 million tons at price up to 80 dollars for kilogram. The annual requirement for uranium for approximately 420 working nuclear power reactors estimates in 58 thousand tons. Thus, the indicated resources of uranium are sufficient for work of the current NPPs for 41 year. If uranium production will result the price up to 130 dollars for kilogram, security of all atomic energy of the world by nuclear fuel increases up to 64 years”.

The employee of the Institute of uranium in London Martin Taylor estimates the situation with nuclear fuel [41]: “ … if to assume, that growth of production of nuclear energy after 2000 will be slight, it is possible to calculate, that stores of already revealed uranium of low cost (from ores of high quality) would suffice till 2020 and farther.” The year 2020 is much less, than is prognosticated in work [40], and words “and farther” are similar invoked to comfort supporters of atomic energy.

As we see, the presented values are not so optimistic as atomic lobbyists attempt to represent to us. It is not necessary to be surprised here: alas, the lie for a long time already turned into the most “potent” weapons of global atomic mafia. In any event, already today the known and developed gas resources provide Humankind with much more optimistic forecasts, than those mythical conjectures with which atomic lobbyists persistently attempt to confuse us.

And not casually advanced countries of the world have scheduled and successfully realize projects of gas energy. Series of countries of Western Europe put billions of dollars on pipelining of gas from Siberia, are ready to build gas pipelines through Baltic sea, but do not build the nuclear power plants.

In connection with a problem of supply by nuclear fuel of the nuclear power plant it is necessary to pay attention to one more affirmation of atomic lobbyists tell lie once again. It is a possibility of receiving of additional nuclear fuel in so-called breeder reactors. We already had a talk about one of variants of such fuel - МOX-FUEL.

Reactors of all nuclear power plants can be separate into two types: reactors on thermal and reactors on fast neutrons. Reactors on thermal neutrons as more simple are widespread all over the world. Till now we spoke only about them. However, the essential oversight of these reactors is extremely low use factor of natural uranium. Speaking about this oversight of reactors on thermal neutrons, we bypass the other, much more serious oversights and faults. But all these oversights are peculiar to reactors of both types. Therefore at their matching there is a sense to consider only that essentially distinguishes them.

And here is the most interesting situation. It would seem, that reactors on the fast neutrons, so-called breeders are more perspective. In them not only initial fuel is used, but also during reaction, synthetic nuclear fuel – Plutonium - 239 is produced, not existing in nature. The reactor - breeder, consuming one kind of nuclear fuel, produces new kind of fuel – plutonium, furthermore, in the quantity superior the power significance of consumed fuel. That is cool! The power is received from a reactor, and fuel for other reactors!

It also was one of the causes of that delight from “limitlessness” of atomic possibilities, which in due course has covered both atomic lobbyists, and those who managed to inspire this delight. It had the direct attitude to us. And in fact, this idea is very much attractive: we spend one, and received more than we have spent!

Tab. 10

Quantity of reactors (breeders) on fast neutrons on 31.12.1998 (On IAEA data, [42], [16], tab. 10, 12).

Country, reactor	Capacity MW	The beginning of construction	Finishing of construction	Commencement of operation	Capacity factor, %	Switched off
France, SUPER PHOENIX	1200	1976	1986	_	7,0	1998
France, PHOENIX	233	1968	1973	1974	48,0 45,0*
Germany, KNK ll	17	1974	1977	1979	--	1990
Japan, MONSU	248	1986	1994	It is not injected
Kazakhstan, BN-350	70	1964	1973	1973	47,0 42,0*
Russia, Beloyarsk BN-600	560	1969	1980	1981	74,0 72,0*
Russia, Southern Ural	750	1993	It is not completed	It is not injected
Russia, Southern Ural	750	1993	It is not completed	It is not injected
England, DOUNREAY	14	1955	1959	1962		1977
England, PFR DOUNREAY	234	1966	1974	1978		1994
USA,ENRI-CO FERMI-1	65	1956	1963	_		1971

* - capacity factor of a reactor in 1998. [16].

TOTALS:

1. In total in the world 11 reactors - breeders were under construction. From them - 3 are not opened up; - 5 are decommissioned;

for today 3 reactors – breeders are still working. The average capacity factor in 1998 has reduced on 6 % in comparison with 1997.

2. General “calendar” (without a deduction of time of stoppages, idle times, repairs, disregarding capacity factor) time of presence reactors – breeders operation has constituted 109 reactor-years. Counting upon each reactor – breeder operation in average is 13,6 years.

3. On building of reactor CREYS-MALVILLE (France, SUPERPHOENIX) and on its improvement it is spent about 20 billion US dollars, and its decommission, to extraction of radioactive waste and 5.000 tons of sodium, according to the most conservative estimates, will cost the sum more than 5 billion US dollars.

4. Reactor ENRICO FERMI-1 costs 10 billion dollars.

5. Reactor KNK ll (only 17 MW) costs 7 billion dollars.

6. Reactor MONSU costs more than 6 billion US dollars.

Alas, optimism of nuclearists, connected with a possibility of “reproduction” of nuclear fuel in reactors on fast neutrons (breeders), has appeared in actual fact not so iridescent (see tab. 10). Attempts of many countries of the world to run in this nuclear technology have concluded with failure: from eleven created breeders three are not opened up, five are already decommissioned, and three rest (in France, in Russia and Kazakhstan) are in a uncertain - doubtful condition.

In the USA, works on breeders are terminated since 1992, in Germany - since 1995, in the Great Britain - since 1993. All programs on construction of breeders in Italy, Belgium, and Holland are stopped. Even in Japan after the largest accident in 1995 have begun to doubt in expediency of continuation of breeder programs. Serious accident was on the breeder on the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in Russia. Today no one in the world build new breeders. Principal causes of developed situation are extreme complexity of such type of reactors, high price, unreliability and danger of their operation.

It appears that all attempts to use for salvation of breeder technologies have failed practically all over the world.

Therefore, perspectives of power supply of Humankind cannot be connected to atomic energy at all. Alas, utilization of natural gas remains the most safe. We cannot forget about series of successful developments of new ways of solution of power problems of Humankind. But about it a little bit later.

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