The Cost of Reprocessing in China

摘要

This report from Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs summarizes and assesses the estimated costs of Chinese proposals for operating reprocessing plants and fast-neutron reactors. The report notes that China is considering the acquisition of two large reprocessing plants, which separate plutonium from spent fuel, as well as the construction of a demonstration and commercial fast reactor, which would use fuel made from the separated plutonium. The authors state that even the low estimates of building and operating two new reprocessing plants would "range from four to seven times the cost of storing the same fuel for 40 years." They argue that China should not be in a rush to invest in large reprocessing facilities "as it has access to plenty of uranium to fuel its nuclear growth for decades to come, and dry casks can provide a safe, secure, and cost-effective way of managing spent fuel for many decades, leaving all options open for the future." The authors recommend that China undertake a "comprehensive review" of the benefits and risks of constructing reprocessing plants and fast reactors "versus those of continuing to store spent nuclear fuel for several decades" and pursue a program of research and development on fuel cycle technologies that will "put China in a leadership role in these activities."