Reducing Nuclear Powerplant Leadtimes:Many Obstacles Remain:Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

摘要

Today's large nuclear powerplants cost from $700million to $1billion to construct. Much of this cost--up to 40percent,according to one study--is interest and inflation encountered during the 10or more years of leadtime--the timespan from the date a utility decides to build a plant until the date it becomes operational. Presently,high capital costs have contributed to many utilities'decisions to defer or cancel construction of planned units. Thus,the leadtimes for constructing nuclear powerplants are important factors in the economics of nuclear power,and any reductions in the present 10-year cycle would reduce capital costs and enable a utility to more quickly begin recovering the cost of the plant. Reduced leadtimes would also provide earlier on-line electrical power to meet increased energy demands. For several years the President and the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy have been concerned about the lengthy leadtimes and the President has requested the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to take steps to reduce them. NRC has in recent years implemented certain administrative changes in an attempt to reduce nuclear powerplant leadtimes from 10years to 7to 8years without compromising safety.